Page 127 of Reins

“Mom was trying to convince me to visit.” I swallow past the lump. “By the time I said ‘okay’ it was too late.”

The general sound in the room drops in an involuntary moment of silence.

“Cade is with the U.S. Marshalls,” Wade interjects. “He’s been critical in discovering who did this and then helping to catch them.”

“Well, my wife was.” I try to give a sideways smile.

“She’s really nice,” Elena adds from the other side of the room.

The women around her give a collective gasp and start throwing questions at her I can’t decipher.

“Wait—” Mason chokes. “—you caught them?”

“Yep. Apprehended them this morning.” Wade beams like a proud papa. Then his palm moves up from Oliver’s chest to his shoulder. “They were holed up at Paige’s house.”

Oliver’s cheeks pale. “Jesus fucking Christ. Of course they were.” That’s enough to make him backpedal to one of the chairs by the table and collapse into it.

“Don’t worry, she’s going to jail for a very long time.” Wade almost looks giddy as he says it.

Dixon starts to push through, his lips thin and his jaw clenched.

Wade holds up his hand, making him pause.

“Let me,” Dixon grits.

Oh shit.

But when Wade drops his arm, Dixon takes two fast strides to grip me in a crushing hug. “I’ve missed you brother.”

I did not expect it to be Dixon who gave in first.

“What did you say about the accident?” he asks while still squeezing me like a rag doll.

“I’ll tell you when I can breathe.” I pat his ribs, begging for relief.

He lets me go, his mustache twitching under rapid blinking.

“New evidence popped up that proved I wasn’t driving. And Pete found where the brake lines had been cut. Eli did it. He killed his own sister. Then did the same thing to his parents a few months later.” I missed Dixon so damn much but never thought that within minutes he’d be the one embracing me.

“I always knew there were injuries inconsistent with being in the driver’s seat,” he mutters, shaking his head. “It’s why I doubted for so long that you were to blame.”

“You were right.” When I look around the room again, there’s less hatred and more sympathy.

Shit, I might survive today.

Mason stumbles, joining Oliver at the table. “Cade,” he exhales and covers his eyes with his palms. “You didn’t do it.” His voice is flat.

Lori skirts the edges of the space to appear next to him, running her hand over his back in silent support.

“All these years,” he groans, then looks up with red-rimmed eyes. “Mom and Dad believed it too, they took you out of the trust.”

“No.” I start to step closer but Sawyer still looks like he might punch me. “I had them take me out right after I got discharged from the hospital. I got wind that the Baileys were gonna sue Black Gulch for every penny and didn’t want them to be able to.”

I pull my hat off to wring it in my fingers and stare down my nephew as I move past him. “Mason, I’ll always regret what happened that I didn’t do something differently. I’m sorry about Carolyn.” I glance up to Lori with a frown. “But I didn’t do it. Eli did.”

His face is still hidden as his shoulders stiffen. “Where are they?” The question comes out with gravel and pain lacing each word.

“They’re outside in my truck.” Wade gestures for the door. “Thought they could use a little air, what do you think?”