"Promise," he said softly.
"And so you know," I added, "I'm intentionally making you three work this out. I guess I'm kinda stepping back, but I promise I don't feel left out. I mean, I know how to fuck a man. I know that I'm ok with it. I also know that until Luke knows where he stands, everything else is on hold, so figure it out, Cy."
"Already have," he assured me. "I love that man, that other man, and you. I'm a fucking mess because I love you three so hard. That's what I'm trying to clean up right now. Vi, my only interest in Kindle is making sure I understand my own mistakes so I don't repeat them."
"Then do what you need to do," I told him. "I will always have your back."
"And we both know they'll listen to you," he agreed, looking back to the pasture. "We can't really help it."
Chapter Thirty-Eight
We made it through the weekend. Ash and Cy were getting my kid hooked on some show on Netflix, but it was cute. A couple of nights a week, they'd all sit down together and watch it. Usually, Ash and Cy were cuddling up together. Faith didn't seem to care at all, and that made me hope she'd be as tolerant when I said I wanted to do the same.
Then, on Sunday, we went to church as a group. A few ladies went out of their way to greet Violet. One of them was Maisie Hall, who worked down at the gas station. Meredith's new boss, I was pretty sure. Violet was as sweet and polite as ever - even if I couldn’t tell if she honestly felt that way. Ash, however, was shocked.
It seemed that Maisie had been one of Violet's bullies when she was a kid. Violet said she was making an effort, and that was about all I got. I had a funny feeling it was because Violet didn't know what else to say. She hadn't made a decision about Maisie yet, so she was giving the woman enough rope to hang herself with.
And then on Monday, Faith went back to school. I was hooking up the swather, intending to start cutting the last hay for the year. Just as I got it all connected and ready to go, my phone rang. It wasn't Faith's ringtone, so I almost let it go, but I decided to look just to be sure. The number wasn't one I recognized, but it was local. I quickly turned off the tractor and was swiping to answer.
"Luke here."
"Mr. Barrett," the woman on the other end greeted me, "you're Faith Barrett's father, correct?"
"I am," I assured her. "Why?"
She sighed, the sound heavy and filled with disappointment. "Faith got into a fight at school today. I need you and her mother to come down to the office. The sooner the better."
"Her mother?" That was not at all what I expected.
"Her records list both of you as guardians. The principal would like to have a meeting. When can we expect you?"
I looked down at my clothes, then decided it didn't matter. "Give me fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty."
"I'll schedule your appointment at two-thirty, then," she told me, which gave me almost half an hour.
"Is she suspended?" I asked.
"The principal will talk to you about that," the woman assured me. "I need to call Mrs. Barrett."
"Connoly," I corrected without thinking. "Meredith and I never married."
"Yes, sir. Have a good day."
After she hung up, I stood there for a moment, staring at my phone. Then my brain kicked in. Leaving the keys in the tractor, I turned and headed inside. So much for haying. I needed to wash the grease off my hands at the very least, and I now had enough time to change shirts. I also needed to make sure Cessily knew about this.
"Vi?!" I called the moment I was in the door.
"Office!" she yelled back.
"Faith got into a fight at school." I was headed her way. "I have to go meet the principal. Can you give Chartreuse a heads-up?"
"What?" Violet asked, leaning out of her office. "What happened?"
"No idea yet," I admitted. "I was just told to get my ass up there, basically. I also know this isn't going to go well, and she needs an update. Let her know I'll call when I'm done?"
"Will do," she promised. "Luke, Faith's trying. What she's going through isn't easy, and isn't it better to have her fight back than cut herself again?"
"Yeah," I grumbled, heading for the stairs. Then I called back, "But it doesn't help with custody. Doesn't mean I'll stop her, though."
