Page 11 of Smitty

“You need therapy.” I reached over and took Anslee from his arms. “What do you think, sis? Does Ryan need some therapy?”

“Hm-hmm.”

“Yep, that’s what I thought.”

I let out a little yawn, which, of course, he didn’t miss. “Okay, enough of you two ganging up on me. You get in there and prop your feet up while I finish dinner.”

“I can help.”

“Noodles are a job for one.” He laughed. “Now, go.”

“Okay, but I’ve got dinner covered tomorrow.”

“Deal.”

I took Anslee into the living room, and we piled up on the sofa. She started toying with my hair, and it was all I could do to keep myself from falling asleep. The only thing keeping me going was Anslee’s babbling and my growling stomach.

Half an hour later, Ryan called us into the kitchen, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that he’d made salmon to go along with our noodles. We made our plates, and he made his way into the living room, while I hung back with Anslee in the kitchen.

I fed her the noodles, but she was having no part of the salmon. I did manage to get her to eat a handful of peas and a couple of bites of an apple. And with all her little phases, I considered that a win.

I finished with the dishes, then took out my phone and pulled up my Venmo. Once I’d sent Ryan what I owed him, I picked up Anslee and made my way into the living room where I announced, “Hey, I just sent this month’s rent and my half of the bills.”

“Okay, thanks.” His brows furrowed. “But they aren’t due until next week.”

“I didn’t want to forget.”

“You’re trying to be an overachiever.”

“I don’t have to try.”

“You’re such a pain.”

“Yep, and you’re stuck with me… You know, cause I just paid rent,” I smirked.

“Yeah, I got it.” He shook his head. “It’s not funny, but I got it.”

Bath time came and went, and then, I rocked her and told her a story. And then, I told her another. She gave it a good fight, but eventually, she dozed off. I slipped her into her crib and ran my hand over her sweet little head. “I love you, precious girl.”

I watched her for a moment, and something about the way she nestled into her bed made my chest tighten. Maybe it was the curve of her mouth or the way her brows furrowed when she sighed, but there was something about her expression that seemed all too familiar.

It was an expression I hadn’t allowed myself to think about in a very long time, but the memory surfaced before I could stop it. I immediately shoved it away, not allowing myself to go back there. There was no point.

Not anymore.

Life had moved on. I had moved on.

Besides, things were good. I had a career I loved, a daughter who filled every corner of my heart, and I had Ryan. Together, we’d made a home. While it wasn’t your typical arrangement, I had everything I’d wanted. At least, that’s what I told myself at moments like these.

They were coming less and less often.

I figured it was a good thing, but there was a part of me, one that gnawed at me in the thick of the night, that made me wonder if I was wrong. But that was a thought for another day. Tomorrow would come early. And tonight, I was too tired to think about ghosts.

3

SMITTY

Idon’t know how long I’d been waiting out in Goose’s truck, but it had been too damn long for me not to realize where I was. I’d spent years working across the street at Cyrus’s Oil and Brake. I’d just been too busy wanting to strangle Goose to even notice.