His eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to speak before shutting it firmly.
Nearly had him. But if he wouldn’t talk about what he wanted for Christmas, he was in this for the long haul. She finished her breakfast. “I love you, sweetheart, and I understand you’re still upset. You can spend the day processing it, but then we’re going to talk. It’s much better to talk things through than stew on them.”
He scowled, then pushed away from the table, his chair squealing on the linoleum floor, and stalked to his room.
Gretchen sighed. At least this time he didn’t slam the door. She finished getting ready and then called, “Time to go to school.”
Jordan surprised her by coming straight out, but the car trip to the school was icy and not even his favourite song on the radio thawed him.
Tonight after pony club, she would sit with him and talk. Surely he couldn’t keep the silence up for much longer.
She froze, remembering Kurt’s threat about a horse bolting. She’d given him no information. Would he hurt Jordan in response?
A car beeped behind her and she flinched, driving out of the school carpark.
Could she text him to say she had information that she’d give him tonight? No, he’d likely call demanding it straight away. And even if he didn’t, when she didn’t deliver, he would be angry enough to escalate things.
Gretchen would have to think of something.
She pushed the threat to the back of her mind when she arrived at the boat. Sam and Arthur were already on board, and Arthur was checking through the equipment, getting it ready for the day. Finally out of the cabin.
“Morning!” she called and put her backpack in the cabin before joining Arthur on the deck. “Need a hand?”
His smile was a little awkward, as if he couldn’t remember how to. “I’m finished. Do you want to check?”
That smooth voice again, it sent shivers down her spine. “Sure.”
She went through the list and found there was nothing left to do. “Perfect. I’d better watch out. You might put me out of a job.”
He cracked a smile. Then he shuffled his feet. “I, ah, wanted to apologise about yesterday.”
She frowned. “What for?”
“I was rude. I appreciate you fetching my leg.” His cheeks heated as he looked her in the eye. “Thank you.”
The intensity of his gaze, as if she was his only focus, was something else. “You’re welcome. I know it can be tricky. You’re doing well.”
He said nothing else but nodded and returned to the cabin. Gretchen climbed upstairs to where Sam sat in the captain’s chair. “All done. Arthur did most of it.”
Sam grinned. “Did he say much?”
She shook her head.
“That’s his style.”
Gretchen hesitated and then lowered her voice. “He seems happier today.”
“He met Lara yesterday and seems to have had a shift in attitude.”
Gretchen loved Lara, but she was surprised the girl could have that much influence in one meeting. “What did she say?”
“Invited him to go horse riding. Not sure what else she said when they went out to the horse yard, but Arthur seemed a little different when he got back.”
Curiosity stirred in her. She knew from the practicums she’d done as an occupational therapist that some people were so focused on what they’d lost that they wouldn’t listen to what they could become. How had Lara broken through?
“See if you can get him to go swimming today,” Sam continued. “Even if it’s just the snorkelling.”
“Sure.” Sam had asked him every day. Perhaps today would be the day he said yes. He wasn’t putting out miserable vibes, which was nice.
