He saw Brett’s unease.
He felt it too and had been feeling it for a couple of weeks.
“I got a message from their leader that she won’t have any more problems,” he told the man.
“You believe it?”
Hutch nodded.
“You think there’s a catch?”Brett asked, proving further he was not stupid.
“I think I don’t know enough about that kind of outfit, nor do I know anything about their outfit, so I’m not resting easy.”
Brett nodded.“I hear you.Vigilance.”
“Precisely.”
“Mabel know about this message?”
She absolutely did.
It was the first thing he told her when he went to pick her up, because he might not be resting easy, but he wanted her to be.
He was careful to communicate it in a way she would continue to look out for herself, especially when Hutch wasn’t around to do it for her.
But he wanted her no longer to live under the constant threat of something else happening.
“She does.She also knows to continue to look out for herself,” Hutch answered.
Brett started them walking again, muttering, “Get the sense our Mabel has learned that lesson already.”
He didn’t mean the recent note.
And he wasn’t wrong.
Hutch didn’t confirm.
They’d made the parking lot.
And the gift shop.
Mabel instantly slid into what she’d warned him was going to be her Rich Auntie vibe, so Liam got a Stony Bluff sweatshirt and ballcap, Emma got a T-shirt and a stuffed owl, she bought herself and Abigail each a tee, and Brett a hoodie.
Brett faced this with resignation, clearly having been previously briefed as to how he’d handle it.
Abigail and the kids faced it with glee.
They loaded up with both the kids complaining about how it was easy to move their car seats to Hutch’s truck so they could ride with Hutch and Mabel.They lost that fight, and the gang headed to Mabel’s.
“I’m coming back to put in a volunteer application,” Mabel declared before he’d even pulled out of the parking lot.
Now, how did he guess that would happen?
“Not the rescue, I can’t hack the rescue,” she said.“But I bet I’d be hell on wheels bottle feeding a baby moose.”
He’d bet on that too.
And he hoped like fuck, after this became whatever it became, they could retain something so he could handle her involved with the sanctuary, because even after his term as president was over, he’d still be active on the board and with their work.
