Page 39 of So in Love
The color in her neck spread up into her face.She clasped her hands in front of her.“I’m sorry.I should have.I admit I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.”
Mom stood from the couch.“Well, I think we’re done here.I know for a fact I don’t have anything about the KKK.I think I’d know.And I’m certain you’re mistaken.”
“I’d be happy to share the letter with you,” Crystal offered.
“If it was a letter tomyancestor, I should hope so.”
Dad stood up next to Mom and put his arm around her.“Should we have dessert?”
Crystal dropped her hands to her sides.“Can I take a rain check?”
Mom pursed her lips.“Yes, I think that would be best.”
Dad went to the closet and grabbed Crystal’s coat while she picked up her purse from the table near the door.Dad helped her into her coat, and she pulled her hat from her purse.
“I’m really sorry.I didn’t mean to upset you.Thanks again for dinner.It was delicious.”She looked at Jamie, her eyes clearly asking if he was leaving too, but he stayed rooted to the floor.
Why the hell hadn’t she said something to him first?
Crystal turned to his dad and said good night, then Dad opened the door, and she disappeared into the cold dark.
Dad closed the door softly and turned with a grim expression.“Well, that was… I’m not sure what that was.”
Mom began replacing all the memorabilia in the box.“It was rude.”
Jamie frowned.Yeah, it was rude.And weird.And he was kind of pissed.“I’ll be right back.”He stalked from the house and caught up with Crystal just before she climbed into her car.“Hey, wait a sec.”
She paused, her gloved hand on the open door.Then she turned to face him but didn’t say anything.
“That was a dick move,” he said.
“Yeah, probably.”
Fuck, it was cold out here, and he was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt.He crossed his arms over his chest.“So why’d you do it?”
“Do what?Ask about the history of your family?”
“Why didn’t you tell me in advance?It would’ve been nice to prep my mom, and we could’ve searched for what you wanted specifically.”
“I don’t know what I’m looking forspecifically.I’d hoped to see whatever she had from that time period.”She exhaled, and her breath colored the air for a moment.“Look, I didn’t know how to say something when we talked about it at the pub.And after that…” She shrugged.“I don’t know.I guess I was distracted.”She sent him an apologetic glance.“I tried to talk to you about it today, but you didn’t return my call.And when your mom went downstairs, I tried again, but you…were distracted.”She straightened, squaring her shoulders.
“Anyway, that’s not an excuse,” she said.“I should’ve told you before.But it doesn’t change anything.Thereisa letter to your ancestor, and hewasa leader in the KKK.If you guys ever do find anything about that or about what happened to the Bird’s Nest Ranch in 1902, we’d love to know.See you later.”
She climbed into the car and sped off.
He stared after her for a moment until he couldn’t stand the cold.Turning briskly, he ran back to the house to smooth things over with his mother.
