Page 84 of Loud Unspoken Memories

What I want to say would scare him, send him bolting out of this parking lot faster than I could complete the three words.

Wouldn’t it?

I stare into his eyes, almost willing to risk it, because I swear his dark, expressive, sad eyes are saying the same things mine are.

A knock on the window has me turning.

“Mommy!”

Charlie’s smiling face is on the other side of the glass. Asher is holding him. They knew we’d be arriving any minute as I’ve been in constant contact with them.

I swing open the door, hop out, and pull my son into my arms, closing my eyes at the feeling of his little limbs tangling around me, hugging me as tightly as he can.

Rubbing my face over the top of his hair, I inhale his scent. This little man is my entire world. “I’ve missed you so much, buddy.”

“There’s a pool,” he says excitedly. “Unca Asher let me swim.”

“That’s great, Charlie. I’ll watch you swim later. After we go talk to Nita.”

“Nita is sad.”

“Yes, buddy, she is.”

“Are you sad?”

I nod. “I’m very sad. I miss your daddy very much.”

“Where did he go?”

“He went to heaven. Remember? He didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay and be your daddy forever and ever. But he couldn’t. You can still love him forever, though. He’s with Alex now. You remember Alex, right?”

I know he doesn’t actually remember her, but I do talk about her, and I have pictures. So he nods. “Sissy.”

“Yes, Daddy is with your sister, Alex.”

He looks at me inquisitively. “Is there a pool where he is?”

Oh, how I love his innocent mind. “Yes, buddy. I think there is a pool.”

Asher pulls me in for a hug and I thank him for coming. Then he moves me aside, almost forcefully, and leans into the truck. “Asher Anderson,” he says, holding out his hand to Dallas.

Dallas shakes it. “Dallas Montana.”

“Yeah. I know exactly who you are.”

I nudge Asher with my elbow, silently telling him to take it easy.

Asher gives me a dismissive head nod that only a brother can give, then turns back to Dallas. “I understand thanks are in order for saving my sister from certain death.”

“Well, your sister is kind of a badass. The accident, the pond, the tower, and the bear hardly even phased her.”

My overprotective brother turns to me, a new expression on his face. I know this one. He’s scolding me for not telling him about my three other brushes with death. “What the fu—, uh… what haven’t you told me?”

I laugh. “I didn’t want to worry you, Ash. Everything is fine. I’ll tell you all about it later.”

“I’d actually like to hear about it fromhim.” He leans into the truck again. “How about you stay for a drink? Or dinner even. Marti will want to go talk to Anita. I’ll be stuck here. The hotel has a great restaurant.”

Dallas looks at me over Asher’s shoulder. He looks at me, then he looks at Charlie, a host of emotions crisscrossing his face. “I… um…”—he thumbs to the road—“should probably get going.”

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