Hurt, Heather retaliated. “Yeah, well, while you thought he was on a business trip, he was actually with me.”
“I got that. Stupid me for believing my husband, thinking that he cared about me and would never hurt me. I knew there was something wrong between us and I didn’t do anything about it. I ignored it, because I had faith we’d make it right. And we had a good life despite the growing distance between us.”
Heather just stared at Sierra.
“What? Did you think we were fighting like cats and dogs?” Sierra sighed. “You don’t know anything about us, Heather. You weren’t there when we sat down to dinner and talked about the boys and our day. You weren’t there when he played with the boys and put them to bed and spent the weekends hanging out with all of us. You broke a family that could have been saved given some time for David and me to find our way back to each other, because we probably would have. At the core of our relationship we were always friends.”
“You put all the blame on me, but he betrayed you, too.”
“He did. But you’re my sister. I thought that meant something. I would have done anything for you.” Sierra’s eyes filled with disgust before she closed them for a second. “Just looking at you makes me sick.”
“I hoped you’d never find out.”
“I bet. How long did you plan to carry on the affair? Until David and I celebrated our ten-year anniversary? Twenty years? Fifty?” Sierra frowned. “No. You were hoping to celebrate all those anniversaries with him. You hoped he’d leave me and the boys and pick you.”
“Yes! I wanted him to pick me, but I also knew it would never work out even after we had Hallee.”
“Was he there for the delivery? Did he help you pick out her name? Did he paint the nursery especially for her?”
Heather’s gaze fell to the dirt.
“No. He didn’t. Because he was at home with his family. And now he’s not here at all.” Sierra gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were so wide and filled with an accusation she didn’t look like she wanted to speak.
Mason prayed it wasn’t what he was now thinking.
Sierra dropped her hands and sucked in a breath and took a menacing step toward Heather. “He died on Highway 1 when it was socked in with fog. He was coming to see you.”
The accusation hung in the air, thick and menacing and fraught with Sierra’s rage.
Heather wrapped her arms around her middle. Tears cascaded down her cheeks in rivulets. “Hallee got sick. Her temperature was so high. I had to take her to emergency. She had pneumonia. I was so scared I’d lose her, I called and begged him to come. She needed him.”
Sierra and Heather stared at each other for a long moment, then Sierra broke the tense silence. “Should we tell the boys you’re the reason their father is dead, too?”
“It’s not my fault.”
“No? Then whose fault is it? David should have been home in bed with me instead of crushed to death on the highway.”
Mason turned at the sound of the house side door closing.
Sierra stared at her boys, each of them holding one of Hallee’s hands, helping her down the porch steps. That’s when the tears fell.
Heather and David deserved her anger.
The kids sparked her grief and sadness.
Sierra brushed away the tears and stared at her sister. “You took my husband. You destroyed my memories of him.” She gave Mason a sharp look, then turned back to Heather. “And now I know why David needed that loan. For you. You took money that should have gone to my children. That cute little house you love so much, I’m the one paying for it. You just took and took and took and didn’t care one bit. Well, let me tell you, I care. I will never forgive you for this.”
“Sierra, please,” Heather choked out.
“No. You don’t get to ask me for anything ever again. Stay away from me and my children. I never want to see you again.” Sierra cut off her words before the kids got too close to hear. She closed the distance to the boys and held her hands out to them. “Come with me.”
The boys let Hallee loose and took their mother’s hands. She turned and headed for the pasture. “We’re going home.” She directed that right at Mason.
Mason’s heart broke and his throat constricted. His chest felt so tight he couldn’t breathe. He’d blown this by confronting Heather without telling Sierra what he knew first.
“Sierra, this isn’t fair,” Heather called out to her as she held Hallee close to her chest and cried.
Sierra didn’t even turn around when she shouted, “You should have thought about that when you took what didn’t belong to you and killed it.”
Heather burst into tears and heaving sobs.
Torn between going after Sierra and trying to make her listen to him and Heather crying all over a bewildered Hallee, Mason chose to save the little girl from her mother and plucked her right out of Heather’s arms.
“Take a minute to get yourself together. I’ll take Hallee to see the horses.” If he couldn’t fix things with Sierra right now, at least he could make a little girl happy.
But damn his heart felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer. He couldn’t bear to see Sierra so upset. He’d explain his part. She’d understand.
He’d show her that no matter what, through good times and bad, he’d be right beside her, on her side, ready to love her through it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sierra tried her best to hide her rage. The boys felt the vibe coming off her and remained watchful as they walked home. They didn’t understand why she’d made them suddenly leave, without letting them go for their ride, without even saying good-bye to Mason or Aunt Heather.
But she’d said her good-byes. And that was enough for now.
Mason understood exactly what she’d meant when she said they were going home. She meant forever.
Sierra’s mind raced.
He must have known, or suspected, something about Heather, David, and Hallee.
That’s why he’d put off telling her whatever his investigator discovered.
He’d kept a huge secret from her.
After her husband’s lies and betrayal, she wouldn’t stand for another man in her life to keep things from her.
If she couldn’t trust Mason, they had nothing.
As for Heather, her betrayal cut so deep she didn’t think the wound would ever heal. Right now, every beat of her heart pumped out anger and hurt, filling her up to the point she felt like an explosion waiting to happen.
Tears stung her eyes when she thought of David and the last year of their marriage. And she couldn’t help but wonder why, if he wanted to be with Heather, did he stay up in Napa with her?
And if he hadn’t wanted to be with Heather, why didn’t he come clean about the affair and beg her forgiveness?
Lying, cheating bastard.
Her conclusion: he hadn’t wanted to face what he’d done, wanted a family with her and the boys and to keep Heather and Hallee on the side. Unable to face the consequences of his actions, he’d simply bided his time, hoping to not have to ever explain himself.
But a secret like that always comes out.
Sierra was surprised Heather kept her mouth shut this long, never revealing to anyone who Hallee’s father really was.