Luke put his hand over hers. “It’s happened to me many times. Someone finds out who I am, and how much I’m worth, and something changes. They don’t see me, but what I can do for them.” Luke sat back with a sigh. “Sean must have been disappointed by her and the marriage. I get why you’re angry, but why do you hold her responsible for his death? She wasn’t driving the car.”
Margaret clenched her hand into a fist. “No. But he was working late into the night, making deals to keep her happy. He should have been home with the boys, enjoying the life he had already made for them.”
“Focus on your grandkids. Enjoy your time with them. Take this opportunity to watch how she interacts with them and see how they’re doing. I imagine this will be the most time you guys have spent together.”
“I’m surprised she went along with the six weeks. But that will be long enough for me to really get to know the boys and them to become comfortable with me.” So that if she had to take them from Sarah, they’d be happy to stay with her. “But I’m not sure I can endure her that long. She refused to send the boys alone, so I have no choice. You’re right, though, this is the perfect opportunity to make sure those boys are being taken care of properly. She couldn’t even cook when she and Sean got married. I only hope she’s put aside her selfish behavior and finally put those boys first.”
“Maybe it’s time to sort the whole mess out. At least for the kids’ sake. Without lawyers,” he added, trying to get her to back down.
But she wouldn’t. Not when it came to Sean’s boys. “I’ll spoil those boys rotten while I can, but I won’t make nice with her.” Margaret would make sure Sarah remembered just what she had taken from her. If those boys weren’t happy and healthy, she’d follow through on her threat to take them away from their mother, no matter the cost to herself. They were all that mattered.
“I’ll come by tomorrow for moral support if you’d like.” Luke stopped by several times a month to check on her.
She lived alone in a secluded area. As she grew older, it seemed that over the past couple of years she went fewer places, had fewer visitors, and the house and land had fallen by the wayside because she physically and financially couldn’t keep up with them. She appreciated so much that Luke kept in touch. Especially since Bridget only stopped by because she needed something, usually money or a babysitter.
Luke returning to the neighboring ranch where he’d spent summers had been a wonderful surprise and a much-needed gift in her life.
She patted his hand. “I’d love the moral support. Face it, you’re curious, aren’t you?”
“You like most people, so the fact that you despise her intrigues me.”
“You’ll see tomorrow. I’m sure she won’t disappoint either of us. A leopard doesn’t change its spots, even when it is camouflaged in a Chanel suit.” Margaret eyed him and prodded, “You’ll see when you run the full background check and dig up every speck of dirt on her.”
Margaret wouldn’t let Sarah get away with taking her son and her grandsons from her.
Chapter Three
Margaret believed Sarah had taken her son away. She thought Sarah was a terrible wife and mother. She thought Sarah kept Sean and the boys from her. She blamed her for Sean’s death.
And because of all that, she wanted to punish Sarah for everything.
But Sarah wasn’t the one to blame. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
At this point, she didn’t think she could convince Margaret of that no matter how hard she tried.
Back in college, Sarah believed Sean wanted to make a life with her. He loved her.
Or so he’d said.
But life doesn’t always work out the way you hope.
People aren’t always what they seem.
And what Sean said was not always what he did.
Her marriage to Sean turned sour long before his death, because the Sean she thought she loved was just an illusion.
He didn’t want her or a family. So she’d tried to be mom and dad to the boys long before Sean’s death.
She worked hard to give them everything they needed.
Thanks to her, they would never know a day of desperation for food, shelter, or love. Not the way she did growing up.
Jack leaned forward in his car seat and tapped her shoulder. “Mama, will