Page 110 of Small Town Hunter

I smell bread and roasting chicken. My stomach growls.

“Starving.”

SIXTEEN

CRASH

Trina’s got appetite for the both of us, and thank God, ‘cause my mouth is full of ashes. A shame, ‘cause I really did something with this food. I pulled out all the stops. Ma’s old recipe, and I started those rolls from scratch at the crack of dawn so they’d have time to rise. Don’t know why I’m so goddamned nervous. I know what her answer will be; I’m prepared for it. I don’t have fairy-tale notions of what Trina can give me.

In fact, I’m not even going to ask her a thing.

She put on some more weight since Oklahoma. From the day she came to Florin it’s been hard to stop myself taking her in my arms and burying a year-long ache inside her.

The worst part is, I know she’d let me.

No, that ain’t the worst part.

The worst part is what would happen after.

“This is so good,” she sighs, buttering one of the rolls. “Crash did you reallymakethis yourself? You need to join in that bake sale, I swear.”

I force a grin. “Yeah, I’ll give you the recipe.”

She looks up at me. And frowns.

Fuck.

“Um, Crash?”

I get up from the table. “How about dessert?”

“But I’m not even finished with the chicken.”

“I’ll just go ahead with these dishes, then.”

“But you haven’t eaten a bite.”

That’s true. And there are no dishes. I stand at the sink and stare out at the maple tree, clenching the counter with both hands. I feel like it was both a fatal mistake and the greatest thing ever, inviting Trina to Virginia. I get to see her again. That’s incredible. But then, I have to deal with her leaving.

Leaving for good.

I don’t even hear her get up from the table. But suddenly her arms are wrapping around my torso, and her head is resting tenderly on my back.

“Crash,” she says nervously. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“I– forget about it,” I mutter.

“Fugheddaboutit,” she says.

“Jesus.”

“I knew I could make you laugh.”

She’s impossible. My hands make fists as I resist the urge to hold her.

“You need to talk to me,” she continues. “I’ve tried to understand…but it’s not fair to me. You asked me to come. You invited me up here. And you’ve been moving funny like you wish I didn’t come.”

“I don’t want to ruin what we have.”

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