Mike didn’t move, not an inch.

This was because he was completely and totally fucking floored.

Audrey kept talking. “Mrs. Layne says with her talent and our circumstances there’s a good possibility she’ll be eligible for and get some scholarships but not a full ride. So, uh…if that happens, the scholarships, I mean, then this can be used for her living expenses.”

“You sold your car and your shit,” Mike whispered.

She held his eyes and replied quietly, “Yes.”

“For our daughter, you sold your car and your shit,” Mike repeated.

Her head shifted in that strange way again and in a rush, she returned, “I know, Mike, that it isn’t me giving her this.” She reached out a hand to tap her fingers on the table to indicate the check. “I know it’s you. I know that car and that stuff you bought, really. So it’s you giving this to Rees. I know that. I know this isn’t a grand gesture from me. But, what Mrs. Layne says, what she’s showed me of Clarisse’s work, it had to be done.”

Mike sat back in his chair not taking his gaze from her.

Audrey pulled in a visible breath and continued, “I’m happy if you don’t want to tell her that the money came from me because, really, it didn’t.”

Mike stared at his ex-wife.

Then he made a decision.

“How’s the job?” he asked and watched her blink and her head twitch.

“What?” she asked back softly.

“You told me you got a new job and it’s a lot of pressure. How’s that going?”

She held his eyes but did it licking her lips and her own eyes got bright before she pulled in another visible breath to control the threatening tears and she spoke. “It’s tough but I’m off probation so that’s good. And they know they can call me to do overtime or help out with other lawyers if someone’s sick and they can’t get a temp or something. So, it’s going great, I guess.”

“Good,” he muttered. “The apartment?”

“Cuts my commute from forty-five minutes to twenty.”

“Right,” Mike said.

“I like it,” she whispered. “It’s roomier and better made so it’s quieter.”

Mike nodded.

Then he informed her, “I don’t want Rees at fifteen years old four hours away in Chicago. She and I have talked about it and she doesn’t want to be that far away either. We’re hopin’ for the school in Indianapolis. It’s fifteen hundred dollars less a semester and won’t require settin’ her up in a living situation. I know the Chicago school is better but she’s too young to be that far away. She wants to think of a transfer the year after that or for her senior year, we’ll consider it. But she can’t even drive so that’s not gonna happen this year and she’s happy with that.”

Audrey nodded and said quietly, “Good because I agree. I was worried about her in Chicago by herself.”

Fucking shit, who was this woman?

He didn’t ask that.

He kept going. “Since she’s in-state for the Indy school, the scholarship opportunities are better. This money,” he tipped his head to the check, “if she gets those scholarships, will go a long way.”

“Then that’s good,” she replied.

“What I’m sayin’ is, she gets those scholarships, it’ll cut but it won’t cut deep. You need this money?”

“It’s your money, Mike,” she reminded him.

“I know, Audrey. I get that. That isn’t what I asked. You’re you and you’re goin’ from a Mercedes and a closet full of designer shit to…whatever you can afford now. Is this gonna be a problem for you now or down the road? Because if it is, I can cover Clarisse because the way it stands with those scholarships, this check would cover near on two years of tuition.”

“Then use some of it to buy No a new car,” she returned. “He told me what happened to his and even before those kids did that to it, that car was a disaster.”

Fucking shit, who the fuck was this woman?

“Audrey –”

She leaned forward and cut him off. “This is your money, Mike, you worked hard for it. I told you I was learning some things about myself and I am. And learning about me I’ve looked back and realized some things about you. And that is, you were happy to work hard for our family to give us a good life and to give our children what they need. You always provided that and if you take that check and use it on Clarisse or Jonas or however you want to use it, you’re doing that. It just makes it a lot less hard in the short run.”

He stared at her and informed her, “I gotta say, Audrey, you’re shockin’ the shit outta me right about now.”

She leaned back and replied on a murmur, “Well, finally I’m doing it in a way that’s not bad.”

Mike couldn’t hold it back. He burst out laughing. When he was done she was looking at him and smiling a hesitant smile.

His amusement faded and he said quietly, “I hope this shit sticks.”

