Chapter 9

Ty couldn’t believe he was standing on the stage in this huge nightclub. He had a mic and was singing to his own recorded voice. Somehow, it felt like he was lip-syncing, but Will and the club owner were nodding and grinning at him. Most patrons in the club were watching him and nodding or swaying in time to the beat. Some remained on the dance floor, moving to his melody.

It wasn’t the first time he had sung onstage, but he felt naked without his guitar, and the overpowering strains from the sound system throbbed throughout his entire body.

He felt his cell vibrate, and while still singing, he reached for it. Leah! He pushed the talk button, holding the phone close to the mic as though he was singing just for her ears. He recalled her delight when he had first sung to her. He wished she were here with him. Somehow, it would be easier with her by his side.

The song ended, and there was a round of applause. He bowed and started to leave the stage, but Will made a “go on” gesture, furiously winding his hand in the air. He heard the beginning of another song he had recorded earlier that day. “Hang on, Leah,” he shouted into the phone and began singing the next ballad. He hoped she would understand what was going on. Holding on to her this way felt like a lifeline to the real world.

At the end of the song, he raised his hand to acknowledge the applause but determinedly stepped down from the stage. Glancing around, he made a break for a hallway to the rear, where he spied the restroom signs. He paused by the fire exit just past the restrooms.

“Are you still there?” he said, covering his other ear so he could hear her.

“Yes,” she said. “You were wonderful.”

Ty grinned, acknowledging that her approval had somehow achieved monumental importance. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Where are you? It’s so loud.”

He heaved a sigh. “I’m in a club here in Dallas. My friend got them to play some of the songs we recorded today.”

“Oh, Ty. I’m so very proud of you.” He heard her catch her breath. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to…to…” She broke off.

“No, no,” he assured her. “You can interrupt me anytime. I wish you were here.”

“It’s Tyler!” a female voice trilled from behind him.

He turned to find several young women crowding around him. They were all talking at once and taking pictures with their phones.

“Here, Tyler,” one shouted. “Take a picture with me.” She ducked under his arm, and her friend snapped the photo as she hugged him around his torso.

“Hang on,” he said into his phone. “Maybe I better let you go. Things are getting complicated around here…”

* * *

“Yes…goodbye,” Leah said to the dead air. She swallowed hard. “Tyler…”

She had been unable to resist any longer and, when she hadn’t heard from Ty, had gone to sit on a wicker rocking chair on the front porch to place the call.

Ty was in a nightclub where women were crushing on him. An ache in her chest caused her to feel even more alone. And jealous. She acknowledged that feeling right up front.

She couldn’t be angry with him. This was what he had always wanted. The fame that came with his future celebrity would bring with it a ton of female admirers. They would be the ones to download his songs and request them on the radio.

Leah leaned back in the rocker and rested her bare feet on the rickety porch railing. She heaved a deep sigh and gazed up at the moon. She felt as though she were the only human being in the entire universe right now. Her eyes were attuned to the darkness, and she could see small movements. Something tiny, maybe a mouse, ran along in the tall grass growing up next to the barbed wire fence. Tree frogs croaked rhythmically, and crickets chirped in counterpoint. A whisper of breeze caused tree branches to stir.

Her earlier fear of the Carters had dissolved into apathy. She wasn’t feeling important enough to bother with. If she hadn’t called Ty tonight, she would never have known he was in a club, being mobbed by his adoring female fans.

She huffed out a derisive snort. How could they resist?

A single tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away and chided herself for being an idiot. I’m not some starstruck fool. I’m a grown woman, and I fell in love with a real man. A man who is kind and loving and sexy as hell. She hiccupped and wiped at another tear.

“Oh, Ty. Please let it be me.”

* * *

The next day, Leah woke up with a different mind-set. She decided not to live her life waiting for any man, even one as wonderful as Tyler Garrett. No matter how much she loved him, she couldn’t control the future, so she would focus on what she could control.

It was Saturday, and she had a purse full of cash…well, not full, but enough to make her feel rich by comparison with her previous state. She would have to make sure Gracie was outfitted for school and see what she could do to help Gran.

After breakfast, she made a quick survey of their pantry and determined that, although Ty had provided a good store of foodstuffs, there were a few things she could restock.

Gracie was taking her duties as dog-sitter very seriously. She had taken over Eddie’s care as well, feeding both dogs and taking them out for a run together.

