Page 50 of Rafe: Sins of the Father

All week, I see Tori come and go at a distance.

I have no excuse to go up to the house on the hill, but that doesn’t stop me from hoping she’ll seek me out at the mill. But days go by, and it doesn’t happen.

There’s never any report of the Governor’s son going missing or even being assaulted, so I can’t help but think either they’re covering the incident up, or the kid never told his father.

Friday night, Bubba and I are working late again to get an order ready for the morning. When we finally finish, we tug our work gloves off and head around the corner of the building toward where his truck and my bike are parked on the other side.

“Check it out,” Bubba says, drawing my attention from the ground.

That same fancy car is coming down the drive from the house, and I jump into the shadows of the building, tugging Bubba with me to watch.

It’s Alex Powers, that guy Bubba was telling me about, the guy I saw talking to Charlie that night at the house.

Tori is in the passenger seat, and they’re laughing as they pull out onto the highway. I can only see her from the chest up, but she’s wearing a blue satin halter dress, or maybe it’s a top. Either way, it looks sexy, especially with the dangled sparkling earrings I spot as they go past.

Once he pulls out, the engine of the sports car roars as it accelerates to top speed.

I’m pissed and use the anger to cover the searing pain of seeing her with another man. It’s as if she’s wiped me from her memory.

Bubba slaps my arm with the back of his hand. “Shake it off. She’s out of your league, Rafe. Always was, always will be.” He points down the road at the disappearing car. “That right there is the kind of man Miss Tori Sawyer will end up with. Ain’t no doubt about it.”

“Never said there was.” I shove past him to stalk into the office, his laughter following me as he heads to his truck. I put our last work order in the wire basket on Cora Lee’s desk for the morning. She’s long gone, and the place is dark, but the door to Charlie’s office is ajar, and a crack of light shines across the floor.

I hear his angry voice and wonder who’s in there with him.

As far as I know, Bubba and I are the only other people still at the mill.

I hear Bubba’s truck drive off, and hesitate, staring at that crack of light.

Charlie obviously doesn’t hear me, because he’s too busy arguing.

I creep closer and eavesdrop.

“You’d be a fool not to sell. How many more equipment breakdowns is it going to take for you to realize that?” He pauses, and I realize he’s talking on the phone. “No, sir. I haven’t forgotten my place. I’m just trying to keep you informed. The automatic bandsaw broke today. That thing cost forty-five grand new, and it’s going to cost a mint to fix.” He huffs a breath. “Why you think that kid could fix something like that is beyond me. Okay, fine. I’ll get him on it.”

The phone slams down.

“Fucking stubborn fool.” His chair creaks and rolls across the floor, and his footsteps come closer.

I jump toward the other side of a tall metal cabinet, blending into the shadows, and watch him stalk across the room to the door that leads out to the shop where some milling work is done.

Once Charlie exits the room, I move to the window and peek through the blinds that give the office privacy between the two workspaces. Out on the shop floor, Charlie walks over to one of the workbenches against the wall and picks up a hammer. Then he strides to the expensive machine he was talking about and slams the hammer against it.

My eyes widen. What the fuck is he doing?

I don’t know what makes me dig my phone out of my pocket, but I pull up my camera and start recording. Charlie makes another dozen blows until a piece breaks off and clatters to the floor. He picks it up and tosses it in a trashcan, then returns the hammer to the workbench.

I shove my phone in my pocket.

For a split-second, I consider confronting him but think better of it. Maybe it’s better I don’t show all my cards. He doesn’t know I just witnessed that, and I may have a need to show that video, so I play it close to the vest and slip out the door, jogging to my bike. I fire the thing up and roar out of there. In my side mirror, I see Charlie come out the door, staring after me.

On Saturday, we work a half day, but since I’ve worked here, we’ve never gotten off before 2pm.

After seeing Tori with Alex Powers last night, I plan to stay away from her, but that doesn’t mean keeping her off my mind has been any more successful.

Mr. Sawyer drives down from the house in his Mercedes and goes in to the office.

A few minutes later, Cora Lee walks out of the office to put the outgoing mail in the box at the edge of the highway. It’s a bitof a walk, and I jump at the chance to slip into the office. If I get caught, I’ll say a work order is missing.

---