Jack reached out an arm and pulled her to him so her head was on his shoulder. “Not true. We can’t do without you.”
Kate sat down on the other side of Sara and kept her mouth shut. This was Jack’s bad and he needed to fix it.
“I saw what Flynn did with the purse,” Sara said. “And you two went to the grocery to talk. I knew what was going on. You think I’m too old and fragile for this. But then, people think that old equals senile. I get asked if I’m ‘afraid’ to sit up without help. If I forget where I put something, I’m told I’m probably in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. It’s as though my age is all that’s left of me. Nothing I’ve learned in my life counts. Just age.”
“It was all my fault,” Jack said. “I didn’t see the stop sign, and I’m the one who didn’t want you to go with us. But to be fair, I wanted to leave Red out, too. I thought I could do everything alone.”
Kate kept looking ahead, saying nothing.
“Okay,” Jack said. “New rules. We’re in this together. We’re stronger as a threesome.”
He was still holding Sara against him, his face hidden from hers.
Turning, Kate looked at him. His voice sounded strong, but she saw how pale he was, and his eyes were full of fear of what had almost happened.
She stood up. As always, she wanted to lighten the misery. “I’m going to get the MINI out of the bushes before an alligator crawls inside and eats the seats.”
Jack nodded thanks and put both his arms around Sara. Neither of them had recovered.
It took Kate a while to get the car back onto the road. A side mirror was broken and there was some paint damage, but the car was drivable. She pulled it off to the side, fairly well concealed, and safe from traffic.
She locked the car, then went across the road to Jack’s truck. He and Sara were still there, clinging to each other, but they looked better.
She needed to move the truck to the side. When Kate got behind the wheel, her hands were shaking. She put her head down on the steering wheel. She’d never been in a car accident before and the terror she’d felt had drained her of energy.
“Out,” Jack said softly. He was standing in the open door, looking at her. Kate sat upright.
“I need to move the truck. I should...” Tears were starting. Jack opened his arms to her and she fell into them.
“I was really, really, really scared.”
“I know.” He stroked her hair. “It was all my fault. I’m sorry I got so mad.”
“You were ugly-mad.” She hiccupped.
“I know.”
“You looked like Roy.”
“I’m sure I did. But you weren’t afraid of me.”
“You love Sara too much to hurt her.”
“I do. I—Holy crap!” He pulled away from her. “Flynn’s car just went by. The idiot didn’t even look this way. I bet that bastard’s already been to see Niederman. I’m gonna—”
Kate didn’t like that he seemed to have so quickly tossed aside his remorse. As hard as she could, with as much strength as she could muster, she kicked him in the shin. She hit his leg where the skin was the thinnest and where it would hurt the most. She was glad she had on her Coach pumps with their hard soles.
Jack hobbled backward, grabbing his leg. Between the cast and the one crutch, he fell flat on his behind onto the hard pavement, then looked up at the women in bewilderment.
Sara had stepped beside Kate and they put their arms around each other’s waists. They were smiling down at him.
“You drive?” Sara asked Kate.
“Love to.” She looked at Jack sprawled on the road. “Think you can get in the truck bed?”
He rolled his eyes. “Sure you don’t want to tie me onto the bumper?”
Sara snapped her fingers. “I knew there was a reason I should have brought the chains.” She got into the passenger side of the truck.