Leah washed dishes and got dressed for their outing. She loaded Gran and Gracie into her car and set out for Langston.

Gran was almost as excited as Gracie, chattering about the local school and what seedlings she hoped to find at the feed store.

Gracie was quiet, but when questioned, she said she hoped they could find some new shoes she could run in. That was most important to her.

Leah assured her they would find good shoes, hoping they could find something Gracie would love and she could afford. At the far end of town, she pulled into the Walmart parking lot. It appeared everyone in the surrounding area had had the same idea, because there seemed to be a million cars parked outside. She let Gran and Gracie out near the entrance and went to park the car. When she got back to them, Gran had commandeered a shopping cart and appeared eager to shop. She announced her intentions of exploring the garden center and set off in the direction of the big overhead sign.

Leah took Gracie to the girls’ department, and they made a thorough investigation of the available wares.

“We need to get you five good outfits to start with,” Leah said. “Maybe some things you can mix and match.”

Gracie reached out a hand to stroke a powder-blue cardigan folded on a table. She looked wistful, but since they had not been able to afford much in the way of new things and a lot of Leah’s shopping had been at thrift stores, this was a brand-new experience for both of them.

“Do you like that sweater?” Leah asked. At Gracie’s nod, she sorted around and found it in a size she thought would last Gracie through the winter. She unbuttoned it and held it open for Gracie. “Here, slip your arms into this.”

Gracie complied, smiling as Leah tugged the sleeve down over her cast. Then she looked around nervously, coloring when she saw another girl watching her.

“I think that looks great on you. Let’s put it in the cart.” Leah folded it across her purse in the top section of the cart. She glanced at the pretty, dark-haired girl, who appeared to be about Gracie’s age, and smiled at her, but the girl turned away. Must be as shy as Gracie.

She looked for jeans in Gracie’s size and put some in the cart, along with several shirts and pullover sweaters. Then she went to paw through a rack of dresses. She held various ones up to Gracie, noting which appeared to please her. They headed for the dressing rooms and crammed into a small cubicle so Gracie could try them on.

“Which dress do you like best, Gracie?” she asked. “You’ll need one for church.”

“Church?” Gracie asked, looking puzzled. “Are we going to church?”

Leah felt a stab of conscience. “Yes, we can go to church now. I don’t have to work on Sundays anymore.”

They chose a pretty patterned dress with a white collar. It would look good with the blue cardigan too, so Leah added it to the stash in the cart. She would have one more paycheck before school started, so she helped Gracie choose three outfits as well as the dress for them to purchase. When they emerged from the dressing room, the woman who was with the other little girl was coming out of another cubicle. The woman was a pretty Hispanic woman with a wide smile.

“I saw you at the restaurant with Big Jim Garrett,” she said.

Leah nodded, her stomach grabbing at the memory. “Yes. I was there.”

The woman held out her hand. “I’m Milita Rios. My father owns the restaurant.”

Leah clasped her hand and slipped her other arm around Gracie. “This is my daughter, Gracie. She’s going to be in the third grade this year.”

“That’s great. She’ll be in the same class with my niece, Tina.” She indicated the young girl standing nearby. “Tina, be sure and help Gracie get to know everyone.”

Tina smiled shyly and raised a hand in greeting.

Leah hoped this encounter would blossom into a friendship. Lord knows Gracie hasn’t had much in the way of friends at school.

The two girls moved off and began to chat in low tones.

Leah felt as though a weight had been lifted off her heart. “Thanks so much. It’s hard to be the new one in school.”

“We’ll have to get them together to play before school starts. Just bring Gracie by the restaurant, and the girls can hang out. Poor Tina has been reading or drawing in a corner while I work.”

Leah wondered where the girl’s parents were but didn’t feel comfortable in asking.

“My brother is a widower,” Milita supplied as if reading her mind. “And he had to take a job out of state, so I’m keeping Tina for him. At least he can have peace of mind that my dad and I will care for her, and she can stay in the same school.”

Leah nodded. “I’m sure that’s for the best.”

When they left the dressing room area, Leah added a package of underwear and socks to the cart, and then they set off to find Gran.

“I think she said she was going to the garden center,” Gracie supplied, pulling the cart by the front toward that sign.

