Page 61 of Cold Foot Komodo

“Read the name,” Timber murmured softly.

“Ariette,” he said aloud. “Female,” he read on, confused. Farrah had said they had a son.

“Now read the birthday,” Raynah said.

The date of birth was three years ago.

Three years.

Chills.

He’d been in Cold Foot for ten.

“The child isn’t mine,” he uttered thickly.

“No she is not. Nor was Farrah allowed to keep her. The father intervened and is raising her.”

“Is this the only child?” he asked, too scared to hope.

“She’s only had one child, Reed. She lost your old Bank the year you were locked up. Some ran, and the rest revolted. I think they secretly avenged you. She is at the bottom of the Bone-Keep Bank now, and is not even allowed to live inside the housing park with them. She’s been pushed to the outside. Of course she would want you back. Of course she would say whatever she could to bring you back. Farrah has nothing left.” Timber turned his shoulders so that he would face her sister. “While you have everything,” she whispered.

He didn’t know why his eyes were burning. He didn’t know why his body dropped to the snow like this. On his knees, he set the folder down in the snow beside him. Red against white. Sasha approached slowly. She looked confused. Scared. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said. “Nothing’s wrong. The child isn’t mine.”

“Oh,” she yelped as she crashed into his arms, nearly toppling him backward. Sasha wrapped her legs around him and he could hear it—her hitched breath. “I knew it. I knew it.” She leaned back and cupped the sides of his neck. “Are you happy? Sad? Relieved?”

“Relieved. I want to be a dad, but not with her.” He nodded and kept her locked in his gaze, hoping to hell she understood what he was trying to say.

She did. She did understand. “Yeah,” she said, her eyes full of tears. “When it’s right, you will be a great dad. With the right person.”

He hadn’t had dreams or goals in years. How could he? Cold Foot had sucked the life from him, but here? Now? In the heart of Cold Foot Crew territory with his cabin behind him and Sasha wrapped around him, once again being understanding in a confusing moment—a new goal took hold of his heart.

He could imagine her holding his child on the couch inside of that cabin, cooing to their child as he sat at the hearth, watching her with a proud smile. It wouldn’t be right now. He was still adjusting to life outside of prison, and newly-invested in building the relationship with Sasha. He was still adjusting to the Crew and the people here. His life was in transition, but perhaps someday that vision might come to fruition.

That was the goal now—to prepare for someday with the right person.

With Sasha.

That red folder was full of his past, but tonight? While he sat with Sasha by the firepit, all wrapped up in blankets to make sure she was warm and comfortable, he would burn that red folder and all of its contents, and it would be done.

He would be eyes-forward from here on.

Chapter Seventeen

“Where is everyone?” Raynah asked as she slid out of her little two-door Ford Ranger. Her cute baby belly led the way as she tromped across the yard.

“You’re the first one here,” Sasha called from the open doorway. She’d heard her truck pull up into the driveway.

Something caught Raynah’s attention halfway, and she stopped and waved over at Garret’s house.

Sasha came on out and wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the cold. In the week that had passed since they’d received the news of Farrah’s deceit, the Crew had enjoyed a break in the snow, but now the weather was getting bad again.

“Hey neighbor,” Garret greeted Sasha. He waved at Raynah. “Hey, neighbor’s hot friend.”

“Pregnantfriend,” Raynah corrected him.

Garret was wearing dark-gray coveralls and a black beanie. He stood up and canted his head at Raynah. “Still hot.” He was in his driveway with three chainsaws lined up. One was in pieces, and the other two were sitting next to a fuel can. “What are you ladies up to tonight?”

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