Luke kept an arm around her, and her frame shook as they walked to the truck. He helped her into the passenger seat without words and climbed in to drive.

As they pulled away from her childhood home, Zoe vowed to never return.

Jo arrived at Miss Gina’s in uniform.

A lack of sleep circled under her eyes, making Zoe wonder if her friend was sleeping in her squad car instead of her bed.

Zoe threw together a simple dinner and encouraged Luke to spend time with Wyatt or his parents . . . or someone so she could talk in private with her friends. Not that she was keeping secrets, but talking candidly while figuring out where her head was at with everything revolving around Ziggy’s appearance called for alone time with the girls.

The clouds had opened up and rain was falling in deep sheets. The inn was free of guests, making it easy to dominate the parlor without worry of interruption or eavesdropping.

Mel wrapped a blanket over her lap as she curled up on the couch with a portion of cheesy chicken and rice casserole on her plate. Zoe tucked her feet under her butt and settled in while Jo removed her cop belt, gun included, and placed it on the coffee table.

“So she never divorced him,” Mel said as she filled her fork. “That’s stupid crazy.”

“Why did she lie?”

“What would she have gained by telling you the truth?” Jo asked between bites. “You breathing down her neck to get a divorce?”

Zoe played with her portion of food. “Probably. She lied about everything. If Ziggy owned the house, she could have told me, I would have helped her move.”

“If there is one thing I’ve learned since putting on this uniform, it’s that some people don’t want to be helped. Alcoholics don’t want to get sober, thieves don’t want to get a job so they don’t have to steal to make a buck, and battered women don’t want to leave their abusive husbands for fear of being alone.”

“But she’s been alone for seventeen years. She hasn’t had to dodge a fist or sit out in the cold for years.” It made no sense to Zoe. None whatsoever. “And what the hell is wrong with my sister? Has she forgotten what an ass he is?”

“Zanya is a lot more like your mom than you are. She’s looking for someone to take care of her and Blaze. Maybe your dad—”

“Don’t call him that, Mel.”

Mel lifted a hand in apology. “Maybe Ziggy promised the world.”

“I promised the world and they both know I can deliver.”

Both of her friends shook their heads in disbelief.

“We’re just going to have to wait and see what happens. I don’t care what the system says, animals like Ziggy don’t change their stripes. The man is on parole. One drink and I’m bringing him in . . . one step outside the line. Then, when he’s back on the inside, we can figure out this mess.”

Zoe attempted another bite. Even her comfort food wasn’t doing its job. “I don’t want to wait for him to screw up. I need to know if he is holding something over my mom.”

“And if he isn’t? If she’s making a mistake and doesn’t care who it hurts . . . what then?” Mel asked.

“Then I walk away. I don’t want that stress in my life.”

“You say that now, but if she showed up bruised and broken, you’d pull her in,” Jo countered.

“Then I’m counting on you two to talk me out of letting the cycle continue. I don’t know if it’s a lost cause yet . . . but when it becomes painfully evident that I’m wasting my tears on the situation, you both need to remind me of this night.”

“What do you want us to do then?” Jo’s stoic expression told Zoe she was listening hard.

“Tell me to walk away. Remind me she’ll just fall for him again. If she is stupid in love with that bastard and is willing to go through all that crap again, let her have it. I’m no longer a kid and don’t have to stick around to watch.” The thought of her own mother picking Ziggy over everyone else left her broken on the inside. What parent did that?

Who was she kidding? Sheryl had done that most of her life.

From the way she comfortably sat on Ziggy’s lap, she seemed willing to do it again.

Mel put her fork down. “Pisses me off. I feel like we just got you back, and now your family is pushing you away again.”

“Oh, Mel . . . I’m not going away.” Only she couldn’t imagine running into her family on a daily basis with Ziggy holding everyone in tight control.

“I want that in writing,” Mel whined.

“Let’s talk about something happy,” Jo suggested. “So, sex with Luke . . . better than before?”

Zoe felt an instant smile on her face.

Chapter Eighteen

Luke had walked Zoe over to Sam’s the next day, and then continued around the block to the police station. He was hoping Zoe having a private word with Sheryl would end with some kind of resolution. She hadn’t been able to sleep since they returned from Vegas. She wasn’t eating either. For the first time since they’d gotten back together, he thought it might be best for her to return to Texas to get her mind off of her family. She was too close to the players to clear her mind and focus. In three weeks, when she returned for Mel and Wyatt’s wedding, she’d have some time behind her to let the reality of her father returning sink in.

Who knew, maybe Ziggy would screw up in those three weeks and end up back in jail.

Luke entered the station and waved at Glynis as he walked past. “Jo in there?” he asked, pointing toward her office.