When Leah pushed the cart out into the garden area, she didn’t see Gran at first. There were fruit trees and lots of houseplants arranged in row after row. Leah turned down one aisle and saw Gran at the other end. She appeared to be upset.

When they neared, she heard Gran’s voice raised in anger. “You get away from me! Let go of my cart!”

Leah thrust Gracie behind her and barreled the cart down the aisle. “What’s going on here?” Her heart nearly stopped when she reached the end and saw the two Carter brothers with smarmy grins on their faces. One held onto the front of Gran’s cart and wouldn’t let her pass. When they spied Leah, their grins widened.

“Look who it is, Dean. That pretty little thing from the park.”

Ray gave a hard shove to the cart Gran was trying to wrest away from him, and she fell back onto the concrete.

“Stay here,” Leah instructed Gracie and rushed to help Gran. She had a cut on her elbow and appeared to be quite shaken. “Gran, are you all right?”

The one named Ray cocked his brow at Leah. “You related to this old hag? Well, ain’t that nice to know?”

She assisted her grandmother to her feet and glowered at the two brothers, who stood snickering at her. “You get away from us, or I’ll call the security guard.”

The brothers laughed even more. They mimicked her words and hooted. “Now that we know where you live, we’ll have to come pay a visit,” the other brother, Dean, said.

A burst of anger exploded in Leah’s chest. She jerked Gran’s metal shopping cart toward her and then rammed it back into them. The one named Dean fell down, landing on his side and halfway into a raised area with various evergreens and concrete blocks marking the border. He cursed and scrambled to rise. He stood glowering at her while rubbing his hand against his hip.

“Stay away from us,” she ordered, “or I’ll tell Mr. Ryan. He had me make a report to the sheriff.”

More jeers, but they moved away, glaring at her and also eyeing Gracie. The tall, gaunt one made a lunge at Gracie, and when she jumped and screamed, he laughed derisively.

Gran stood, holding her elbow, her mouth pinched up tight. “Those are the meanest snakes in the grass in all creation. I wish I had my shotgun, and I would have blasted them to kingdom come.”

Leah gathered Gracie tight against her and tried to soothe Gran’s feelings. She ushered them inside and went to the front desk, where she told the person behind the counter her grandmother had been attacked by two men. The woman summoned the security guard, and when Leah told him it was the Carter brothers, he rolled his eyes. He offered to call the sheriff’s office for her, but Gran was anxious to leave. She appeared to be exhausted after the ordeal, so Leah waited while the lady behind the counter offered a first-aid box to tend to Gran’s elbow. Leah cleaned it as best she could with hydrogen peroxide and covered it with a big gauze bandage.

Gran looked better by that time, so they checked out and left the store.

“Mommy, who were those bad men?” Gracie asked. “They scared me.”

“No one you need to be concerned with,” Leah interjected. “We’re all fine now.” She got her family settled in the car and drove away, checking for the Carter brothers in their old blue truck. Damn! Why did we have to run into those monsters? She drove to the Dairy Queen and bought a round of chili dogs and milkshakes. It felt good to be able to provide even a little treat for her family.

When they were back in the car, Gran asked to be taken to the feed store. She still wanted to see if there were any seedlings of fall vegetables in stock. When they had all trooped inside, Gran drew her aside.

“I’ll tell you, I was sure glad to see you comin’ when those Carters had me cornered. You looked like the wrath of God a-comin’ to smite ’em.”

Leah grinned in spite of the seriousness of the situation. “I was so mad I could have smote them into the next county.”

They cruised the area with fruit tree saplings and moved on to the counter with a selection of vegetable plants growing in small containers. Gran got a couple of green peppers, a couple of pumpkins, and some winter squash.

“How about you, Gracie?” Gran asked. “Do you see anything else we need to plant?”

“Peas and carrots are my favorites,” Gracie responded.

“Well, we can get some seed for those.” She led Gracie over to a rack of seed packets, and the two of them had a serious discussion about which to purchase.

“Hey, there,” a masculine voice said.

Leah turned to see Sara Beth’s boyfriend at the counter. “Hello,” she called back.

“Frank,” he said. “I’m Frank Wilson.”

Leah grinned. “Yes, I remember you.”

He signed a ticket the clerk presented. “I’m just picking up some supplies and feed for my boss. What are you doing here today?”

