She marched right up to him and poked her finger so close to his nose that it made his eyes cross. “You walk a mile in my shoes, Mr. Roberts, and then you can stand here all self-righteous and tell me to get over it. I’ll be hitching up to the trailer now and moving it off your precious property. If there’s any dirt on the tires when I get it back to the shop, I’ll be sure to put it in a box and mail it back to you. I wouldn’t want you thinkin’ I’m stealing it.”

He took a step back. “Hey, I didn’t mean to step on your toes.”

“Well, you did.” She stormed over to her truck, expertly backed it up to the trailer, got out, and hitched it without a problem. “Enjoy your land,” she said as she slid behind the wheel, slammed the door, and started the engine.

He tipped his hat at her, got into his truck, and drove away.

The radio was blaring just like it had been when she turned the key earlier, but now it was playing the Pistol Annies’ “I Feel a Sin Comin’ On.”

“Yeah, right,” Jody said as she stomped the clutch and put the truck in gear. “The only sin I feel comin’ on is maybe poisoning Lyle and slapping the shit out of Quincy . . . and maybe doing something evil to Clinton for Paula. But the sin I feel doesn’t have anything to do with a tall, dark, and handsome guy.”

Stop kiddin’ yourself, that pesky voice in her head said.

Jody gripped the steering wheel so hard that her knuckles were white and her hands ached when she finally parked behind the shop. She turned off the engine and sat in the hot truck until salty sweat began to sting her eyes. Opening the door to get air didn’t help since there wasn’t any sign of a breeze blowing. Finally, she swung open the door and put her feet on the ground but didn’t realize just how weak kneed she still was. She had to hang on to the door for a minute to get her balance.

Going back out there for the final time wasn’t supposed to affect her like this. If anything, it should bring more closure, not open up even more anger. When did this business of acceptance arrive anyway?

She didn’t bother unhitching the trailer but stomped into the house and went straight for a plate. “I’m mad and I’m hungry.”

“Mitzi’s upstairs. Do I need to call her and get out the ice cream?” Paula asked.