“I’ll be careful,” Lucas said.Darren’sexpression made it clear he didn’t think that was enough, but whatelse was there to say, or to do?
“And you’ll call me if anything comes up.Don’t be a hero, don’t think you need to spare me the trouble.”Darren stretched his hand out to shake Lucas’s and clapped hisother hand on top.“Seriously, Lucas.Call me.”
“Yeah, okay.”Lucas grinned at Darren’sskeptical look.“I will.If anything comes up.”
They both turned then to watch a car comingup the driveway.Darren squinted at it, then swiveled toward Lucas.“And that’s going okay?He’s not…there was a time when I would havesaid Mark Webber was close to the top of the people who wanted tosee you back in jail.Now some angry dad is ranting about the twoof you conspiring together to turn his kid gay?I mean, obviouslythe dad’s full of shit, but you and the priest—that’s okay?He’snot a problem?”
“Of course not!”It came out sounding likeLucas was outraged.He tried to tone it down.“He’s been reallygood.He’s ignoring…you know.What I did.He’s focused on helpingAlex, and he said that because we both want to help Alex we’re onthe same team, so we should work together.Not that I’m actuallyany use, but if Alex wants me there when Father Webber talks tohim, Father Webber’s okay with it.”
Darren’s expression was hard to read.“Andyou’re okay with it?”
“Me?Why would I… I mean, if he can stand tobe in the same room as me, that’s…it’s a gift, right?What would Ihave to complain about?”
“You’re supposed to be moving forward.Notforgetting the past, but leaving it where it belongs.If you’reconstantly being reminded of your mistakes—”
“No,” Lucas interrupted.“Like I said, he’sfocused on Alex.He’s not reminding me of anything.Not anything Idon’t remind myself of.”
Once again, Darren didn’t look convinced.“And what’s he doing out here now?The kid isn’t here now, ishe?”
“Maybe he needs to talk to Elise.”But thepriest wasn’t going into the house or coming up to the barn to lookfor her.He was just sitting behind the wheel of his car, staringat a donkey as it chewed on a dandelion.Lucas felt the first stirof alarm.“Or maybe something’s wrong.”
“You want me to walk down with you?See whathe’s up to?”Darren had parked his car near the barn, so there wasno reason for him to go toward the house.And Lucas found himselffeeling almost protective of the priest.Father Webber shouldn’thave to hear a lecture from Darren about leaving the past behind,or whatever else he was likely to come up with.
“No.It’s fine.I don’t know what he needs,but it’s nothing to do with me.”
“Okay,” Darren finally agreed, and Lucaswalked him to the car.“But remember,” the large man said as hewedged himself behind the steering wheel, “if anything comes up,you call me.”
It was sweet, Lucas decided as he watchedDarren edge his car past the priest’s.Weird to be getting thislevel of mothering now instead of when he’d been younger and couldhave really used it, but still…sweet.
He watched as Darren’s car pulled out of thedriveway and headed down the dirt road.It was almost out of sightby the time Lucas turned back toward the house.The priest wasstill sitting behind the wheel of his own car.
What if the guy was sick or something?Maybehe’d had a heart attack?He looked pretty fit, but who could sayfor sure?
Damn it.Lucas started down the path.Hewasn’t especially quiet and the car window was rolled down, but thepriest didn’t seem to notice his approach.When he was a few stepsaway, Lucas scuffed his feet in the gravel, then coughed, andfinally the priest’s head swiveled.
“Are you…” Lucas started, but he stopped whenhe saw the priest’s face.He looked like he’d been told that he’dbeen denied parole after having thought it was a sure thing.It wasstupid to ask this man if he was okay.But what else could Lucassay?“Do you need anything?Are you looking for Elise?”
The priest shook his head as if trying tocome out of a daze.“I don’t…I guess not, no.”He looked blankly atLucas, then managed to pull himself together.“I’m sorry.I’m notsure what I’m doing here.I was just driving, and somehow I endedup…here.”
That sounded way too loose for someone ascontrolled as Father Webber, and Lucas tried to make it intosomething more rational.“Alex should be here pretty soon.Maybeyou were going to check on him?”
“I guess so,” the priest hesitantly agreed.He looked at his watch.“How much longer, do you think?”
“Maybe half an hour?”
“Okay.”
And that should have been that.But there wassomething not right about this, and Lucas was reluctant to justwalk away.“Or Elise is around somewhere.I could try to find her,if you want.”
“No, I don’t want to bother her.I’mfine.”
Except Lucas was pretty sure he wasn’t.“Alexhas shown you the animals already, right?”So that wasn’t going tobe a way to distract the man.“We got a new bird in last night.Hitby a car.That’s what Elise says.He’s a turkey vulture—a prettybig bird.People say they’re ugly, but I don’t really think so.He’s got a broken wing, and Elise says flying is really importantto them, so she’s not sure if we’ll be able to get him back intothe wild.”What else could he possibly say about the damn bird?Hewas sorry he’d started.“I guess flying is pretty important to mostbirds.”Yeah.“Except penguins, I guess.Ostriches.”
Well, at least the priest wasn’t staring outthrough the windshield anymore.Instead, he was squinting up atLucas as if trying to discern his home planet.
“Chickens,” Lucas said.
The priest raised an eyebrow.
