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"Well, you've had a lifetime of practice with your emotions," Fitz observes with a droll grin. "This should be a walk in the park for you."
"Yeah. It should."
I laugh, then turn around and start rinsing my plate. My chest tightens, and a little voice in the back of my head chimes in with,And what about Col? This is his job.
I swallow.
Yeah, okay, so I know what I'm about to do isn't strictly speaking cool. I don't like fucking with Col's livelihood, butmylivelihood is on the line here.
And I'm desperate. This is my last-ditch shot to try to save my family's farm.
I pray I can pull this off.
19
Col
"I'm sorry, my love, but Wilby's not home."
I let out a frustrated grunt. Dammit. I drove three freaking hours to get out here. That was after checking at the vet clinic to confirm he wasn't hiding out there.
Why don't I just call him? Or send him a message? An email?
Oh. I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. But Wilby Linfox is missing in action. He hasn't responded to a single text or returned any of my calls, so I thought I'd bite the bullet and pay him a friendly visit at the one place I was sure he'd be.
Except, he's not here.
Unless Polly's deceiving me?
But no. I take her in, standing at the front door, and she's just so grandmotherly with her tiny frame, weathered but kind face, and that dishcloth perpetually flung over her shoulder. Grandmas that look sweet as pie don't lie… Do they?
"I've just made a lemon meringue. You want to stay for a bite?"
"Well, it's been three and a half hours since I've eaten…" Code for I'm famished. "So, yeah. I'd love that."
She waves me in. "Come on, then."
"Hang on a minute," I say as I follow her into the kitchen. "This is a normal pie, right? You haven't laced it with anything. Like, say, arsenic."
She lets out a surprised cackle. "Why on earth would I do that to a perfectly good meringue?"
She gestures to a stool at the breakfast bar, and I sit down. "Don't you hate me as well? Wilby ignoring me for the past two days and forcing me to drive all the way out here where there are no neighbors for miles while you knock me off could all be part of some great master plan the two of you have concocted."
She looks at me for a few beats…then bursts out laughing. It's nowhere near as loud as Wilby's laugh, but something about it reminds me of him. "Heavens. You've got quite the imagination, Col."
She cuts a generous slice of the pie and slides the plate over to me. "Would you like a cuppa?"
"No, thank you. This is fine."
I take a bite and cannot control the moan that escapes me. "I stand corrected," I say when I swallow my first mouthful. "This is more than fine. It tastes amazing."
Polly's eyes twinkle. "Just amazing?"
I chuckle. She's baiting me, and I think I know what she's after. "Fuckingamazing."
She gives a satisfied nod. "Well said, my love. Unlike my grandson, I'm not one to toot my own horn…"
I stop chewing. Oh, wait. Right. She meansboast…not the actual own-horn tooting that I'm certain she has no idea her grandson can do.
