Page 89 of Things Left Unsaid

My inner caveman wants to tag a ‘mine’ on that but this, I remind myself for the tenth time since I said ‘I do,’ isn’t the Dark Ages.

She owes me nothing but her disdain.

And I can admire her, but it needs to be from a distance.

“Yo, boss, everything good up there?”

“Yeah, it’s handling like a dream,” I confirm, turning to Jerry, the mechanic I hired to look after the plane and to repair the helicopter Callan busted last year. Whatever the little shit did to it, Jerry has yet to fix.

“Glad to hear it,” he chirps as he heads off to take care of the post-flight checks. “Ma’am,” he aims at Zee, curiosity oozing from that one greeting.

He might be an outsider, but Pigeon Creek’s gossip train works fast.

She nods at him, and, disappointed to have no more fodder for the masses, he grabs our suitcases from the plane and dumps them on the ground.

A pickup truck pulls up shortly after and I leave the bags to Albert, who packs them in the box.

That’s when I notice Callan.

About twenty yards away, he’s idling on an ATV. His curious gaze takes everything in, making me wonder, as always, what he sees.

A part of me wouldn’t be surprised if he saw security blueprints.

“Callan’s here.”

“I guess I should be grateful he isn’t armed with a torch and a pitchfork.”

“Callan isn’t like that.”

Nervously, she whispers, “You swear you don’t think I did it anymore?”

I can’t stop myself from cupping her cheek. “I swear.”

“I want to believe you so bad, but I’m used to everyone here hating me,” she whispers, head tilting ever-so-faintly into my palm.

Jesus.

“Even your brothers?”

“No. Not them. ButGrand-mère… She resents that I got caught.”

“Never liked her.”

“There isn’t much to like.But, she raised us, made sure we were fed and safe and clothed. She did her best when faced with raising four kids in her seventies after losing her daughter and a beloved grandson. It might not be what I’d want for my child, but we’re still standing.”

“I want more forourchild than that, don’t you? To be still standing?”

“Definitely.”

“Then that’s something we can both work toward, hmm?”

Her smile is tremulous but it feels good to bask in its warmth—meager or not.

If I could hit rewind…

No. There’s no use in thinking that.

She flicks a look at Callan and visibly braces herself again. “I guess you’d better introduce me to him.”

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