Page 34 of Beyond the Hedge Maze

A chill ran down Jesse’s spine. “No. No more silverware.”

Chapter 16

Jesse

Present

The Chapman Estate sat on over a thousand sprawling acres of land, which meant that Jesse had his pick of rolling hills, wheat fields, or even shady forestry when it came to choosing a running spot. It took him a few days to find the route he liked best, and like most former athletes, Jesse was a creature of routine and habit. Once he found what worked for him, he preferred to stick to what he knew.

Each morning over the past three weeks, he’d taken the same path from the front door, back around the house to the lake. He’d jog the perimeter of the water, move through the gardens, and eventually end up at the hedge maze.

He hadn’t worked up the courage to go inside. It didn’t feel right.

Not without Oliver.

Dua Lipa was cut off mid-sentence as his phone began to ring. It was maddening how his father always knew when he was on a run. He stopped and plopped down near the lake. Out of breath, he answered the call. “Hello?”

“Were you running?”

Obviously. Jesse took a deep breath through his nose. “Yes.”

“That’s good. It’s good to stay in shape.”

Jesse pulled the phone away from his face and inspected the screen. It sounded like his father, but he needed to check, just to confirm. Good wasn’t a word he typically heard from him, at least not when it pertained to Jesse.

“Uh, yeah.” Jesse put his phone on speaker and set it on the grass beside him. He reached for his foot to stretch his hamstring. “What’s going on?”

“How is Lord Catesby?” His hand fell, slapping against the top of his shin. Why was his father asking about Oliver? “I got a call from Arthur.”

Fuck.

It was another moment that was too good to be true. He stood, needing to keep his feet moving. It’d be easier to take whatever criticism was coming his way if he wasn’t stationary.

“Oliver is fine.” He took another steadying breath. “What did Arthur want?”

Jesse had been sending progress reports back to the home office every few days. The responses he’d gotten back from Simon had sounded positive, but now he was second guessing himself. He had felt so good about the work he had been doing at Chapman House, with Oliver, but of course, he was coming up short. Of course, his father would have something to say.

“He called to tell me he’s been impressed with your progress so far. He says your reports have been detailed and thoughtful. He said that Simon called Oliver to check in, and he only had good things to say. It sounds like you’re doing a great job.”

Jesse stopped in his tracks. He had been burned by hope before. “You called to tell me I was doing a good job? There’s nothing else you want to tell me?”

“That’s why I called. I’m happy to hear that you’re finding your footing. Keep up the good work.”

Keep up the good work.

“Uh, okay. Thanks, I will.”

“I’ll call you soon so we can iron out my trip for your birthday, okay? Bye, son.”

“Yeah, okay. Bye.”

He hung up the phone and stared at the screen, confused and slightly concerned that his father had been body swapped by aliens. But he couldn’t help but recognize the lightness alongside it. He had been doing good work at Chapman House.

A smile pulled at the corners of his lips, his confidence bolstered—it had been the best conversation they’d had in a long time.

Jesse resumed his jog, slowing down to a brisk walk when the back entrance to the kitchens came into view. He wiped his brow on the sleeve of his light blue Cambridge Rowing Club sweatshirt and caught his breath, his mind on the bottle of water he had waiting for him.

Jesse opened the door, and was greeted to the sight of Oliver, sleep rumpled and only beginning his day, standing in front of the refrigerator holding a glass bottle of milk.