He hung up the dish towel. "Bring him by sometime. Thursday dinner."
"I'll ask him."
"Good."
Dad walked us to the door. On the porch, Daisy was reluctant to leave. She kept looking back at Dad like I was kidnapping her.
"Come on, traitor."
Dad scratched her ears one more time. "She's got good taste."
I hugged him. "Thanks, Dad."
"For what?"
"Just—thanks."
He patted my shoulder. "Drive safe, Ellie-bug."
In the truck, Daisy sprawled across the passenger seat, looking betrayed. I pulled out my phone before starting the engine.
Dad wants to meet you. Dinner sometime.
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Yeah?
Fair warning, he's cleaning his guns that day. For unrelated reasons.
A longer pause.
It's okay if you're uncomfortable. We can wait.
Not uncomfortable. I look forward to it.
Tell me when, and I'll be there.
I smiled.
Okay. Good.
I set the phone down and started the engine. Daisy sighed heavily from the passenger seat, still mourning the loss of her favorite human.
"Drama queen," I told her.
She didn't argue.
CHAPTER 27: MATT
Two months back and I knew every pothole on Route 12.
The leaves had turned while I wasn't paying attention. One day they were green, the next they were rust and gold, falling across the road in drifts that collected against fence posts. October in Millbrook looked the same as it had when I was seventeen, driving this same stretch to pick up Elena after her shift at the diner.
I pushed the thought away and focused on the road.
The call had come in twenty minutes ago: wellness check at the Patterson farm. Neighbor reported not seeing activity for a few days, wanted someone to make sure she was all right. Dispatch said it with the kind of tone that meantwe both know this is probably nothing, but protocol is protocol.
I'd met Joan Patterson a handful of times since moving back. She'd been at the house once, bringing Mom a casserole with a note that saidfrom one stubborn woman to another.Mom hadn't recognized her. Joan had patted her hand anyway and told Dad to call if he needed anything.
