Big Girls Don’t Cry (Dundee, Idaho #6)(24)
Author: Brenda Novak

“Reenie, get Isaac out of there. He’ll destroy us, destroy our family, do you hear?” he said.

“I don’t know what to believe,” she whispered.

“Trust me. I’m coming home.” He hung up, then told Mica’s friend’s father that he had an emergency and asked for help getting Mica home.

An expression of concern wilted the man’s smile. “Sure, no problem. Are you okay, buddy? It’s not Liz, is it?”

“No,” Keith muttered.

“You don’t look so good—”

Keith didn’t wait to hear the rest. He dashed out to his car and headed straight to the airport. He felt terrible for abandoning Elizabeth so suddenly, without a word. Briefly he considered calling her on his cell phone but quickly discarded the idea. What would he say? He couldn’t tell her. Not right now. His palms were sweating; his heart was pounding. He was having some kind of anxiety attack. He shouldn’t even be driving, but he had no choice. He had to reach Dundee. Isaac would take care of Liz when he arrived tomorrow. She’d be okay. But Keith feared if he waited even a moment longer, he’d lose Reenie.

He prayed it wasn’t too late already.

ISAAC WATCHED tears course down Reenie’s cheeks as she glared at him. After Keith had hung up, she’d let the phone drop to the floor. It beeped loudly, but he didn’t bother to pick it up.

“You lied to me.” She spoke softly, but there was a fierce anger in her words. “You’re not who you said you were.”

He drew a deep breath. “Yes and no.” God, this was what he’d hoped to avoid. Elizabeth was his responsibility, not this stranger. But as angry as Reenie was, he couldn’t turn away from the pain in her eyes. She was just as innocent, just as hurt as Elizabeth was going to be. “I’m Isaac Russell, but I’m not writing a book on small-town relationships.”

“You used me.”

“I did what I had to do and now…now that you know this much, you should hear the rest.”

Her eyes were wide, frightened. “The rest of what?” she asked, but raised a hand before he could answer. “No, I won’t listen. You’re lying. You’ve got to be lying. Again. Like before.” Her hands curled into fists. “I want you to leave.”

Isaac jammed his fingers through his hair. “Is there someone I can call to stay with you tonight?”

“No. Get out. Get out right now!”

Isaac didn’t want to push her any further, but he couldn’t leave her alone like this, either.

“Let’s call someone,” he said. “Your brother. What’s Gabe’s number?”

“Get out.” She grabbed his arm and tried to drag him to the door. “You have no right to be here. I’ve asked you to leave!”

Her strength surprised him. “I’ll go in a minute,” he promised, and set her aside as gently as possible.

She grabbed him again. Only this time she seemed less angry. Torn, yes. Panicked, yes. And…hurt. She was shaking so badly, he feared she might be in shock. “Tell me everything,” she said, squeezing her eyes closed against the tears that were beginning to fall.

Isaac took her hands. They felt small, cold. “Reenie—”

“Just tell me,” she said, her body tensing, as if preparing for a physical blow.

Isaac could almost see the terror rising in her, threatening to take control, could feel the shudders as they passed through her. He had to do something.

Leaning forward, he pushed the hair away from her ear and held her tightly. “It’s worse than an affair, Reenie. Your husband is married to my sister.”

She tried to jerk away, but he held her to him in an effort to calm her. The quicker he told her the rest, the better. “He met her on a plane, got her pregnant and married her.”

She gasped as though he’d just shot her, and he wished there’d been a gentler way to break the news. “I’m so sorry.”

She sank onto the couch without responding.

“Reenie?”

“You can go,” she said, her voice suddenly deadpan.

Isaac wanted to sit with her, but he knew he wasn’t the right person to offer comfort. She’d only fight him. He needed to get someone else over here, someone she trusted, who’d look after her and the girls until Keith arrived.

“How can I reach your brother?”

She didn’t answer.

“Reenie?”

Nothing.

She had to have a list of numbers somewhere. Striding briskly from the room, he stood in the hall and tried to orient himself. Where was the damn kitchen?

Through an open doorway to his right, he saw a tiled countertop. But a sleep-tousled Jennifer emerged from another room and nearly stumbled into him just as he started toward it.

“Where’s my mother? What’s wrong with her?” she asked worriedly.

“She’s a little upset right now,” he told her. “But she’ll be fine.” He hoped. “Can you tell me how to reach your Uncle Gabe?”

The girl split a worried look between him and the opening to the living room down the hall, from which they could hear Reenie’s muffled crying. Her mother’s sobs obviously disturbed her, but she led him to a phone list on the fridge before slipping away.

Isaac found the number he was looking for and dialed.

“Hello?” The person who answered sounded like a young boy.

“Is your father home?”

“Yes. Can I tell him who’s calling?”

“Isaac Russell.”

“Just a minute, please.”

Isaac paced back and forth for several long seconds, listening as Jennifer tried to comfort Reenie. “Are you okay, Mommy? What’s wrong? Mommy?”

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, he pivoted and paced back. Finally, a deep voice came across the line. “Hello?”

“Mr. Holbrook?”

“Yes?”

“This is Isaac Russell.”

“Who?”

“Who I am doesn’t really matter. Your sister needs you. Can you come over right away? Or send someone else in the family?”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his concern apparent.

“Keith’s run into some…problems.”

“He isn’t hurt, is he?”

“Physically, no one’s hurt. But it’s not a pretty picture. Reenie will explain when you get here,” he said. Then he hung up. There wasn’t anything else he could do for these people. Now that Keith was on his way to Dundee, Isaac needed to reach his sister as soon as possible.