Reese''s mind wandered back to the days before she and her mom left the Meyer family. Back then, it was always Hank by her side. No matter how busy he was, he''d pick her up after school, tuck her in at night, and even after she and her mom moved to Bridger Lake, Hank would call all the time. He''d promised her, once he was grown and running the Meyer family, he''d bring her and their mom back home to Brookfield.
But all that warmth ended at her mother''s funeral.
She''d seen Hank during her lowest moment. She''d run to him, ready to break down in his arms, but instead, with tears in his eyes, he pped her. Hard.
"This is all your fault! If you hadn''t insisted on going out with Mom, if you hadn''t cried in the car, she wouldn''t have gotten distracted and crashed!"
Reese remembered cupping her swollen cheek, her whole body trembling as she cried,pletely lost as to why Hank would say something so cruel. She had known her mom was going to see her dad that day and that this could be theirst chance to be a family again. She''d sat quietly in the back seat, not making a sound, just imagining what life with her brother and dad could be like.
But Hank never gave her a chance to exin. After the funeral, he didn''t even look at her. He just left. From that day on, Reese never saw her brother again, never spoke to anyone from the Meyer family.
Now wasn''t the time to get lost in old memories. She barely had time to wonder why Hank had texted her. Annie was still on the ground, blood trickling from her forehead. Reese''s heart clenched. She rushed over and helped Annie up.
"Annie, are you alright?"
Annie shook her head. Reese quickly told the stunned maid to grab the first aid kit, then shot Robbie a sharp look.
Robbie hadn''t meant for Annie to get hurt so badly. But now, with Reese ring at him, his lip wobbled and he burst into tears.
"What''s going on?" Jane and Rosie hurried into the room. Jane saw Robbie crying and swept him up in her arms. "Robbie, sweetie, don''t cry. Tell Grandma what happened."
Robbie hid in Jane''s arms, sobbing and pointing at Annie. "Mom red at me! She and Annie were being mean to me!"
Jane''s face darkened. She turned on Reese and Annie, not even noticing the blood on Annie''s forehead.
"Reese, Robbie is your own son. How could you team up with that kid and bully him?"
Reese''s temper red and she was about to argue, but Tara jumped in, "Mrs. Ratcliff, please don''t be upset. The kids were just ying and got ? bit rough. Reese was just worried about Annie."
"This wasn''t just ying," Reese shot back, ignoring Tara and I straigh
a baby anymore. You cookie
at Jane. "Mom, not
keep
spoiling him like this content
"Me? Spoiling him?" Jane''s voice was sharp. "He was sent here when he was barely weaned. I raised him myself, did everything for him, and now you''re ming me?
"You hardly ever act like his mother, Reese. And now you have the nerve to criticize me?"
The maid came back with the first aid kit. Reese knelt down and started treating Annie''s wound.
"Mom, Robbie pushed Annie on purpose. If he''s already acting like this, what''s he going to be like when he''s older?"
"She must have started it! Robbie''s just a kid. What does he know?" Jane snapped.
"There are guests here," a deep voice cut in.
Mr. Ratcliff, leaning on Sebastian''s arm, walked into the room. "What''s all this noise?"
The maid was carefully cleaning Annie''s cut. Annie winced but didn''t cry. She just bit her lip and stared at Mr. Ratcliff with big, hurt eyes.
Mr. Ratcliff frowned at the wound on Annie''s forehead. "What happened?"
The maid answered quietly, "She was sitting on the swing. Robbie pushed her from behind, and she fell off and hit her head."
"Annie." Matthew rushed over and knelt beside her, checking her over quickly. He
let out a breath when he saw she wasn''t badly hurt.
Jane''s face went pale as she realized she''d med Reese for nothing. Worried that Mr. Ratcliff would be angry with Robbie, she, hurried to say, "Dad, Robbie just a little kid. He didn''t mean any harm..."