Page 69 of We Can Stay
She hands the rabbit over to Flick, who takes him with the same care she uses when handling her delicate yarns. The rabbit’s nose twitches against her neck, and her whole face softens. She strokes his fur gently, murmuring something I can’t catch.
“He likes you,” Steph observes. “Usually takes him a while to settle with new people.”
“Animals know good people,” Mom declares, finally passing Mushroom off to a delighted volunteer. “It’s like a sixth sense. Or maybe a seventh. Do animals have six senses already?”
Ben tugs my sleeve, signaling for me to hang back with him. We let the others drift toward the duck pond, Mom’s voice carrying back to us with facts about duck mating habits that no one asked for.
“Thanks for coming.”
I nod, watching Flick carefully hand the rabbit back to Steph, her movements still a bit stiff from her flare. “Sorry I’m a dick sometimes.”
“Me too. You’d be so much cooler if you were always a saint.”
“Whatever,” I snort, shaking my head.
We stand there for a moment, brothers who’ve grown apart but never really separated. The familiar sounds of the farm wash over us—birds calling, goats bleating, the distant laughter of children at the pony rides.
“She’s chill.” He nods at Flick, who’s now crouched by the duck pond despite what must be protesting joints, letting Mom show her how to properly hold the feed pellets.
“She’s special,” I add, unable to keep the warmth from my voice. “Really special.”
Even though my attention is on Flick, I can feel my brother watching me. His gaze is heavy with knowing. “You’re in love.”
I drop my gaze to my boots, not liking being put on the spot. But there’s no point in denying what must be written all over my face. “Maybe.”
“No maybe about it.” He claps my shoulder, his hand solid and reassuring. “Congrats.”
“Nothing is sealed in stone.”
But I’m just deflecting. True, nothing is a forever thing, but I’m hoping Flick and I can at least be a sure thing. Maybe even a lifelong thing.
“I’m happy,” I say, really meaning it.
Despite all the craziness of life—work, the animal sanctuary—I’ve found something real and solid. Something rarer than gold. Someone who sees my weird family and doesn’t run. Someone who makes me want to slow down and just be.
“If she can let Mom and Dad roll off her shoulders,” Ben says, nodding toward where Mom is now demonstrating what she calls “duck meditation” while Flick watches with apparent delight, “she’s a keeper.”
“True,” I laugh, feeling lighter than I have in months. “True.”
CHAPTER 20
Flick
On the drive back from visiting Sebastian’s family, we talked about coming to the police station first thing this morning before my shift at Knit Happens and his at the vet to report what’s been going on with the messages and package I received. I’m trying to keep a cool head but I’m really anxious as to what the police will have say about everything.
When we arrive, the receptionist makes a quick call and we’re escorted down the hall to an office where someone is waiting to take my statement. Detective Harlow leans back in his chair, studying me with a serious expression.
“So you said the messages started about two weeks ago?” He asks.
I nod, gripping Sebastian’s hand on the arm of the chair next to me. “At first, it seemed harmless. Just an online fan. But then it got…personal. They’ve dropped a package off at my home and showed up at the coffee shop when I was there.”
The detective’s pen scratches across the notepad in front of him. “And you’ve blocked the account?”
“Yes, and that’s when the other things started happening. Sometimes I’ll get a notification that there’s motion at my frontor back door, but when I pull up the camera feed, I don’t see anything.”
Sebastian looks over at me with his eyes wide. I hadn’t even told him that yet, not wanting to seem like I’m overreacting if it’s just a squirrel or a leaf being blown across my porch by the wind.
“Unfortunately, it’s common for online harassment to escalate like this,” he says sympathetically. “It’s good that you’re taking it seriously. We’ll open a case and keep an eye on it. If you still have the package, we’ll need to see it. The lab can test it for prints and see if it gives us any other clues. In the meantime, I recommend keeping your online presence to strictly business. No real-time updates about what you’re doing or personal information.”