Leah pointed to where Gran and Gracie stood with their heads together. “My grandmother and daughter are planting a fall garden.”

“That’s always a good thing.” He stopped and looked at Gracie, then back at Leah. “You’ll pardon me for saying, but you don’t look old enough to have a daughter that age.”

Leah blew out a breath. “Well, I had her pretty young.”

He nodded. “So did Sara Beth.” He shrugged. “A bonus for me. We’re getting married in the spring.”

“That will be lovely,” Leah said. “You’re a lucky man.”

Frank gave her another wide grin. “Don’t I know it.”

Gran and Gracie made their selection and checked out. When they went to the car, Frank pulled alongside and got out to help load the plants into Leah’s vehicle. Leah introduced Gracie, and Gran said she had seen him around town.

Leah felt a little better after they started toward home but kept an eye out for the blue truck. The last words from the Carters continued to haunt her. Now that we know where you live, we’ll have to come pay a visit.

* * *

Ty had slept late. Not his usual routine. He lay on the futon thinking about everything he had left behind in Langston. His horse was being boarded with the veterinarian. His dog was being cared for by Gracie, and the woman he cared for was missing him…he hoped.

He stretched and thought about Leah and how much she had come to mean to him. He was just coming to terms with the depth of his feeling. Probably being encircled with so many strange women the night before reinforced how much he cared about the one he’d lost his heart to. Although Will had been very comfortable surrounded by the crowds and functioned well with the people he deemed to be the movers and shakers, the whole situation made Ty feel uncomfortable. He enjoyed performing onstage, but milling around in the crowd was definitely not his thing.

He wondered if he might have felt differently if Leah had been with him. If she had been sitting at the table beside him, he thought it would have been easier.

Ty sat up and began to rummage through his things. Just a simple line of melody ran through his head, and he wanted to capture it. He found a scrap of paper and made a note of the tune, then he started writing a lyric that seemed to fit it. A song for Leah.

Since Will was sacked out and snoring on the bed, Ty didn’t grab his guitar and strum the tune. He was itching to play the song he’d just written, but he didn’t want to wake his host. Instead, he busied himself with paper and pen, jotting down lyrics and musical notes.

A smile spread across his face when he imagined her reaction. He thought she would be pleased that he wrote this song for her. Ty worked until he realized his stomach was growling and Will was showing no signs of getting up. Carefully stowing his notes in his guitar case, he took a stroll to the kitchen area and opened the refrigerator door. Pretty bleak. Several cartons of beer sat on the lower shelves and in the door.

He closed the fridge and checked the pantry but quickly closed the door again when an open box of cereal and a few roaches greeted him.

He thought of the delicious and pleasant breakfasts he had shared with Leah, Gracie, and Gran. Acknowledging it was more than the food he missed, he climbed into his clothes and carried his boots to the bottom of the stairs before putting them on. He left the building, hearing the lock tumble into place behind him.

Once in his truck, he circled around for a while looking for food. He drove through a fast-food restaurant and ordered enough food to satisfy his appetite and Will’s as well. He ate a biscuit stuffed with sausage and scrambled egg on the way back to the recording studio and punched the number for Leah’s cell phone as soon as he parked.

She answered quickly, bringing a grin to his face. “Hello, beautiful,” he said.

“Oh, Ty!” She sounded pleased that he’d called, but there was something else. An edge to her voice he hadn’t heard before.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, uh…yes. Why do you ask?” She suddenly sounded cheery. Way too cheery.

“Come on. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing,” she answered quickly. “I’m in the car with Gracie and Gran. I got my first paycheck, and we went into Langston to get Gracie some school clothes.”

“Tell him about the bad men,” Gracie urged.

An icy fear coiled around Ty’s spine. “What bad men?” he asked.

“Oh, it was nothing.”

“Yes, Mommy. Tell him,” Gracie insisted.

“Let me talk to Gracie,” Ty said, all thoughts of food forgotten. He heard Leah sigh and the phone being handed off.

“Ty! We were shopping, and two bad men were hurting Gran. They pushed her down, and she hurt her elbow. Mommy ran the shopping cart into them.”

“Really?” Ty’s fingers flexed on the steering wheel. “Are you all okay?”

“Yes, but Gran has this bandage on her elbow, and we were real scared.”

