“Good night, Daisy.”
“Night, Gus,” I breathe out.
Chapter Sixteen
Daisy
Thehouseisquietwhen I wake up. Gus is still asleep, the sheets tangled around him. His arm is hanging off the side, and his pillow is on the floor. I shake my head, laughing to myself quietly.
I make my way downstairs. The moment the living room comes into view, disappointment settles over me.
There are two chickens on my couch, fast asleep, each of them tucked into the corners. Their feathers a little puffed out, and their little bodies inflate slightly as they breathe.
I make my way back upstairs, but I don’t go into my room. I go into Grannie’s and stare at the safe.
“What is the code?” I ask as if it’s going to answer me. I step into the closet and try a few more combinations.Nothing works. I huff an annoyed sound. Should I call a locksmith? Apparently Gus was electrocuted when he tried breaking into it and wasba-cawkingfor hours—like a bad case of the hiccups. I can’t be responsible for a stranger getting hurt over this curse. It’s bad enough that the boys are cursed.
I give up and go back into my room. Gus is still asleep, so I lie in bed and dig through memories, wondering if anything will point me in the direction of what the code could be.
I’ve tried the address. Birthdays. My parents' death days. I’ve tried random numbers. Words turned into numbers… nothing is working.
And none of my memories of Grannie are ringing a bell either.
Watching TV together. Tending to the farm. Baking. Going to town. Her pushing me on the swing. Her delicious pecan pie—that is my absolute favorite, and I need to replicate one of these days…
I hear the door close downstairs, so I get up to look out the window and see Wade walking down the steps andthen moving down the path to go toward the barns. The hunch in his shoulders gives away the disappointment. I watch until he disappears around the barn.
Rhett is sitting on the couch, staring at a blank screen on the TV, when I get down there.
“Morning,” I say when he looks over at me.
Smiling, he says, “Morning.”
“I’m sorry.”
“How’d you know?”
“I came down a little while ago.”
Nodding, he gets up and offers out his hand.
“At least you get these.” I take the two eggs from his hand.
“I’d rather things not be this way.”
His smile is soft. “I believe that,” he says.
“Do you?”
Nodding, he says, “Yeah, I’m starting to.”
I think back to what Gus said aboutwantingto stay here. Maybe that’s the key. Could it be so simple?
Though, I guess it isn’t so simple, is it?
Wanting to be in the place you’re imprisoned in? Of course, it would be the perfect curse-breaker. Why would they ever want to stay here?
“Let me make you breakfast,” I say.
