He laughs weakly.
“You threatening me?”
I hold his stare.
“Depends,” I say.
“On what?”Mike asks.
“On whether you keep being stupid.”
Silence stretches.
Then he scoffs and straightens his jacket like he didn’t just get verbally dismantled in front of half the mill.
“Whatever,” he mutters.“This isn’t over.”
“Sure it isn’t,” I reply easily.
He moves toward the door.
Fast.
Like he suddenly remembered he has somewhere else to be.
The door swings shut behind him.
Only then do I turn.
And Kelly is standing exactly where I left her.
One hand in mine, the other braced on the table.
Eyes wide.
Like a deer caught in headlights.
I pull her toward me slowly.
“Honey,” I say gently, the anger already bleeding out of my voice, “you okay?”
Chapter31
Kelly
My heart is racing so hard I can hear it in my ears.
The Lunchroom still smells like coffee and fresh muffins and sawdust drifting in from the yard.Outside the big front windows, I can see the stacks of timber lined up neat and proud, the mountains of Woodhaven rising behind them like they’ve stood watch over my entire life.
This place.
The mill.
The mountain air.
The sound of trucks rumbling over gravel and the steady hum of machinery cutting through pine.
It’s home.
