Page 40 of Shattered Echoes

“How long is he in town for?” I ask. “Did he tell you why he was coming?”

I feel a moment of panic as I picture Henry moving back to Shadow’s Bend, meaning I’d have to walk away from whatever it is I have with Colette. The thought of that happening terrifies me.

“I do not know,” Colette replies. "He said he had a surprise for me. He didn’t give me a chance to persuade him not to go through the hassle. Knowing my brother, he only does that when he’s decided.”

“Col—” I start, reaching to take her hand again.

She pulls her hand back and slides off the stool. “Antonio… Henry cannot know. Do you understand? We have to keep what we have a secret from him. Can I count on you for this?”

I give her a tight smile, hoping she can’t see the pain and anger in my eyes. “Of course.”

“Thank you. I need to get back home and make sure everything is in order.” She rushes towards the backdoor, a distracted look on her face.

She stops with her hand on the door, glances back, then rushes back to me, giving me a hurried kiss on the lips, brief and dry. She’s out of the house before I can even blink, and for the first time in what seems like forever, I notice just how unnerving the silence is.

I spend the rest of the day filling up the hours with many activities, trying and failing not to think about Colette. In a town with nothing to do, it feels good to have her company, and now I realize I depend on that company.

I end up at Dottie’s, eating breakfast and listening to some gossip around town. Apparently, the old sheriff, Marcus, had tried to pin the recent vandalism on two teenage boys he caught smoking pot at one of the old sites.

“That was a shocker. I won’t lie,” Dottie says, refilling my coffee. “The sheriff shoulda’ known that those rascals ain’t good at anything, not creating Picasso-level art.”

I grunt in amusement, not feeling chatty but enjoying the distraction. I glance around the room from my perch in the corner. It’s one of the slow days, thankfully, and the diner is not as full as it is.

“You know, your old boy has been looking for you.” There’s a hint of amusement in the woman’s tone.

I raise a brow. “Mark? What about?”

“I don’t know. Something like associating with greatness when the opportunity presents itself.”

I laugh and drain the rest of my coffee, then put some bills on the table. More than enough for a week’s worth of coffee, but Leo gave me plenty of it, anyway. “Thanks for the info, Dottie. You’d let him know you haven’t seen me in weeks, right?”

She gathers up her money, laughing. “Would be criminal for me to do anything else.” She winks and returns to the counter.

The sun is high in the sky when I leave the diner, but the air feels cool. I stuff my hands through my pocket as I make my way through town, walking with next to no urgency. Several townsfolk greet me. At first, they treated me like any stranger. I wasn’t familiar anymore. And then, over the weeks, I became one of them again.

It feels good to have one place in the world where I feel accepted. Not my wealth or fame. Not my talent. Just me. Leo outdid himself by choosing to send me back home, I admit.

I return home much quicker than I planned to.there’s lots of movement at Colette’s. Well, a lot for a place that has less than a single visitor every other month. Colette mentioned Henry had a surprise for her. I didn’t think it would be an actual party, or as close to it as anyone can hope for here. Henry’s inside. Without thinking, I walk to the front door and ring the bell. A moment later, the door swings open and a familiar, if more weathered face, looks at me and smiles.

“David!” I exclaim, smiling at the old man.

“Master Antonio. A pleasure to see you, sir. Master Henry mentioned you may stop by and to let him know when you did.”

I patted the man on his shoulder, still smiling. “How are you still here? I thought you left the household years ago.” I remember David from visits to Henrys when we were kids. He used to be their butler, and I remember how amused I used to be by how funny he spoke.

“You didn’t hear wrong, sir,” he says, shutting the door behind me. “Master Henry reached out to me a week ago, seeking my help for this event. I accepted.”

I look around, taking in all the activity. “And what, exactly, is going on here?”

He raises a brow. “Oh, right? I doubt you would know much about the matter. You and Ms. Colette were never the best of friends. Today, sir, marks the one-year anniversary since her divorce papers signed. Her brother organized this small get together to celebrate the… um…end of the…unfavorable union.”

I glance at David. The way he said that last part… It’s almost as if he knows details of Colette’s marriage. I don’t press the topic.

Instead, I watch the people shuffling through the house and wonder how Colette could have failed to mention that today was her one-year anniversary. Seeing how much time we were spending together, it seemed like the thing she should have told me about.

Except she forgot, I realize. Carried away, just like me, craves what we shared.

I don’t know the full story of Colette’s marriage or divorce, but I can’t help wondering how bad it was if a man she left a year ago still gives her nightmares. How is she right now? I doubt all these people understand her pain, forcing her to smile, when I know she’d rather have a quiet day,doing anything else in the world but celebrating.

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