He grinned down at her. “Told you before, she likes me better than you.”
“How could she know where I was? I didn’t even know I was coming here.” Her eyes narrowed. “Did our son call you?”
“Nope. Guess again.”
“Crash. He ratted me out?”
“You think he wouldn’t?”
She rolled her eyes and glared over at Shannon, who sat in the chair next to her, as if it were her fault.
“Babe, don’t be giving her the evil eye. None of this is her fault.”
“That’s right. It’s yours. Now, get out. I’ve got nothing to say to you.”
Red Dog looked over at Shannon. “Can you give me a minute with my ol’ lady?”
She stood to leave. “Of course.”
Mary grabbed her arm. “Don’t you dare leave.”
Shannon looked between them, obviously wanting to protect her friend, the sisterhood and all that, but at the same time, hopefully having learned her lesson in the past about getting in Dog’s business. “I…”
She was saved from having to betray her friend when Crash appeared in the doorway. “Shannon.” He lifted his chin at her, an unspoken command to come to him.
She obeyed, thankful for the excuse to escape.
“Coward!” Mary yelled after her.
“Only coward I see is you.” Red Dog stared down at her. “I’m six hours down the road when you pull this stunt. You wait until I’m so far away I can’t do shit? Was that your plan? Well, how’d that work out for you?”
She sipped her drink, ignoring him. He took the glass from her hand and sniffed its contents. “Little early to tie one on, isn’t it?”
“You’re one to talk.”
He set the glass down and squatted before her, bringing his face level with hers. “Guess we got some shit to work out, huh?”
She folded her arms and looked away. Dog studied her stiff posture. This was so totally not her usual M.O. that it threw him. Mary was always up for a knockdown, drag-out fight. She never gave him the silent treatment. Never. Goddamn, he must have really fucked up this time. He’d never seen her this hurt before.
“Mary, talk to me.”
Still nothing.
Quietly he broached the subject, not really sure how to start. “You didn’t… it wasn’t another miscarriage was it?”
She looked off to the horizon.
“Baby?”
“No,” she whispered. “Not that.”
He blew out a relieved breath and studied her body language. She was telling him the truth. She was too pissed to be in that devastated dark place every previous miscarriage had taken her. No, this was something different. And judging by her mood, whatever had pissed her off was his fault.
“China Doll, you gotta tell me what the fuck I did.”
Her chin went up, and her jaw clenched, but still she said nothing.
“I love you. You know that, don’t you?”