Page 16 of The Locksmith's Promise

Perhaps.

My grief shuddered out in one long breath.

Ten years.

Ten fucking years. My hands rolled into fists while my breath escaped in helpless, frustrated pants.

My back burned with a phantom pain as my anger grew. The force of it scared me, but I couldn’t fathom where to direct it.

Did she think I’d be like him? Did she keep my son from me out of fear?

I barely ever thought about that old bastard anymore, but coming back to Moose Lake had opened a whole slew of memories.

Face red, veins in his neck throbbing, spittle flew from his mouth as he screamed, “You’re nothing, you hear me? And nothing’s all you’ll ever be.”

He spat on the floor by my feet. If he weren’t so drunk, he wouldn’t have missed.

“You useless, pansy-ass, piece of shit,” he sneered.

I flung my arm over my face. After all the work I’d put in to separate myself from the past, was coming back to this place going to send me back to that shadow version of myself?

I have a son.

I have a son.

“I have a son.” I said it out loud, the timbre of my voice lending credibility to the most incredible of words.

“Bax?”

I huffed out a disbelieving laugh and rolled to my feet.

Maggie peered up at me warily, the wind whipping her hair around her face, heart in her eyes.

That stubborn tilt to her chin.

I narrowed my gaze. “What are you doing here, Mags?”

She attempted a smile and held out her hand. “I brought your coat.”

Ignoring her offering, I asked, “Where’s Corwin?”

Eyes dimming, she pressed her lips together as she lowered her hand. “I left him with Miller and Maxine.”

As sorry as she looked, I was not feeling all that forgiving.

Did she think I would have hurt him like my father hurt me?

Did she believe it even still?

“How’d you know I’d be here?”

She shrugged. “It’s the first place I wanted to be.”

She didn’t appear to be scared of me.

I sighed. “You want me to help you up?”

My heart softened. Because before I knew I had a son, Maggie had been my sole reason for coming back to Moose Lake. And here she was, standing right in front of me, her sweet face tipped up to mine.

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