Page 7 of Forever Gone

His shoulders remained square beneath a blue flannel shirt. One foot rested on the stool while the other planted firmly on the rug, as if he expected to struggle to his feet at any moment and challenge the day to do its worst.

His expression brightened.

“Well, there he is. This is a bit early for one of our chess matches.”

Connor set his hat on the table near the door. “I thought I’d check in on you. I haven’t been around for a couple of weeks.”

Robert pointed toward the chair opposite him. “Take a load off.”

Connor sat. The chair’s cushion released a tired breath beneath him.

For a few seconds, Robert said nothing. He had always possessed the kind of patience that made silence feel less like an absence and more like a tool. The years had added lines around his mouth and deepened the creases across his forehead, but the same cantankerous gleam remained in his gaze.

“You always came around once or twice a week before Selena moved back to town,” Robert said.

Connor adjusted his position. “I’ve been busy.”

Robert gave a short laugh. “Doing what? Keeping Roy Tanner and Selma Brown apart?”

The memory returned with unwelcome clarity: Roy beside his truck, Selma raising her handbag like a weapon, both of them prepared to spend a night in jail over damage that did not exist.

“There’s more to petty squabbles than you might think,” Connor said. “One misspoken word and things can get ugly.”

“You picked the wrong line of work if you wanted peaceful mornings.”

Connor rested his forearms on his knees. “Roy and Selma are ready to tear strips off each other over the smallest things. And they say be a good neighbor.”

Robert lifted the newspaper and placed it on the side table. “I’ve known both of them a long time. Neither one likes walking away first.”

“That’s the problem, half the county is like that.”

Connor smiled despite himself. Being around Robert had not always been easy. During Connor and Selena’s marriage, Connor had been a thorn in Robert’s side, and Robert had been a shadow cast over Connor, too. A suffocating shadow that could never see anything but through the eyes of his daughter. Years after the divorce, Connor had attended the scene when Robert had had a bad fall during his illness. After that, Connor would check on him regularly. Those checks became long talks about nothing and games of chess. And slowly but surely, the ice between them had thawed.

As always, the chessboard awaited. Robert had set up the board, no doubt quite ready to complain about Connor taking too long between moves.

Robert folded his hands over his stomach and looked at Connor like a man reading the same book for the sixteenth time.

“Come on, Connor. Tell the truth.”

Connor’s attention shifted toward the rear window. The yard sloped gently to a line of trees along the property boundary. A rusted bird feeder hung from a metal pole near the fence. Two cardinals hopped beneath it, searching through seed husks.

“What truth would that be, Bobby?”

“The one you’re trying hard not to give me. Your excuse for not coming around like you usually do.”

“I’ve been busy. We’ve had calls, paperwork, the usual.”

“You’ve always had those, Connor.”

Connor rubbed his thumb along the edge of his knee. Robert waited.

The older man had never needed to raise his voice to make an evasion uncomfortable.

Connor breathed out.

“It feels strange having her back in the county.”

Robert’s manner changed by a degree. Not softer exactly, but less amused.