If You Must Know (Potomac Point #1)(23)

“Okay.” It chapped my butt that Lyle was getting away with so much. Even worse—he’d known he would, too, because he knew Amanda’s history of smoothing things over. Boy, I wanted to punch him. My thoughts circled back to the sheer hypocrisy of his taking a loan from my mom. “Not to belabor this, but if Lyle’s business plan’s so great, why couldn’t he borrow money from the bank?”

Amanda’s eyes flared to life in his defense . . . and probably in hers for complicity. “He didn’t ask Mom for the money. She overheard us talking about how a bank loan wouldn’t come through in time to jump on the deal.”

On the surface that sounded plausible, but I’d never trusted Lyle. He’d been too polished. Too solicitous to my parents. Too sweet to my sister.

I didn’t go to college, but I knew plenty of pop psychology, and his behavior smacked of everything phony and manipulative. Amanda’s pathological need to please had been the perfect fit for a guy like him. He’d hooked her harder than an Eagle Claw snell did a striped bass. “I guess now Mom wants to be paid back pronto.”

“He probably already invested some of the money, but I’ve asked him to send back whatever is left until he and I work out our situation.” She and Mom exchanged a meaningful look.

“Did he agree?”

“We haven’t actually spoken.” Amanda barely met my gaze. “I’ve left messages.”

This kept getting stranger, and the lack of alarm in her voice had my bells clanging.

“How do you know nothing bad has happened? I mean, even under the circumstances, isn’t he at least keeping tabs on the baby? Maybe you should call Rodri.” Rodrigo, my high school buddy turned cop, might be able to get to Lyle faster than we could.

“We’re not involving the cops in our family’s private business. The affair, the loan. Good God, Erin. Think for once,” Mom snapped.

That was rich coming from the woman who’d handed her savings over to Lyle, but I let it pass. If I had to be the punching bag for her stress, so be it. “I can’t believe that bast—sorry—guy took Dad’s blood money.”

“It isn’t blood money.” Mom bugged her eyes. “If your father were alive, he would’ve helped your sister, too. Lyle’s business success would secure Amanda’s and my granddaughter’s future, so I helped.”

Despite the certain tone, she fiddled with her sleeve and pursed her lips.

Maybe I’d crossed a line, but frustration shook me. And contrary to our mom’s opinion, my poor dad would be furious about this situation. He’d never much trusted Lyle, either. Maybe he hadn’t said it in so many words, but he hadn’t disagreed when I’d told him I thought Amanda marrying Lyle was a mistake. In any case, that money had been for Mom’s comfortable retirement, period. “How much?”

“None of your business.” After a lifetime of my hearing the fierce tone she’d used to control every kid in town, the hollowness in this attempt echoed.

My hackles rose. “That nonanswer tells me I don’t even want to know what you might lose on this investment.”

“It’s not an investment. It’s a loan. We have a loan document.” Mom’s stab at looking smug also failed.

“Oh, I see.” I rubbed an eyelid. “We’re going with the fail-proof ‘wait and hope that everything turns out okay’ plan.”

“Not exactly. Kevin’s sending a private investigator tomorrow.” Amanda’s cheeks glowed like embers.

I raised my brows. “I’m surprised he didn’t insist on the cops.”

“Affairs and loans aren’t crimes, no matter what you two think. It hurts that neither of my siblings support my marriage.” Amanda’s voice cracked as she rubbed her belly.

Support her marriage? I’d kicked Max out for way less than this. Then again, my silence this winter had helped create this whole mess, so I could hardly be indignant.

As if no one else were in the room, Amanda yammered while staring into space. “One day I had a life that made sense. The next, it vanished. I’m still in shock . . . like I’m falling into a bottomless pit with nothing to grab on to. Rage collects in my chest and then bursts like big sorrow bombs. I’m humiliated . . .” She paused, then snapped her gaze to me. “But if Lyle wants to come home, I’ll consider it. He didn’t grow up like us, with a good example of family and commitment, so maybe he’s freaking out about becoming a dad, or he doubts my love and this is his way of testing my commitment. I mean, I have been a little obsessed about the baby lately, so he might’ve felt ignored. I don’t know what comes next, but unlike you, my love doesn’t just die. And I can’t believe his has, either.” Her voice broke on that last sentence as she pushed out of her chair, then tore up the stairs as fast as her big belly allowed.

My mom hung her head, but her shakiness appeared to be about more than Amanda’s little breakdown. “Why can’t you ever be supportive of your sister? This is a terrible time for her. She’s pregnant and scared, yet you have to make everything harder.”

“Mom, that’s not fair.” I would scream about how she put the worst interpretation on everything I did, but no one needed something more to worry about.

Mom’s eyes got misty, making me the total heel. “Everything’s always so easy for you. A big game. You have all the answers.”