Her mom leaned over and squeezed her hand. “Grief is a lot of different emotions all balled up and tangled into a mess. Don’t fret over the fact your marriage wasn’t perfect. Whose is? People make mistakes, they tell lies, they drift apart, but all that can be forgiven when there’s love. Maybe you two hadn’t gotten to that point in the particular valley you found yourselves in at the time of his death, but that doesn’t mean that whatever was going on couldn’t have been fixed. You just didn’t have the time to do it. That’s not your fault, Sierra. And yes, it’s a shame you had doubts and suspicions about your husband. I wish he was here to answer your questions and account for that money. But he’s not. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get some answers another way.”
Sierra cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
“Ask Mason to help you.”
The answer surprised her. “What can Mason do?”
“He’s a divorce attorney. He has investigators who uncover everything the opposing spouse is hiding, including hidden bank accounts and such. Perhaps he can figure out why David took out the loan and what he did with the money. If it’s sitting in a secret bank account, that money belongs to you. It would go a long way to getting you back on your feet.”
Sierra hadn’t thought of that. But the idea gave her hope that maybe she could recover the money, or at least part of it, and that she could use it to help take care of the boys.
Although asking Mason for help sounded easy, it was anything but.
A long time ago . . . A lifetime ago, they’d had a moment. There’d been a spark. But she was with David. She’d chosen him.
And maybe a time or two she’d asked herself if she’d made the right decision.
“Sierra.” Her mom snapped out her name like it wasn’t the first time she’d said it.
“Huh. What?”
“I said you could go over and see him tomorrow. Take the boys. You know how much they love to see the horses in the pastures. An up-close look might take their mind off everything else going on.”
“I can’t ask him to look into their father’s past with the boys right there.”
“Be discreet, of course, but ask Mason all the same.”
“Maybe I’ll call his office and make an appointment.”
Dede rolled her eyes. “You’ve known him since you were thirteen. You don’t need an appointment.”
Sierra sighed. “Mom, it’s been a long time since we were friends and neighbors. I’m asking him to do something that isn’t exactly his job. I think approaching him with the request as a business arrangement—”
“Pishaw. This isn’t business. It’s a friend asking a friend for help.”
“It’s a business transaction. I don’t expect him to have his investigator do the work for free.”
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t pay him, but you don’t have to make the request so formal.”
“Mom. Let me handle it my way.” If she even asked him. Seeing him again . . . Well, he might not want to see her at all.
Her mother conceded with a wave of her hand.
Sierra went on, “Besides, depending on the cost, I may not be able to afford his services.” Mason was one of the best divorce attorneys around. Wives loved it when he stuck it to their husbands. Husbands loved that he kept their wives from taking them to the cleaners.
She knew Mason. He’d always been fair-minded, honest, and a great negotiator. He’d settled more than one dispute between her and her sisters back in the day.
She wanted to believe he’d been a little more on her side than her sisters’, but that might be her teenage heart locked in a crush on the boy next door talking.
“You know I’m more than happy to help you through this difficult time.” Dede hadn’t exactly taken her exes to the cleaners, but she’d come out of every divorce with a hefty payout. She could afford to help Sierra. But she had taught her girls to be independent and never rely on others when you were perfectly capable of taking care of yourself.
Well, Sierra had taken that to heart, unlike Heather, who sponged off Dede all the time.
“I appreciate you letting us stay here until I find a job and a place of our own, but I need to take care of the rest.”
“Sierra, honey, I love you. It’s never been easy for you to accept financial support, but I want to help. I have the means.”
“I know. I appreciate it.” But it made her feel guilty and a little bit like she couldn’t take care of herself and the boys on her own when she’d worked so hard to do that alone this past year.
The possibility of discovering what David did with that money gave her hope that she might get out from under at least part of the debt. “If I can’t afford to pay Mason for the investigation myself, I’ll let you know, so long as it’s not too much.” If she found the money, she’d have no trouble paying her mom back.
“Peace of mind is worth the cost.”
Careful what you wish for. “What if I discover something I don’t want to know?”
“Sometimes knowing the worst is still better than being in the dark. Maybe it will allow you to put your relationship with David to rest. You deserve that, honey. Then you can move on with a clear heart and mind.”
She hoped so, because the questions swirling in her mind sometimes grew quiet, but they never went silent.
Right now, though, Sierra settled into the sofa and finished her tea and thanked her lucky star to have a mom who loved her and welcomed her home with open arms.
She soaked up the warmth of home, her mother’s steady and familiar presence, and knew that though things may be difficult the next days, weeks, and months, she and her sons had a roof over their heads, the love and support of her family, and everything, eventually, would be all right.
Chapter Seven
Sierra leaned back against the hood of her SUV and watched Danny and Oliver playing on the playground at their new school. She’d gotten them enrolled and taken them to meet their new teachers. They were hesitant at first about a new place and new people. She saw it in their little faces when they realized that leaving their old life behind meant losing friends and the familiarity of all they’d known.
Since the fire most of the families they’d known had also scattered to find new homes while they dealt with the aftermath of losing everything. They all had to start over.
She explained that to the boys just before setting them loose on the playground. They seemed to get it, but it didn’t make it easier. And she wished they didn’t have to learn so many hard lessons or suffer so much tragedy in their young lives.
“Look at me, Mom!” Oliver plopped down on the slide and whooshed down, his feet hitting the thick pad at the bottom before he jumped up, gave her a huge smile, and ran to climb back up to the platform and do it again.
For the first time in a long time, her heart felt lighter seeing the boys simply play and have fun.
Amy pulled in next to her car in her white minivan. The side door slid open the second the car stopped and P.J. and Emma leaped out and ran to the playground.
“I want to slide, too.” Emma climbed up the wide steps behind Oliver.
P.J. grabbed a swing, scooted into the seat, and pumped his legs to get going. Danny took the swing next to him. It only took a second for them to see who could fly higher. Their smiles and delight as they tried to outdo each other made Sierra grin.