Ty swallowed hard, rage gathering in his chest. Who could hurt a little old lady? “Let me speak to your mother, honey.”

“Yes?” Leah answered, sounding anxious.

“I’ll be there tonight. Lock yourselves inside the house, and don’t hesitate to call the sheriff if there’s any funny business.”

“Oh, Ty,” she said. “I don’t want you to have to leave before your business is done.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you in a while.” He disconnected and got out of the truck. When he rang the bell and banged on the door, Will finally answered, squinting into the light.

“Oh, man! What are you doing?” He opened the door for Ty to enter and then followed him back up the stairs. “What time is it?”

“Late,” Ty said. “I’ve got to go back to Langston.” He thrust the bag of food into Will’s hands and began tossing his things together. In a matter of minutes, he had his duffel and his guitar in hand.

“Whoa! Wait up! What’s the rush?” Will located his glasses and shoved them onto his face.

“I just need to be there. What else do I need to do for the audition?” He stopped in mid-stride to gaze at Will, who shook his head.

“Lots of stuff. We need to get you out there. You need to be seen. We need to build some buzz.”

Ty heaved a sigh. “I hope you can buzz without me. I’ll call tomorrow. I have to leave now.”

Will shrugged. “I’ll do what I can. I’ll submit your audition tape and see if I can get some of the local DJs to play your tracks…create a fan base ahead of time.” He followed Ty to the stairs. “But you really should be here. This is important.”

Ty was already down the stairs and halfway out the door. “Just do what you can.” He tossed his bag and guitar on the seat beside him and pulled away, raising a hand to Will as he drove away. He didn’t know who would injure Leah’s grandmother, but he was sure going to find out and put a stop to it.

Once on the highway, his heart felt lighter with every mile that brought him closer to the three females he had left behind.

* * *

“No, you just rest.” Leah settled her grandmother on the sofa in front of the newscast and propped her feet up. “You’ve been through a lot today, so take it easy.”

Leah unloaded the car and settled Gracie to peel stickers off her new underwear and cut the tags off the new school clothes she’d bought.

Gran seemed to be perfectly happy inspecting the seeds and plants she’d bought, which were sitting on top of magazines spread out on the coffee table. Other than the big gauze pad taped to her bony little elbow, she appeared to be none the worse for wear. “We can plant these tomorrow,” she said to Gracie.

Leah locked the front door after looking around carefully to make sure there were no signs that the Carters had made good on their promise to “visit.”

She had mixed feelings about Ty’s cutting his trip short to come back to Langston. She missed him like crazy, so of course she wanted to see him. But she also felt guilty for being the cause of his early return. Surely, she could manage to stand up for herself and her little family. Surely, she could.

She had a flash of the one named Dean when she pushed the cart into him. Pure hate radiated in his gaze after he crawled back up to a standing position. And the other one, Ray…he had terrified her when he’d chased her from the park. How could she avoid them in such a small town? And how could she keep them away from the farm? The menace was real.

No, she admitted they frightened her, but what was a woman to do? She couldn’t walk around frightened all the time. And she hated to think she would have to constantly be on guard, always looking over her shoulder. But how could she leave Gran and Gracie when she went to work? How could she leave them alone when they were so defenseless?

* * *

Ty pulled in at the little farmhouse just as the sun was going down. There was a light on inside. He sat for a moment wondering why this felt like coming home when his real home was farther west, on the other side of Langston.

An image of his father’s stern face leapt, unbidden, to his mind. He let out a sigh and pictured his brothers instead.

Fun-loving Beau, the baby of the family. Always so easygoing and ready to lend a hand.

Colton, the eldest, was more serious, but he also enjoyed a good laugh. Ty recalled the many good times they had enjoyed together. Mostly when their mother was alive. Lately, things had been more than a little tense.

He climbed out of the truck and stepped up onto the porch. Giving a knock, he tried the knob and found the door to be locked. This is a first. It’s always been open before. He realized Leah had heeded his advice. A stirring in his gut told him these women were fearful.

“Who’s there?” Leah called out from behind the door.

“It’s me, Ty,” he answered.

She threw the door open, a haunted expression on her face. “Oh, Ty!” she gasped.

When he pulled the screen open, she fell into his arms. He kissed her deeply, responding to the aching chasm in his chest, which suddenly seemed to be flooded with warmth. Lifting her off her feet, he swung her around. She buried her face against his chest and clung to him.

