Page 5 of Quietly Falling
“Forget all the nice things I said about you,” he grumbles as he pulls into the lot and kills the engine.
My phone vibrates in my pocket as I turn to look at Tanner. “Don’t force it, man—for you or for me. It’ll happen,”—I pause—“just probably not until we stop makin’ faces at the prospect of actually going out.”
He snorts and grabs the tray with the remaining two drinks and pulls his free.
“Cheers to someday.”
I’ll drink to that.
3
BODHI
6 MONTHS AGO
The Bronco barrels out of the dirt lot and back onto the main road with Hank Thayer at the wheel and Sorren Mackay in the passenger seat.
My self-appointed saviors.
I’ve been in Blackstone Falls long enough to have had at least minor interactions with both of them—Sorren more than Hank—but that doesn’t make either man less intimidating.
The ride is silent, the tension practically suffocating, as the last hour plays on repeat in my head.
My resignation.
The agony in my brother’s voice when I told him I was leaving.
“There’s something I need to take care of and it’s best if I go.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, you won’t. You have a family here.”
“You’re my family.”
The last part had nearly brought me to my knees.
You’re my family.
You’re myfamily.
You’re my family.
Watching the scene play out in front of them, Case and Otto Thayer hadn’t accepted my resignation, instead calling in reinforcements in the form of the two hulking men driving me to God knows where.Theirfamily.
Because that’s what you do in a small town.
It’d been just us for so long, but Mason had blossomed here—put down roots and found himself a girlfriend with a couple of kids and built the life we’d always dreamed of.
We dreamed about it but I never thought about what would happen if it came true because good things like that didn’t happen for us.
Until it did for Mason.
Even now, the thought still has a warmth growing in my chest becauseI did it. He’s safe and loved and happy.
I did what I couldn’t do for Audrey.
I couldn’t keep her safe.
