“I’m sure she’s heard worse.”
Sheryl pushed away from the table and tossed her napkin from her lap. “C’mon, Zane, I’m taking you home.”
“The hell you are. I just got here.”
“Mom’s right. You’re in a mood and no one wants to hear it.” Zanya rested a hand on her belly.
As if to add an exclamation point, Zane flopped in his chair and grabbed a fork.
When their mom placed a hand on his shoulder he shoved it away, knocking her off balance.
Every man at the table was up in a heartbeat.
Jo practically flew across the table.
“I’m okay,” Sheryl said once she balanced herself.
“Time for you to go.” Luke loomed over him.
Zane glared at him, then moved that pointed anger to Jo, who pinned his hand holding his steak knife to the table.
“Get off me!”
“You drive here, Zane?” Jo asked in the coldest voice Zoe had ever heard coming from her friend.
Her brother let a slow smile spread over his face. “Sure did, Sheriff. Drank half a fifth in the driveway before walking back here.”
There wasn’t one person who believed him, but if there was one thing every criminal understood, it was the law.
Zoe pulled in a shallow breath and swallowed the tears that threatened to spill. “Please leave, Zane.”
Mr. Miller rounded the table and flanked her brother. “I’ll take you, son. Wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt.”
Zane shoved from his chair, leaving it to tumble behind him. “I can manage.”
“The hell you can,” Jo said. “Don’t make me arrest you.”
The line in Zane’s jaw started to pulse. “I’d like to see you try.”
Miss Gina slapped her hand on the table, making everything within a foot of her plate shake. “Enough! This is my home and we will not do this here!”
Zoe was on her feet.
Mel had taken Hope from her chair and moved away from the men.
Mrs. Miller placed an arm over Zanya’s shoulder.
A voice from inside the inn drew everyone’s attention from the table.
“Uhm, excuse me . . . but do you have a room for the night?”
Several faces swiveled to the stranger in the door.
Zane attempted to break free of Jo’s hold with a buck while Mr. Miller and Luke took him by the shoulders and walked him down the back steps.
Zoe’s mom slumped in her chair. “Son of a bitch.”
Hope clung to Mel’s side and Zanya was in tears.
“About that room?”
Miss Gina marched back into the inn, past the stranger, and barked, “Follow me.”
“Our guest is settled,” Miss Gina said when she returned.
Mr. Miller and Luke had forced Zane into a car and left.
Mel busied herself around the table, putting to rights the mess caused by Zane’s outburst. Her attention kept traveling to Zoe. The steam coming from her eyes said it all. She’d pushed her food aside and sat drinking Miss Gina’s lemonade in silence.
Sheryl kept apologizing to Mrs. Miller, who shook her head and reminded Sheryl that Zane was a grown man who was no longer someone she needed to apologize for. Mel wasn’t sure Sheryl heard her.
“You okay, Zoe?” Jo asked from the other side of the table.
Zoe attempted a half smile and pushed her hair behind her back.
“I’m all right. Ticked . . . but Mrs. Miller is right. Zane’s a grown man and is making his own choices.”
“Even if they’re bad ones,” Zanya added.
“Jo, I need you to know . . . if you ever have to put Zane in his place, do it. Our friendship will never come into question. Isn’t that right, Mama?”
Sheryl offered a single nod and looked down at her plate.
“I never thought it would.”
Melanie really hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but from the way Zane reacted to Jo, she couldn’t help but wonder how many times Jo had let him slide away when she shouldn’t have.
Wyatt interrupted her thoughts with a tap on the shoulder. “How about a walk?”
Hope still sat in Melanie’s lap, her tiny arms still wrapped around her waist. “I should probably help with the dishes.”
Miss Gina picked up a few plates. “You go. There will be plenty to do after all that pie.”
“C’mon, Mommy.” Hope slid from her knees and tugged on her hand.
Wyatt nodded toward the back of the house.
It wasn’t until they’d walked far enough away from the inn, and out of earshot of those still sitting on the porch, when Melanie released a deep breath.
“That was intense.” Wyatt kept pace beside her while Hope ran ahead.
“Is he always like that?”
Wyatt shrugged. “I don’t really know the guy. Luke might be a better one to ask.”
“He was just Zoe’s kid brother . . . annoying, but not crazed like he was today.”
“He reminds me of a kid searching for himself.”
They followed Hope on a path that led through a patch of trees. “I really hope he isn’t violent with Sheryl. I don’t think she’d do much about it if he was.”
“Have you ever met Zoe’s dad?”
“No. I know Sheryl used to drag them all to visit him in prison a couple times a year. When Zoe started high school, she always gave an excuse as to why she couldn’t join them.”
They were silent for a while before Wyatt said, “It must have been hard for them to grow up without a father.”
Melanie couldn’t help but look at Hope with Wyatt. “According to Zoe, he used to hit Sheryl all the time. I’m guessing it’s better the man was locked up than teaching his children that behavior.”