“Fuck off, Boxy.” Janelle goes from doting mom to fiery pixie in an instant.
She turns to me, and one look at my face has her taking a few steps toward me. She lowers her voice as she asks, “Everything okay?”
No, I want to scream. It’s all fucked up, and I don’t know how to make it right.
Or maybe I do.
One last run.
I want to tell Janelle, share my problem with her, but what good would it do? Even her concern for me can’t keep the light out of her eyes this morning. The last thing I want to do is crush her good mood. Besides, if I told her about the shit I’m in, she’d insist on helping me fix it, and if it goes wrong, then she really could lose her kids.
I put on the best smile I can muster.
“Yeah, all good. I forgot something. I’ll meet you guys up there.”
She peers at me, unconvinced.
“I really can’t miss a telling off from the sergeant. It’s my favorite part of the day.” I raise my eyebrows at her, and she breaks into a wide grin.
“I knew it.” She slaps me playfully on the arm. “See you up there.”
I keep the smile on as she gets into the minivan, then walk casually back to my room. All the while, my heart is thumping as I think through what I have to do.
6
HUDSON
The digital display on my watch shows 09:17, and there’s no sign of Willow.
After four days, the work crew has settled into a rhythm, and everyone knows their jobs. Everyone except Willow, who thinks it’s okay to play by her own rules.
But I feel a twinge of uneasiness as I remember her pale face yesterday when she looked at her phone and the way her hand trembled.
I spot Janelle by the fence stirring a tin of paint and make my way over, crouching next to her. She looks up with a smile, and for a moment, I think I’ve got the wrong woman. Her eyes are bright, and there are no dark smudges under them.
“Have you seen Willow?”
Janelle glances around the courtyard. “She was right behind me. Said she forgot something and would drive up.”
“She’s not here.”
I glance at my watch again. 09:18. I’m used to Willow being a few minutes late, but this isn’t like her.
“She probably got inspired and went in to paint,” Janelle says hopefully.
“Maybe.”
I stand up and stride toward the parking lot. The uneasiness in my gut grows. And I’ve learned to trust my gut.
Blaze is shoveling gravel from a wheelbarrow onto the paths. I slap him on the shoulder as I pass. “I’ll be back soon. Make sure the paths get done this morning.”
He nods once and turns his beady eyes back to the group. “You heard the man. Get shoveling.”
I jog toward the parking lot, but Willow’s car isn’t there. Maybe she broke down on the way up the mountain, or maybe whatever that text was about has caught up with her.
I jog to my pickup and slide into the driver’s side. Joel stands at the doorway of the center and gives me a quizzical look. But I don’t have time to explain, so I just give him a wave.
He’ll have to check in on the work himself, but I trust Blaze to keep them motivated.
