Page 48 of The Boy from Half Moon

“Can I hug you?” I whispered. Tate stood and waited for me to stand, too. He spread his arms and extended a welcome. “Yes?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered.

I stepped forward, forgetting how much bigger I was than him. It didn’t matter. Tate brought me into his arms and held me closely. I was nearly a head taller, but felt small in his embrace.

I’d never been in the arms of a man other than my father, and the feelings surging through my body were alien to me. As depressing as our discussion had just been, I found a warmth in Tate’s embrace that I hadn’t expected. His arms held me gently, while also feeling strong, protective, and loving.

Something about this person drew me in and made me want to experience more of whatever this was. But for the moment, he made me feel like a whole person, and for the first time in my life, like I mattered to someone.

And once again, I wept.

“I will never hurt you, Luke.”

I pressed my face into his neck. His smell was intoxicating, and I wanted to stay there forever. Tate moved his hand to the back of my head and ran his fingers across my short hair. Being touched in such an intimate way was a new experience and parts of my body responded differently than how my heart did.

I felt alive from his touch. A deep and burning need ached within. An ache that seemed ten times that of physical hurt. The want was different, and I sought to feel this ache even though I wondered if I’d survive it.

Tate and I sat down after I reluctantly gave in to him moving away from me and leading me to the sofa. He held my hand, and he listened. The abuse I’d endured poured out of me, with me leaving out the worst details. Details I would’ve had a hard time describing to him. He urged me to report the offender, but I refused to identify who assaulted me, other than to say he was a man of power in my community. My new fear was that Tate would tell the authorities and my family would be punished as a result.

Franklin often told me during assaults that no one would believe me, and that the police on the outside would do nothing to help me. He took pleasure in reinforcing that fear each and every time he assaulted me. But the threat that sealed my silence? He’d threatened to hurt David.

“Look,” Tate said, glancing at his watch. “The time is late, and I know you need to return to Madras. I wish you could stay longer and we could talk more, but I know you’re under strict rules.” He placed his hand on my knee. “Please consider reporting this person, or at least speak with someone you trust.”

“I can’t do that,” I replied. “Telling on this man would be the end of my family on the ranch.”

Tate ceased pushing. “If you think that’s best,” he agreed. “You can speak with me anytime you think you need a good listener.”

I glanced at the microwave oven’s clock, not ready for it to be so late. Half-past eight. I’d need a solid lie to cover for my tardiness when I arrived at the gate, and Madras was forty-plus miles away, at least another hour of travel time.

“If someone calls, can you say you weren’t happy with the repair, so you made me stay late and fix it?” I asked.

“Yes, of course,” Tate agreed, standing and walking to the counter. He opened a leather bag and removed a business card, returning to my side. “Take this. My office and personal cell number are on here. You can call me if you need someone to talk with?”

“I don’t have access to phones,” I admitted. “Phones are only in our businesses, and in leadership offices.”

“Not even a cell phone?”

“We’re not allowed electronics,” I confirmed.

Tate appeared deep in thought. “Hmmm,” he murmured. “Would you like to come over here again?” I vigorously nodded my desire. “How can we make that happen and you not get in trouble?”

I nibbled at the inside of my mouth as I thought about ways I could see him again. “You could call the store and schedule repair appointments. Complain that something else is wrong,” I explained. “And if you made an appointment for, say, three or four in the afternoon, I could visit longer.”

“How would I know you’d be the person who came over?” he asked.

“I’m the newest worker. I get all the service appointments,” I replied. Then I had another thought. “And if you could, or maybe wanted to, I’m alone after five-thirty at the store six days a week.”

Tate grinned. “I hear ya. I could shop at that time. Yeah, I could do that.”

His wanting to see me enough to do these things had me wanting to ask him a question about us, but that hadn’t gone too well earlier. My hands battled in my lap while my brain was at war over asking the question.

“I can see your hands twisting and your mind whirling, Luke,” he teased. “What are you thinking about?”

“Would you… are we…”

He placed his hand on my lap and squeezed my hand. “How about we get to know each other better for now? Would that work for you?”

“And you’ll call?” I asked.

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