She pressed her lips together before noting, “I do too.”

Christ, there it was. There it fucking was. Jesus. She was trying, finally genuinely trying and she hoped just like he did that she didn’t fuck it up.

Jesus.

He nodded, reached out and took the check. Then he pulled out his wallet and shoved it inside.

“Mike?” he heard her call as he was pushing his wallet back into his inside blazer pocket.

His eyes went to her. “Yeah?”

“I’ve, uh…been asked out on a date. By an attorney in another firm who was working a case joint with our firm.” When he made no reply she finished, “I thought that, um…you should know just in case something comes of it and I need to tell the kids or introduce them to him.”

“Pleased for you, Audrey,” Mike said softly and got another hesitant smile.

“Yeah, he’s kind of cute,” she whispered and Mike smiled back.

Then he told her, “But he’s a lawyer so he’s probably got some asshole in him. Be careful.”

“Been working with them long enough, I get that better than you,” she replied her smile still there, still hesitant but less so.

Mike nodded.

“You have to go,” she reminded him.

“Yeah,” he agreed.

She held his eyes and didn’t move.

Then she whispered, “I love our kids.”

“I’m not only glad you finally figured that out, I’m glad you figured out how to show them.”

Her head tipped to the side, her eyes got soft and she gave him another cautious smile.

Then she said, “Take care of yourself, Mike.”

Mike unfolded from the chair on a nod and, “The same to you, Audrey.”

She nodded back.

Mike lifted his hand and flicked two fingers at her, turned and walked out of Mimi’s.

Then he walked down the street, around the side of the Station to the back parking lot and got in his SUV to drive home. Dusty was cooking for his kids and the Riveras.

He made the drive deciding he’d tell Reesee and No about what their Mom had done. They’d been waiting a long time to have one who gave a shit. Now they had her, they should know.

He just hoped like fuck this lasted. But even if it didn’t and this was the only gesture she was able to pull off, they should have it.

And they would.

* * *

Saturday afternoon…


Mike and Dusty had just got back from the airport, following the Riveras in their rental there in order to wring the last seconds out of their visit by waving them off through security.

Now they were walking with Layla across the field, Dusty to hit her wheel, Mike to talk with Fin.

Dusty was in a quiet mood and Mike read this correctly as the fact that she was going to miss her friends. She’d started bonding with Cheryl, Vi, Rocky, Feb and their crew but it would take years to build anything with them like she had with Jerra and, because of her years with Jerra, it would never be the same. Still, Mike knew all of them were good women, if some of them totally fucking nuts. What she’d eventually build would be good.

He knew her mood had to do with the Riveras leaving and not anything else because the rest was sorting itself out. He’d told her what they had on McGrath and Debbie and she knew their plans for getting them to back off. He’d also explained what happened with Audrey. And Rhonda had told Della she would prefer it if she was the one who grocery shopped for the boys, made dinner at night and cleaned the house. She’d also taken over feeding and watering Dusty’s horses in the mornings. She had yet to help out with the pottery but she was finally stepping up, paying attention to her home and family.

So the light at the end of the tunnel wasn’t a train. A week, two, Rhonda kept her shit and they were able to immobilize Debbie and McGrath, life would just be life.

He was looking forward to it.

They stopped in the vast area between the farm and the house, she turned and looked up at him.

“This is me,” she said softly, jerking her head toward the barn and Mike got close, lifted his hand and cupped her jaw.

“Summer, the kids off school, we’ll go down to Texas.”

She pressed her jaw into his hand and whispered, “Thanks, gorgeous.”

He dropped his head, touched his mouth to hers then lifted it and ordered gently, “Get to work.”

She gave him a grin, he dropped his hand then she moved toward the barn. Layla stood there looking indecisive and Mike lifted a hand and pointed at Dusty’s departing figure so Layla turned and trotted after Mike’s woman.

He moved to the house. Dusty had texted Fin and he’d told her he was in from the fields to eat lunch. She asked him to stay because Mike wanted a word. When Mike walked in the backdoor, he saw Fin at the sink downing a Coke, waiting for him.