The sincerity in his voice surprises me. Here I am, dumping one more chore on him, yet he’s handling it like a gentleman.
“Thanks.” I smile.
“And hey, seeing as I’m heading into town tomorrow, why don’t you come with? There might be a place we can rent a metal detector or get some other tools to poke around.”
It’s not a bad idea.
The last thing I expected from this grouchy lump of coal.
Then again, he doesn’t seem so awful now.
It’s a small smile and a few kind words, sure, but he’s acting human. Maybe the beer loosened him up.
“Have you tried anything like that yet?” he asks.
“No. Can’t believe I didn’t think of it until now.” Even if it’s a shot in the dark, it’s better than nothing.
“The kids went through a phase where they were obsessed with finding buried treasure. We used to bring a metal detector out to a few local parks. Never scared up anything too interesting besides a couple old silver quarters.”
From ancient treasure to the stars. I can see the connection.
It makes sense.
I also like that he indulges the kids. It’s undeniable how much he loves them, and he’s not afraid to show it.
“Sure,” I say. “Why not?”
He nods, but there’s still that ghost of a smile on his lips. It sparks just enough confidence to ask a question that’s been bugging me all day.
“So, if you don’t mind me asking, what had you so upset on the phone? I saw you take the call. You looked like you were ready to chuck your phone in the lake.”
The smile disappears.
His eyes become black glass as he shuts down, his gaze dropping to a point past me. His mouth hardens into an angry line that tells me more than any words will.
“How damn long were you spying?”
Ouch.
Clearly, he worships his privacy.
Just like when he found me in his room.
Why does it feel like we’ve taken one step forward and two steps back?
“I had the window open. I wasn’t spying. Your voice just carries.” The fresh air was nice, that soft fall breeze I was so sure would help my muse. “I wasn’t even paying attention at first, but you got a little heated and—and it was hard to ignore.”
“Right.” His body language is all coiled irritation. “It’s nothing, just some old work business that’s not my problem anymore. They just don’t know when to leave me alone and figure it out on their own.”
“Did you quit?”
He hesitates.
“Close enough.” He twists away from me then, fixing his eyes on the dark trees beyond the lake.
I don’t press him. Not when he’s obviously done with this conversation.
I just join him in companionable silence, staring at the distant, dark waters under the moon and wondering.
