Riverbend Road Read Online Free Page B

not to be touched at this evidence of brotherly love, each trying to shoulder the blame for the other.
    Would any of his brothers step up to do the same for him? He wanted to think so but he wasn’t sure. Hell, his own father would have shoved every single one of his boys in front of a firing squad if it meant he could save his own skin.
    â€œI’m not going to arrest anybody—” he started to say, but didn’t finish the sentence before a distraught female voice cried out.
    â€œMy babies! Where are they? My babies!”
    â€œMama,” Lucas cried out and Lindy-Grace lifted her head at the sound like a bird dog on a pheasant.
    An instant later, she and Ron were both there. Lindy-Grace shoved him aside to jump into the ambulance so she could hug and kiss each boy, babbling about how much she loved them. Ron, ashen-faced, stayed next to Cade.
    When she finished hugging them, she frowned ferociously at both of them. “You are in such big trouble!”
    At her words, both boys burst into tears.
    â€œWe’re sorry,” the younger one wailed. “We’re so sorry, Mama.”
    â€œWe didn’t mean to,” Caleb blubbered. “It was an accident. We had a fire ring and everything but then the fire jumped out onto some hay and we couldn’t put it out. I knew we had to get out so we jumped down, only I fell hard and hurt my ankle and couldn’t get up and Luke wouldn’t go without me, even though I told him and told him to go.”
    â€œWe were so scared,” his brother interjected. “We couldn’t get out and we were crying and praying and then she came in and helped us.”
    They pointed to Wynona, who smiled and waved weakly.
    â€œWynona Jane Bailey,” Lindy-Grace exclaimed. “You saved my boys.”
    She jumped back down from the ambulance and wrapped Wynona in a tight embrace that couldn’t have felt the greatest on his officer’s smoke-seared lungs.
    â€œIf I live to be a hundred and three like my great-grandmother LuLu, I will never forget what you’ve done here today,” LG said through her tears.
    He knew just what Wyn was thinking when she arched an eyebrow at him. See? Not everybody thinks I screwed up.
    She hugged Lindy-Grace for a moment before deftly extricating herself. “It wasn’t a big deal. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Any other officer on the Haven Point Police Department would have done exactly the same thing. Isn’t that right, Chief Emmett?”
    He was spared from having to answer that by Lindy-Grace’s effusive gratitude.
    â€œI don’t care. They weren’t there. You were. Cade, I sure hope you’re going to give Wynnie a medal!”
    His jaw clenched and he opened his mouth to answer but one of the EMTs spoke up before he could get the words out.
    â€œActually, he suspended her for a week without pay,” Terri Michaels offered, with a dark look in his direction.
    The women in Haven Point apparently stuck together.
    â€œWhat?” Lindy-Grace exclaimed. “Suspended her! Are you kidding?”
    Cade ground his back teeth. How was he supposed to defend his position to the mother of the two boys Wynona had risked her life to rescue? Yes, he was glad everything had turned out relatively okay except for Caleb’s broken ankle. But procedures were in place for a reason.
    â€œIt’s an internal police matter,” he finally said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to the scene. Boys, we’re not done talking about this. But now that your mom and dad have had a chance to make sure you’re okay, you need to be checked out at the hospital. I’ll come by later to ask you a few more questions about what happened here and I’m sure Chief Gallegos will have a word or two for you as well.”
    â€œYes, sir,” they said in unison, looking chastened at his stern tone.
    He walked away without