Side Story #1 - Colt - Page 43

Alice's crying drew out.

Colt wished he knew why she was crying. Hell, did she even know? Maybe he would've been able to do something about it.

Or maybe she just needed a good cry. That was a thing, wasn't it? He'd heard about that little phenomenon among people with normal emotions. It was supposed to be cathartic or whatever. Maybe that was what this was. Just a natural thing.

Hmm. Yeah, probably not.

Thomas hopped down from the pew, walked past his father's legs, and went around to go look at Alice. His curios little gaze watched her, and he tried to pat her face with his tiny hand.

Alice's watery eyes blinked open, and she stared. Then she scooped him into her arms and started crying even harder.

The captured Thomas seemed confused as he looked over at his father.

Colt had no idea what was happening, either, and so just shrugged, which the boy probably also did not understand.

This was starting to take a while, though. Colt figured he would eventually have to intervene with an appropriate question, if for no other reason than to rescue his son.

Before that could happen, however, the sound of a door opening behind him acquired his attention. When he turned, he saw a brunette woman of middle years. She was modestly dressed, not too plain but not too ritzy, either. Her hair was a bit mussed, and there were faint streaks in her makeup around her eyes.

Dear goddess, no. He couldn't handle two crying women, right now.

She stepped slowly into the room, visibly uncertain as she looked around, making it fairly obvious to Colt that she was not a regular here.

But the closer she came, the more familiar she looked. Which was odd, Colt thought, because with as much attention as he'd been paying recently, there shouldn't have been many people left in Orden whom he knew only by face and not name. Had he seen her at Fred's store, maybe? No, that wasn't it. Then where--?

His expression slackened when he realized.

That was Rexford Margot's ex-wife right there.

Her wrinkles were a bit more pronounced than in that wedding photo that Colt had seen at the dead sheriff's house when he was investigating, but it was definitely her alright.

He thought he would have to search the town's public records on marriages in order to learn her name and possibly her current residence, but he'd been putting that off because even if there was nothing illegal about it, he was worried that it might somehow draw attention to himself. That, and it just seemed like a pain the ass.

But here she was.

And as much as Colt might've liked to inquire into what she knew about her ex-husband's sudden death, he wasn't entirely sure how to go about doing so without coming across like a fucking psycho. Or a nosy reporter, maybe. He was undecided on which was worse.

Alice, however, was already on her feet again, and before Colt even knew it, Thomas was in his arms, still looking confused.

Hadn't she just been crying her eyes out a second ago? How the fuck--?

"Welcome, welcome!" she was saying as she rushed over to the newcomer. "What brings you to this humble house of the Lady of Light? Oh! Are you here for the service? We actually just wrapped up, but I'd be happy to go again! Oh! Or were you looking for a bit of peace and quiet? We can certainly provide that, too, if you like. Why, this place was built for--"

And she just kept going.

Colt had never seen her ramble like that.

The other woman's shrinking body language wasn't looking too comfortable, either.

Shit. Colt couldn't let Alice scare her off before he even learned her damn name.

Still holding Thomas in one arm, he grabbed Stephanie's hand to have her follow him. She was just barely tall enough to keep hold of his hand while they walked together, and he tried not to rush and make her trip.

"Pardon us," said Colt with as much geniality as he could muster.

Both women turned, which thankfully allowed Alice to take a breath and seemingly come to her senses.

"I'm sure Alice here didn't mean to overwhelm you like that," he said, setting Thomas down next to Stephanie. He had the little girl take her brother's hand, too, in the perhaps vain hope that it would prevent him scurrying off like a rabbit. "She's just excited to see a new face in her church."

Wide-eyed, Alice covered her mouth. "Oh! Yes! I'm so sorry! Please, don't mind me! I'll leave you alone now. I'll just be... um... over here if you have any questions." She only took a couple steps back, though.

Colt didn't want to miss the opening, and he extended his hand. "Colton Thompson. Nice to meet you."

The woman was still noticeably hesitant, but she took the handshake. "...Genevieve Beaumont. And likewise."

And in spite of himself, Colt couldn't completely conceal the shock in his expression upon hearing that last name.

Rexford Margot's ex-wife was a Beaumont now? What the fuck?

He tried to roll with it. "Beaumont? I met a Malcolm Beaumont just the other day."

"Ah. That would be my husband."

Colt had to stop himself from asking if she was fucking kidding. Was his information wrong? Or was this family starting to look a little weird?

So far, he knew that Janet Beaumont had at least two uncles, Rexford Margot and Malcolm Beaumont. And now he was finding out that Rex's divorced wife was married to Malcolm?

What the hell kind of family drama had gone on there?

"Do you... work here?" asked Genevieve, eyeing him up and down, along with the rest of the chapel.

"Oh, no, I just..." Hmm. How should he explain? "Well, to be honest, I'm not too sure why I'm here, either. I just show up when I feel like it."

"Oh... o-okay..."