“Is something wrong?” Joanne asks, her voice closer now than it was before.
When I peer up over my mug, I find her standing on the other side of the kitchen counter, brow furrowed.
“Just tired.”
“Are you sure that’s allit is?”
“What are you trying to ask me, Joanne?” I don’t mean to sound irritated, but lately, that’s just how I feel.
Her look of concern morphs into one of annoyance. “Forgive me for wanting to know what died and crawled up your behind this past week.”
I’ve been asking myself the same thing, but I’m not sure I’m ready to face reality. “What do you want from me?”
“Well, for starters, more than a grunt when I greet you in the morning.”
Sighing, I set my mug on the counter. “Look, I’m just…in a funk. I can’t explain it.”
Can’t, or don’t want to, Rhonan?
“Well, your daughter has picked up on it, so you need to snap out of it.”
Fuck.
I try really hard not to project my emotions onto my kid. Everything I’ve read about parenting suggests being honest about your feelings with your child, but Ellis is also five. She doesn’t need to feel like her world is off balance because I feel that way, and there’s only so much I can share with her that is age appropriate.
Truth be told, I’ve been off balance since Sarah died, and I’m not sure if that will ever change, but this past week has been a little more overwhelming than normal, to say the least.
“What did she say?” I ask.
“She asked if you’ve been hanging out with Uncle Elliot. Said you started acting grumpy like him.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“That you’re probably just tired from work and our trip to Charlotte last week.”
After my night out, I slipped into dad mode for a few days while Ellis was on spring break from school and made sure to get some quality time with her. We made a trip to Charlotte to visit the science center and zoo. Fletcher and Laney joined us, since he still owns a house there that he uses during the NFL season, and Joanne took advantage of the trip to visit with her daughter. But four days was all I got before I had to report back to work.
Being a sheriff in a small town like Blossom Peak isn’t very eventful, which is ideal, but it also means that our staff is small. The station has six deputies total, and only three of us on shift at any given time. So that means we all have to take turns taking time off, and certainly for long stretches of days all at once.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m in this funk, all right? But I’ll try to keep it in check.”
Joanne nods. “That’s all I ask. Now that that’s settled, I’ve been meaning to ask—have you met our new neighbor?”
I’ve been in such a daze that I completely forgot the house next door has a new tenant. “Not yet. Have you?”
“Well, she just moved in yesterday. I caught her while she was unloading a few things from her car. Seems nice. Definitely not from around here.”
“How can you tell?”
“Her car.”
“What about it?”
“Let’s just say she’s entirely unprepared for the snow we get with the Mercedes she’s driving.”
“Ah, so high maintenance. Anything else I should know?” I ask, picking my mug back up from the counter.
“She has a dog.”
