Side Hustle (Dawson Family 3)

“Well, now you’ve met Daisy,” Dean says, pulling out a bar stool. He sits, letting out a heavy sigh. “She’s lovely, isn’t she?”

“She seems great.” I force a smile, feeling myself slipping back into the shadow of Old Scarlet. It feels weird, though familiar, and I don’t like it. I wasn’t a happy person before I met Weston. I barely got by, and I don’t just mean with money.

Every day was a struggle to keep my head above water. Some days, just waking up and facing the day was hard to deal with. I had no purpose, no drive…no meaning. Life sucked and that was just the way it was. I didn’t think things could ever get better.

That I’d actually be happy.

And yet here I am, feeling it all slipping out from underneath me like sand being washed out with the tide.

“Do you really think she’ll show up?” Quinn asks, sitting down on the floor to pet the dogs. The biggest one—Rufus, I think?—pushes into her lap and she nervously twists his long fur around her fingers.

“Who knows.” Archer takes a seat next to Dean and shakes his head.

Mr. Dawson gets out coffee cups and sets them on the island counter. I’m still standing awkwardly in the hallway leading into the kitchen, feeling unworthy of sharing the company of these people.

“I always knew she’d show back up again,” Mr. Dawson says. “Thank God Wes filed for divorce and primary custody of Jackson a few weeks ago.” He looks at me and smiles. “We have you to thank for that.”

It’s like the real Scarlet checked out and took a first-class ticket to hell, being forced to watch things unfold before me with no control.

“Yeah, I did push him a little,” I say with a smile. But it’s my fault she’s here in the first place, and it’ll be my fault when Wes learns the truth. Hurting him is the last thing I ever wanted. Even when I hoped he was a rich asshole, I didn’t necessarily want to hurt him. Teach him a lesson in fidelity maybe, but not crush his heart with my bare hands.

And Jackson—oh my God, Jackson. Tears fill my eyes and I pull my boots off, knowing Mrs. Dawson has a strict no-shoes rule, and start to cross the kitchen, mumbling that I needed to check on Jackson too. I’ve never been upstairs in this house, and each wooden plank creaks slightly under my feet.

Daisy is in town, adamant about seeing Jackson. Most kidnappings happen when a non-custodial parent takes the child. We have a recipe for disaster and I have no idea how long the danger will be there. Everyone is freaked out enough right now, making me think there’s a good chance Daisy will actually try to do it.

Suddenly, the thought of dropping Jackson off at school on Tuesday terrifies me so much dizziness crashes down on me. My heart hurts and I can’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to that sweet little boy.

“Scarlet?” Mrs. Dawson calls softly. I blink away tears and look up the stairs. “Is that you?

“Yeah.” I dash up the rest of the stairs and step into the dim light spilling out of the open bedroom door. Weston’s large frame is bent over a bed. He kisses Jackson’s forehead and pulls up the blankets.

“Come here, honey.” Mrs. Dawson picks up on how upset I am right away and pulls me into a hug. If only she knew…

“Do you really think she’ll do it?” I whisper, not needing to explain what I’m referring to.

“I don’t know.” Mrs. Dawson pats my back, stepping away and motioning for me to follow her. She steps into the room across the hall, going right to the window which looks out at the street in front of the house. “I’ll be honest and say I never really liked Daisy, not even when she was just a teenager. I questioned her faithfulness to Wes while he was deployed, but that’s not the issue at hand.” She lets the curtains fall shut and turns back around to face me.

“Motherhood isn’t easy, and I’ll be the first to admit that. There were times when the idea of running away seemed like a dream come true. But never forever. A childless vacation can be a welcome—and needed—escape, but the thought of being away from my children…” She shakes her head. “I don’t understand how she did it. We thought maybe it was post-partum depression, and Wes did everything he could to find her the first time she left. They weren’t on good terms, but he was worried sick. And then she showed up at Jackson’s first birthday party, acting like nothing happened.”

She lets out a heavy sigh. “I’ve accepted that there are certain things you’ll never understand. People do unspeakable things for reasons that make sense to them and them alone. I’ve stopped seeking answers for questions that shouldn’t be answered.”