He says I’m going to end up just like you.”

McKenna winced, even as Trey exhaled hard.

That couldn’t have felt good to hear, she thought. But what did he expect? He’d never been Marietta’s model citizen, but going to prison and leaving her alone with a baby certainly hadn’t endeared him to the community.

“I hope you don’t end up like me,” Trey said after a long pause, his voice pitched low and heavy. “I want you to be better. I want you to be successful. Be a good man. Be strong and smart. Do good in school. Be the man your mother is raising you to be. Make her proud, TJ. Make her happy.”

* * **

For the next thirty minutes no one said much of anything, but after a while, TJ got restless and he shifted on the seat, drawing his legs up and then down, leaning first against McKenna and then on Trey.

“I’m hungry,” he said grumpily. “And I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Me, too,” McKenna agreed, thinking that if they stopped she could use a phone and call Lawrence and let him know what was happening. She didn’t want him calling the sheriff or the police. The last thing TJ needed was to see his father arrested in front of him.

“We are almost to White Sulphur Springs,” Trey said. “There’s a little diner just a mile or so from here. Nothing fancy, but food’s warm and the floor’s clean.”

“Do they have chicken?” TJ asked.

“Yes,” Trey answered.

“And buttered noodles?”

“I’m sure they do.”

“Good. Let’s go there.”

The diner’s parking lot was empty except for a couple of pick ups and a lone big rig parked in a far corner of the lot.

A few evergreens hugged the broken asphalt, and years of snow and ice and heavy trucks had pitted the parking lot’s surface.

Climbing from the truck, McKenna’s heels caught in the cracks and ruts, making her stumble.

Trey scooped up TJ who was still wearing Trey’s suit coat, and came to her side. “TJ, what if we give your mom the coat? She’s not wearing much and it’s cold out.”

“No, thank you, I’m fine,” she answered crisply. “Let’s just get inside. It’ll be warm there.”

“So stubborn,” he muttered, putting his hand at her elbow to help guide her across the icy parking lot, but she wasn’t having that, either, and tugged her arm free.

“I’m not an old lady, Trey. I can manage.”

But this time he ignored her, and took her arm again. “It’s dark and slippery and you’re wearing high heels and right now I don’t feel like rushing you to a hospital should you fall and break something.”

“I’m not going to fall and break something!”

“And I’m not going to argue.” His fingers closed around her elbow. “Let’s just get inside.”

* * **

In the diner bathroom, a shivering McKenna shut the stall door behind TJ and turned around to face the mirror. She blinked when she caught sight of her reflection.

Oh.

Oh. Wow.

She knew she was in white, knew she’d been driving for an hour and a half in her dress and pearls and veil with the sparkling tiara. But she’d forgotten the impact of so much white, had forgotten she looked so very…bridal.

TJ emerged from the bathroom stall, struggling to close the zipper on the little black trousers that matched his tuxedo jacket. “Can’t get it,” he said, frowning.

“Let me,” she answered, crouching in front of him, and fastening the snap at the waist band and then pulling the fabric taut and away from him, not wanting to catch his boxers or boy parts in the zipper. She’d done that once, when he was two. She’d never forget it, either, and ever since always zipped him up oh so carefully. “There. All boy junk safe and sound.”

TJ grinned, a lopsided grin that was so Trey it made her heart ache.