“Fifteen percent or fifteen thousand dollars?” says Clay.
Ash reddens. “Fifteen thousand dollars.”
“You charged Teddy fifty percent interest?” says Zoey. “Not exactly the family and neighbors rate. Not to mention Minnesota usury laws.”
Ash turns back to ashen. “What do you mean?”
“You broke the law, Ash,” says Clay. “You can’t charge that much interest. You could be in serious trouble.”
“Real serious,” adds Zoey.
“I didn’t collect!” says Ash. “There’s no deal. Teddy and me, we don’t have a deal anymore. It didn’t happen.”
“But you lent him the money,” says Clay.
“Yes,” says Ash. “But then—” Ash stops himself as if he’s forgotten the English language.
“But then what?” says Zoey.
Ash gets up from the table and walks to the pantry. He returns with a package of Oreos, slides out the plastic tray, and sets them before Zoey and Clay. Ash removes one, takes a bite, and says, with his mouth full, “I made a deal with Teddy. If he took care of something for me, I’d forgive the interest on the loan.”
“Just the interest?” says Clay.
“Yes.”
“And what was Teddy’s quest, pray tell?” says Zoey.
Ash looks confused, as if he doesn’t quite understand Zoey’s question, then says, “I was in Lanesboro at the Root River Saloon. And there’s this girl at the bar.” It’s like Ash can feel Zoey’s eyes on him and says, “Woman. This young woman.”
“How young?” says Zoey.
“Twenties. Maybe thirty. We get to talking. I ask if I can buy her a drink and she says yes, so I do.”
“What did she order?” says Zoey.
“A Long Island iced tea.”
“Twenties,” says Zoey with anI figuredexpression aimed more at Clay than Ash.
“Probably,” says Ash. “But over twenty-one—she was in a bar.”
“Naturally,” says Clay. “No one under twenty-one has ever set foot in a bar.”
“Do you want me to tell you the rest or not?” says Ash. “Because if you just want to make fun of me, I’ll be quiet and you can have at it.”
Clay and Zoey share a look. They’re tag-teaming poor Ash. But the look is more about their tag-teaming than it is Ash. Their teamwork feels natural, the two of them, and they both know it. Something transpires in this shared glance. Something bigger than Ash. Maybe even bigger than Teddy.
Zoey breaks eye contact first and says, “We apologize. Please continue.”
“Anyway, we’re talking—”
“Do you remember her name?” says Clay.
“Skye,” says Ash. “Skye and I are talking and after a couple of drinks I ask her if she wants to come to the house to see the horses and llamas. And she gets this kind of sad look on her face. Really sad and like, kind of lonely or something like that. I expect she’s going to tell me to take a hike, but no. She says she would like to see the horses and llamas. But not like in an excited way. Almost like it was something she had to do.”
“And did she go back to the house with you?” says Zoey. “To see the horses and llamas?”
Ash nods.
