Page 6 of Girl Betrayed

Wade lookedlike a kettle about to boil when he finally faced Jake. “This isn’t one of your suspect interrogations, Jacob! She’s your mother!”

“I know that.”

“It sure as hell didn’t seem that way.”

Jake rubbed the tension from his jaw and took a breath trying to collect his thoughts, but really, what was there to say?

Wade paced the length of the kitchen looking as frustrated as Jake felt. “What the hell were you thinking, Jake?”

“I was thinking, she needs help! More help than either of us can give her.”

“We do just fine here.”

“Wade! She tried to slit her wrists! She needs professional help. I thought that’s why you called me out here.”

“I called you because you’re the only one who can get her what she needs.”

“And what’s that?”

“Your father.”

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose. “We talked about this.”

“No, I talked about it. And every time I bring it up you shut me down.”

“Because he’s the last thing she needs!” Jake yelled, unable to leash his temper any longer.

Reaching out to his father was also the last thing he was willing to do. Not that it would even work. He had no idea where the low life was.

No one did.

Jake’s father had a lifetime to seek him out, yet he never had. But selfish people were predictable that way. They only thought of themselves.

Jake’s phone vibrated on the kitchen counter. Dana’s name glowed on the screen again, distracting him. Jake felt Wade’s gaze on him as he strode across the kitchen to silence the call.

“You can get that,” Wade objected.

“Don’t need to.”

All at once the fight went out of Wade. His lanky limbs seemed to give out as he sank onto the spindly chair at the small kitchen table. The ancient wood groaned, sounding almost as weary as Wade looked. His uncle stared up at him. “Jake, you gotta stop pushing people away.”

“I’m not.” Not wanting to find his father wasn’t the same thing as not inviting Dana into his family drama.

“Pulling away isn’t any kinder than pushing her away.”

“I’m trying to put out one fire at a time,” Jake muttered, slipping the phone into his pocket.

“Yeah, well take it from me, some flames need to be fanned or they flicker out on their own.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means life only gives ya so many chances at happiness, kid. And even a blind man can see that woman makes you happy. Ignoring that is a mistake.”

Jake reached up and pulled two glasses from the worn pine cabinets, pouring himself and his uncle each a generous amount of bourbon, neat, the way Wade had taught Jake to drink it.

Carrying the glasses over to the tiny table, Jake sat down, joining his uncle. “I’m not ignoring her, Wade. I know what’s at stake when it comes to Dana.”

Frankly, the way Jake felt about Dana scared the hell out of him, especially after spending the last few days with his mother.