I nod. “Just got Lila fed and let the chickens out. I’ll check in on the cows soon. I’m starving.”
She laughs. “Coffee’s in the pot, and I’ve got biscuits in the oven. Give me a second, and I’ll whip up some gravy.”
“No need. Biscuits with jam are fine.”
I pull down a mug and make myself a cup of coffee. “Still got that guy coming today?”
Mom runs a quaint little bed-and-breakfast. She has her bedroom on the lower level of the house, and she rents out the upstairs bedrooms. She’s been running it for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always loved it. Helping Mom with that is another thing I’ve taken on since Dad passed.
Mom frowns. “Theodore. Yes. Shame he ended up being so late.”
Theodore. Theodore Baker, specifically.
My heart twists at the thought of him. I don’t know anything about him. Or I guess anything outside of the police report that was delivered to us a few weeks after Christmas when Austin Lawson beat a man to death in his ma’s diner. Can’t say I blame him given the circumstances. I probably would have done the same.
I went to school with Austin and his boyfriend, Luca. They were a grade ahead of me and thick as thieves all through school. Luca left town at sixteen and ended up with a real abusive prick.
“You know about him, Mom? Theodore?” I ask softly.
“I know he was hurt by that awful man, same as sweet Luca.” She levels me with a glare. “But that’s his business to tell or not tell, and you better not let him know we know anything about him. He’s a visitor, just like anyone else.”
I nearly roll my eyes. “I know. I’d never use confidential information like that.”
She pats my cheek. “I know you wouldn’t. You’re a good boy.” She smiles softly at me before dropping her hand from my face. “I’m gonna head into my room for a while. Let me know if you need me.”
“Will do. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she calls out as she rounds the corner and disappears from view.
Sitting down at the table, I toy with the rim of my coffee mug. I won’t admit it to anyone, but what I saw in Theodore’s file messed me up. I’d never seen anything like it before. Well, not unless you’re counting Luca’s banged-up face and haunted eyes in the hospital the night I had to question him about his ex.
I’m not saying I’m not cut out for police work, but… I’m just really thankful that we don’t see a lot of violent crime like that here in Silverpine. It made me sick to my stomach to see the photos of Theodore in that file, and if I’m being honest—I’m happy Luca’s ex is dead and that he can’t hurt anyone else like that.
It’searlyeveningwhenTheodore shows up.
I’ve just stepped out of the barn when he pulls into the drive, parking near the house. Mom’s making dinner, and I don’t want to let a guest go ungreeted—or at least that’s what I tell myself—so I make my way across the field toward him.
He steps out of a beat-up, white Toyota, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes as he scans his surroundings before glancing at his phone.
“Theodore?” I ask when I get close enough for him to hear me.
His head snaps up. “That’s me.”
“Hey, I’m Hunter. You’re our guest for the next week, right?”
He frowns, looking at his phone again. “I… I think so. This is the right address. Guess I just didn’t expect…” He pauses, looking around the yard again. “A farm?”
I chuckle, offering him what I hope is a warm smile. “All part of the charm, I suppose.”
Humming, he lifts his glasses and slides them into his thick, dark hair without looking at me. “How do I check in, then?”
“It’s real simple around here. I’m the owner’s son, and I’m checking you in.”
After what feels like a lifetime, he lifts his gaze to mine, and I’m struck by the absolute… nothingness I see in his eyes. They’re a crystal blue, bright and brilliant, and completely at odds with how dark his eyelashes are. Or maybe it’s the circles underneath that make them stand out so much. In the photos I saw of him, you couldn’t see his eyes at all for all the swelling.
“You alright?” I ask. “Sick?” Now why would I ask that?
He blinks at me a couple of times. “No. Just exhausted. It was a long drive.”
