Page 93 of Rainbow Kisses

Pulling out the seat across from her, I sat, watching her closely for any hint that she’d been drinking. I couldn’t help it. The therapist said that mechanism could last forever but might eventually fade. Unfortunately, that could take years, but it wasn’t odd or even uncommon. It just was.

“Are you going back to St. David to play? At the game, I overheard the Colonel say you’d be welcome back any time. I think you should go.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. I’m going to contact Rowdy about finishing out the season in St. David.”

Linny took a deep breath and nodded. “I know that’s the best thing for you?—”

“And I want you and Maddy to come with me.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Maddy actually liked the school there, not that she’d ever admit to it. She’d made a couple of friends and didn’t hate going every day. But she will never say that to you because she loves you, and she doesn’t want to do anything to upset you.”

“I know. And I hate it.”

“But it doesn’t have to be that way. You hate your job. I’m pretty sure you can find something better in St. David. We’ll make it work.”

“You make it sound easy.”

I shook my head. “I know it’s not gonna be easy. I know it’s going to be hard to leave behind everything you know here.”

“Leave all this splendor?” Sarcasm dripped from every word. “How could I? Bri, I know I’m supposed to be older and wiser, but that’s always been you. You’ve always been the one looking out for me. And I know you have our best interests at heart. If you think moving is our best option, I’m with you.”

Then she paused. “And if it will put a smile back on your face to be nearer to the girl you left behind, I’m all for it.”

I’d calledRowdy after Linny and I had talked last night. He’d laughed and said I was right on time.

“I was waiting for you to call. We haven’t filled your spot yet, and I even rolled the dice and paid another month on your apartment. And I might have a lead on a job for your sister.”

Things seemed to be going in our favor.

Except the text I got from Rain this morning made me wonder if she’d even care that I was back.

Rain

Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. Busy but also didn’t want to make your life more complicated than it already is. I hope everything is going well with you and Maddy and Lin. Just want you to know I’m thinking about you

If I didn’t know her better, I’d think she was blowing me off. And for a few seconds, maybe I did. But we were here now in St. David. We’d talked to Mrs. Travers, who’d taken one look at Maddy and smiled. Actually smiled, like she’d missed the kid.

Then she’d wanted to talk to Lin, which had kind of freaked me out, but Lin had smiled afterward and told me everything was fine. I was dying to ask what they’d talked about, but Linny had told me we needed to have boundaries. Not badgering her about a private conversation was probably one of those.

After that, we put away the clothes and stuff we’d brought with us, and now I was counting the minutes until we could leave for the carnival. I knew Rain would be there. I’d been stressing over what to say to her when I could look her in the eyes and explain myself.

I still hadn’t figured out exactly what I was going to say.

“Are you finally going to teach me how to skate, Uncle Bri?”

“Sure. We can rent you a pair of skates at the pond.”

Good thing I’d remembered to put my skates in the car.

We parked at the school, where half the parking lot was already filled. The Winter Carnival was a big deal in St. David, despite the fact that it was freezing cold. Luckily, there wasn’t a lot of wind. Luminary bags lit the path from the parking lot to the street and then to the borough hall, where the carnival was held every year in the park.

Lights from the rides glowed above the hall, and music got louder as we joined the steady stream of people heading for the park.

“Damn, they go all out, don’t they?”

Linny’s comment held a hint of amusement, but Maddy had already caught sight of the food stands and started dragging her mom toward those. That’s not where I wanted to go, but I didn’t want to abandon Linny and Maddy the second we got here.

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