what every single person who’d walked through the clinic’s door this morning had brought up. “Tell you what?”
“Piper Hamilton, don’t give me that innocent look. You know what I’m talking about. I can’t believe I had to hear about your juicy past with Chief Sterling from my clients instead of you.”
“There’s nothing to tell. We dated. Briefly. It ended badly.”
“You did more than date. I can’t believe you would have let me bake a cake for the new chief like every other eligible woman in Quincey.”
“You don’t bake.”
Madison rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point. Is he Josh’s father?”
Piper nearly dropped her sandwich. “Wh-why ask such a crazy question?”
“Josh looks like him.”
“My son is a blond, like me.”
“Yes, but he has his daddy’s brown eyes. Those eyes will talk a lot of girls out of their panties in a few years. You should be worried. Does Roth know?”
Piper miraculously managed to follow Madison’s train of thought. She seriously considered lying for all of thirty seconds. “No. And I don’t want to bring it to Roth’s attention, so please keep quiet.”
“Sweetie, that’s a hard secret to keep with them practically living on top of each other. If Sterling has half a brain cell in his gorgeous body, all he has to do is a little math. It’s not like you to deny the obvious.”
Piper shoved her sandwich away. Never mind that Madison made the best chicken salad in the world, at the moment Piper would choke if she tried to eat another bite. “I usually like Monday lunches at your house. You’re killing that pleasure for me today.”
“What happened?” Madison ignored her complaint.
What was the point in evading the truth? “I got pregnant. I thought we’d get married. Instead, when I told Roth he offered me money for an abortion and then he left town.”
“Sonofabit—”
“It’s not entirely his fault. I recently discovered my father threatened Roth and coerced him into joining the Marines. And…I told Roth I’d never give birth to the child of white trash like him.”
“Not nice, and so not like you to be a vindictive bitch.”
“No. I hate conflict. But I was hurt and scared, and I struck back the only way I knew how.”
“Becoming old and wise requires us to go through the young and stupid stage. Don’t beat yourself up over it. What can I do to help?”
“I wish I knew. But mostly, I wish Roth had never come back.”
“Wishing is a waste of time. Trust me on that. You need a plan, and you need to consider telling Roth about Josh and letting the man contribute to your son’s upkeep.”
“I don’t want anything from Roth.”
“Maybe you don’t. But doesn’t Josh deserve to know his father?”
The question cut deep—right to the heart of Piper’s insecurities. When Josh was younger she’d been enough. And when they’d moved home her father had pitched in. But lately…Josh had been moody, acting as if something bothered him. When she asked what was wrong he said, “Nothing.” Her mom claimed it was puberty. Piper wasn’t so sure.
Whatever the problem was, Roth wasn’t the answer.
“I’m convinced Roth won’t hang around long. He’s always hated Quincey. I don’t want Josh to get attached and then get abandoned.”
“Like you did.”
Piper picked at the crust on her bread. “Yes.”
Madison grasped Piper’s hand. “Even in the best, the strongest relationships, there’s no guarantee that you won’t get left behind.”
The raw pain and sadness in Madison’s eyes tugged at Piper’s heart. “Roth was a Marine sniper. He killed people for a living. And before he came here he was a sniper with the Charlotte SWAT team.”
“I can see how that might bother you, but, sweetie, that was his job.”
“But how could he kill people in cold blood? I’ve seen the sniper shows with my father. They plot and plan, sometimes for months, to kill someone.”
“He’d do it the same way I euthanize pets—by focusing on the good you’re doing. In my case I try to end an animal’s suffering. In his, I’m guessing there’s a very good reason for him to follow an order to take someone out. That doesn’t make either of us a killer.”
That was eerily similar to what Roth had said.
“Madison, I’m scared of that dark side of him. And I can’t risk losing my son to someone like that. Roth could try to take Josh away. At the very least he would get joint custody. Or Josh could hate me for lying to him about his father. Either way, I lose.”
* * *
THE FRONT DOOR of Ann Marie’s office slammed open. Only one person dared to enter her carefully restored, on-the-historical-register, former-train-station office that way.
Lou Hamilton.
If he’d put a fresh dent in the plaster behind the door, she would ring his neck. After he repaired it. The man was still good for some things.
“Ann Marie!”
She rose, smoothing her palms down her skirt, and met him in the doorway. “Good afternoon, Lou. Doris, why don’t you take your lunch break now?”
“But—”
“I’ll go when you get back. I’m waiting for a call and don’t want to leave the phone uncovered.” As well as she and her secretary worked together, Doris was one of the biggest gossips, and their corner office on Main and Maple Streets gave her the perfect vantage point to see everybody’s business.
Doris looked predictably disappointed. Lou only stormed in when he had something interesting to grouse about. He never dropped by to chat the way he’d done before Piper became pregnant and he’d taken the stance that Ann Marie couldn’t forgive or forget.
Ann Marie waited until her assistant had gathered her purse and shuffled out the door before marching over to inspect her wall. Her fingertip trailed over a telltale dent. “You’re going to fix that.”
“Course I will. Do you know what that sonofabitch has done?”
“To which fine citizen are you referring?” But she knew. Lou had only one man in his sights at the moment.
“Sterling sent Morris and Jones home and told them to come back this evening. Then he said, ‘We’re not going to sit on our asses and collect our paychecks. We’ll be working twelve-hour shifts and patrolling when we’re not doing paperwork.’ Then he left Butch in the office