“Hey, baby. I’m here. Everything’s going to be okay.”

She nodded furiously but didn’t seem to be breathing.

He kissed her hair and laid his cheek against it. Holding her was the most important thing he could be doing.

A bark interrupted their reunion as Lucky pushed out the door and jumped around excitedly.

Leah stepped back, wiping her eyes but grinning.

Ty squatted down to give Lucky some attention, and he heard Gracie’s voice call out. “Oh, Gran! Ty’s home.”

The word home seemed to drill into his conscience. Home? Where is home now?

He stood in time to be clasped around the waist by an exuberant Gracie. “Ty! I’m so glad to see you. I knew you’d come back.”

“Well, of course. Was there any doubt?”

She gazed up at him, her expression rapt, and shook her head.

“Land’s sake!” Gran called. “Let the man come inside the door.”

Gracie pulled him through the doorway, and Leah closed it behind them. He thought she looked around a little anxiously before securing it.

Gran was on the sofa, struggling to rise. “Let me get you something to eat. You must be starved.”

“Gran, you stay right there,” Leah ordered. “I’ll make something for Ty. You just rest.”

Ty watched Leah and Gracie hurry off to the kitchen, so he sank onto the sofa beside Gran. “How are you doing?” Lucky thrust his head in Ty’s lap, begging for attention, which he was only too glad to supply.

“About as good as could be expected,” Gran retorted with a wide grin in place.

He spied a large gauze bandage on her elbow where the blood had seeped through. “What happened here?” She tried to blow it off, but he managed to draw the entire story from her. His anger must have been evident, because when Leah came from the kitchen, she took one look at his face and pressed her lips together in a firm line.

“Why don’t you come in to the table now, Ty? We heated up a little something for you.”

He stood and followed her, taking a seat at the place they had prepared for him. Blowing out a breath, he tried to release the knot of anger binding his chest. “Thanks. This looks great.” He gestured to the chair next to him. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what’s been going on while I’ve been gone?”

Tight-lipped, Leah sent Gracie in to watch television with Gran and slipped into the chair. “I’m really sorry you came back, Ty.” Eyes wide, she covered her mouth with both hands. “No, I didn’t mean that. I mean, I’m sorry all this happened.”

He reached for her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m here. I have every intention of solving this problem, one way or the other.” He gave her hand a squeeze and reached for the fork. “This looks mighty nice to a hungry traveler.”

This brought a smile to her face. “I hope you like my corn bread. I used the recipe on the box of cornmeal.”

He ate the food and managed to avoid mentioning the Carter brothers until he pushed the plate away. “Now, let’s talk about the Carters. I know they had been giving your grandmother a hard time. My big brother and I had some run-ins with them when we were in school. What’s going on?”

She looked down at her hands and murmured something he didn’t understand.

Ty leaned closer and lifted her chin. “What is it, baby? You can tell me anything.”

She met his gaze and gave him a sad smile. “I know.” She swallowed hard. “I’ve already told you my deepest secrets.”

He kissed her nose. “So tell me what happened.”

Leah poured out the story of how the Carter brothers had chased her with their truck and how the one called Ray had pursued her on foot. She told him about Breck interceding and warning her to stay clear of them and how he had facilitated her making a report to the sheriff.

“And you didn’t see them again until today?” he asked.

She shook her head. “When Gracie and I were in the girls’ department, Gran wandered off by herself to the garden center. When we went looking for her, the Carters had her trapped in the far back corner past the fruit trees. The one pushed her down with her shopping cart, and she hit the concrete. That made me so mad I went and shoved the cart into them. One fell down against the concrete blocks, but they were both looking real mean at us, and they said they would be coming to visit us real soon.”

“Did you report this to the sheriff too?”

“No, I did tell the security guard, but I wanted to get Gran and Gracie home.”

He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “I think you need to make an official report of today’s incident too. Maybe take out a restraining order. That might get their attention.”

She sucked in a deep breath and pressed her lips together.

It caused him physical pain to see her so frightened. “Honey, we can’t let this go. Apparently, these guys have been running over your grandmother for a while, and they think they can get away with it.”

“I know you’re right,” she said.

“We’re going to stand up to them. Bullies usually back down when their victim lets them know they aren’t going to take it any longer.”