She Steps Out Of Betrayal's Shadow To Rebuild Her Broken Home novel · Chapter 7 of 24

Chapter 7: Home Again

Bianca took Posy home at noon.

Melinda walked Zachary down to the truck. Her mother watched from the window above the hardware store.

"Bianca said to ask you about the lobby," Melinda said.

Zachary put both hands on the roof of the truck and stood there.

"She would."

"Is it true?"

"It's true." He turned around. "On the third day I got as far as the lobby. Leland came down in the elevator and said nobody was going to see you until he'd decided whether you were fit to see me."

"And?"

"I put him on the floor. Once. Security took me down the stairs."

"That's why the scar."

"His cabinet door, he says." Zachary's mouth twisted. "It was my fist and the corner of the marble reception desk."

Melinda thought about the pink line through Leland's eyebrow, and how easily he had told her it was a cabinet.

He had lied to her about something small, and in his first hour.

"Why didn't you tell me last night?"

"Because you'd just got your feet under you, and I didn't want you flinching at me." He looked at his scarred hand. "I'm not sorry. I'd do it again."

"I'm not asking you to be sorry."

"What are you asking?"

She took her time.

"I'm asking you to drive me to the house."

Zachary's whole face went still.

"No."

"Posy's there, Zach. My daughter is in that house and she's eight years old. She was asleep in a car two hours ago and I made her a promise."

"He wants you in there."

"He wants me signing. I'm not going to sign."

"You don't know what he'll do."

"That's why I'm going in with my eyes open." She was shaking a little, so she held the truck door. "If I stay in your gatehouse I'm a woman who ran away. If I go home I'm Mrs. Crane in her own house, and I can look at everything."

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