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Jack’s eyes narrow at Sarah. “What do you mean, protecting him?”
“You’ll see what I mean when you get your asses down to the festival.” She looks us both over. “Preferably with pants and a shirt on each of you, instead of you sharing one outfit.”
Jack and I share another brief embarrassed exchange of glances.
“I’m fine with going,” I tell Jack, knowing he’s probably worried that I’m too traumatized to even look at Max Perry again. It’s not a face I want to see in any sense, but I’m not going to cry in front of him either.
“See? She’s on board. I’ll see you both there.”
Jack’s fiancée saunters out of the room as abruptly as she came in.
“Well then,” I say. “We ought to wash up and get dressed. We kinda overslept.”
“You deserve it,” he says. “You needed it. It’s what the other wranglers are for.”
He kisses me on the cheek, and I fight myself not to jump on him right now. As much as I’d enjoy it, I have to say I’m definitely interested in whatever Sarah wants to show us.
10
JACK
The last day of the festival is as lively as the rest of them. People want their last dose of carnival rides and food, a last day of music and dancing, just one final day of fun before the tedium of the day-to-day grind resumes for all of them.
I’m keeping Lily close to me. I haven’t seen Max around, but I’m not taking any chances. I don’t know how desperate he is to combat his perceived slights, and the last thing I need is for him to stroll into this festival with an old hunting rifle and start making threats at people.
The big draw of the final day is to crown a king and queen of the festival. This position is usually reserved for a bunch of high school kids, but it did give an excuse for the whole town to be gathered. Which I believe was Sarah’s intention.
Then I see him.
Max.
It’s barely noon, and he’s already drunk off his gourd. I can tell just by how he’s walking, and the brown paper bag with him suggests that this is only the beginning.
“Stay close,” I repeat to Lily.
“I think if we were any closer, we’d be arrested for public indecency, Jack.”
I grunt, realizing that maybe she's right; I’m nearly crushing her against my side. In my defense, she feels really nice to be held up against.
On the other side of the square from Max is his daughter. Sarah walks up onto the stage, where an open mic awaits, already set up for the MC to come out and start the festival’s closing events.
“Is this thing on?” she says into it, her voice amplified. “Oh, good. That means I don’t have to shout.”
Everyone in the town square turns to her, including her father.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the good town of Greenbluff, I come to you this morning with not the best of news, but news that must be shared. News that is long overdue to be shared.”
There’s murmuring among the crowd. Everyone knows everything that happens in Greenbluff, so the idea of something happening under their noses is a novelty.
“I come to apologize for the many crimes of the Perry ranch, and more specifically, the ones of my father, Maxwell Perry.”
More chattering, but Sarah’s words get the attention of Max, who steps forward to yell at her: “The fuck are you doing, Sarah?”
“Don’t curse in public!” someone scolds him. “There are children here!”
Max grumbles.
“Dad, I can’t let this go on anymore. I’ve given you second chances. Third chances. Fourth chances. All in hopes you’d get your act together. But I’d written you off years ago. I hoped by inheriting the farm, I could just be rid of you. Send you off to drink yourself to death in a tiny apartment, and never really have to do anything about everything I know you’ve done.”
