What the devil was going on with Shad? Paxton knew his son wasn’t involved in any wrongdoing, but right now the evidence was stacked against him. There was obviously something going on between Shad and Dulsie. Jill had been quick to point out how Dulsie asked about the baby, and then about the dog. Paxton tried to tell her it was just the effect of the pain killers muddling her mind. He remembered how they had messed up his own thinking, and because the doctors had just drilled into his head Paxton had been half afraid he’d be goofy like that the rest of his life.

The deputies came out of Dulsie’s room. Yep, it had only taken a little over ten minutes.

After the deputies confirmed with the family that Dulsie hadn’t revealed anything differently from what she’d told them, the officers left. The family returned to the room, but a nurse was starting to tell them that Dulsie needed rest. The group should go get some breakfast for a while. Jill asked if at least she could just sit in the room while Dulsie slept.

Maddie suddenly gasped, “Shad!”

All eyes turned to the doorway.

The only respectable appearance about Shad was the fact he was wearing suit slacks and dress shoes. His shirt was untucked, his dark hair was tousled, and there was a hint of stubble on his chin. But what Paxton noticed most was the haunted expression in Shad’s eyes.

Shad glanced at the family, and as he stepped into the room Maddie strode to him and placed her hands on his arms as she gazed into his face.

Shad raised his own hands to her elbows, but he immediately asked, “How’s Dulsie?”

“She’s awake,” Maddie murmured and stepped to one side.

Shad strode to Dulsie’s bed. The nurse seemed flustered to have yet another intruder in the crowded room.

Shad stood with his thighs pressed against the side of the bed, and he placed a hand on his wife’s right arm. “Dulsie?”

She looked at him, and there was something strangely ... distant ... in her eyes.

Shad leaned forward and placed his other hand on the top of Dulsie’s head. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse.

“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

The nurse scowled slightly. “You’re Shad Delaney?”

“Yes.” He never removed his gaze from Dulsie.

The nurse left the room without another word.

Paxton glanced at Jill. She was staring at Shad, and her eyes were smoldering.

But when Paxton looked at Shad he wondered how Jill could be so angry. As Shad gazed down at Dulsie his expression was part adoring, part heartbroken. His left hand began to slowly, gently stroke his fingers through Dulsie’s hair.

“I can’t lose you.” Shad’s voice cracked.

Dulsie slowly blinked, but perhaps because of the pain killers, that distant look was still in her eyes.

“But I don’t even deserve you.” His voice was still hoarse.

Dulsie still didn’t say anything, and Shad seemed at a loss for any more words. Then Jill spoke up.

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

Shad froze. He even stopped stroking Dulsie’s hair. His gaze never left Dulsie’s face.

Karl looked a bit exasperated at Jill. “He’s the father of her child, remember?”

With a hint of panic, Shad suddenly turned toward the family. “How is the baby?”

“The baby’s fine,” both Paxton and Maddie assured him.

Jill frowned. “So you did already know she was pregnant.”

Shad returned his attention to Dulsie.

Jill took a step toward them. “Why weren’t you home last night?”

“Not now, Jill,” Karl muttered.

Shad gazed at Dulsie and didn’t answer.

“Still working out your alibi?” Jill growled.

Shad’s attention was affixed to Dulsie, but his voice was still hoarse. “I wasn’t home because I’m a lowlife scum.”

Jill initially seemed to be a little surprised by his answer, but she quickly overcame it. “And what lowlife scum activities were you involved with?”

“No.” Maddie stepped forward and placed herself between Jill and Shad. “You can leave this room if you can’t hold your tongue, but I’m not gonna stand by and let you needle him.”

Jill folded her arms and calmly returned her sister’s gaze. “How much longer are you gonna make yourself blind to his faults?”

Maddie’s eyes narrowed. “Remove the plank from your own eye, first.”

“Stop it!” Shad’s voice cracked again as he turned toward the elder women. That haunted look in his eyes had only grown wilder. “I’m not worth tearing this family apart over. The last thing I want to do –” His voice cracked again. “– is tear my family apart.”

“You’re a few years too late,” Jill grumbled.

Maddie’s eyes flared.

Paxton started to step between the two sisters.

“Shad Delaney?” Both of the deputies were back, and all attention was diverted to them.

Shad stared at them for a couple of seconds. “Yes?”

For an instant Paxton was astonished they had returned. Then he remembered how the nurse confirmed Shad’s identity before leaving the room.

“Would you come with us, please? We need to ask you a few questions.”

Shad stared a while longer, and the wilder expression in his eyes subsided. He took a noticeably deep breath, nodded, and turned his attention back to Dulsie.

“I’m so sorry.”

Without another word or even glance toward their way, Shad walked past the family and followed the deputies into the hall.

Paxton’s heart sank. Somebody had almost killed Dulsie. And because he was her husband, Shad was the prime suspect.

Chapter Sixteen

The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is the way you approach it.

--Anonymous

Shad decided that “We need to ask you a few questions” qualified as the understatement of the year.

The interrogation was somewhat sympathetic but quite thorough. Shad was cooperative with all the questions except why was he staying at the motel. Still unwilling to reveal his disorder to public light, Shad maintained his right to remain silent until consulting his own counsel, even though he really had no plans for such an arrangement. Shad also consented to search of his motel room, truck, and self. To his surprise the immediate search involved removing his clothes for a fairly cursory examination, but since the police didn’t press Shad on why he wasn’t home, Shad didn’t press for why they needed to see his skin.

The one thing Shad didn’t give them permission to search was his computer. There was incriminating evidence of a totally unrelated activity in its files, but it was an illegal activity just the same. He didn’t need yet another problem added to his growing list, although Shad suspected he was probably only delaying the inevitable. Odds were the sheriff would try to obtain a search warrant even though Shad used client confidentiality as his reason for refusing them access.

When the deputies released him, Shad was lost about where to go next, except he did finally call the office to notify Francine that he wouldn’t be coming in that day. Shad wanted to go back to the hospital and be with Dulsie, but after having seen how his presence affected the rest of the family Shad decided against it. When he noticed it was after nine o’clock, Shad realized that nobody had been home to feed the turkeys and Sadie. And he knew Dulsie would want them taken care of.

As he drove to the house, Shad was almost relieved to have something normal to do in the midst of all this destruction and chaos. In the last week and a half or so, he had discovered the identity of the man who molested him but couldn’t file charges against; experienced a relapse of the disorder he thought was eradicated; decided not to have children just before Dulsie told him she was pregnant; was facing the possible end of a marriage he’d always believed was secure; was suspected of a crime he didn’t commit; and in spite of his inclination to embrace death, had just missed out on the chance to be outright murdered.