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She nodded. “I’ll understand if you can’t work with me.”
Bennett gazed over the fence toward the deep canyons of the valley where the creek turned to white water. She couldn’t see what he did, but her own vision loomed in front of her, a mirage in the heat of the late afternoon.
She and Bennett had been smooth like the meandering water by the house but somewhere along the line, unforeseen obstacles had turned their calm voyage tumultuous.
“It’s better than working against you, Maggie.” He cleared his throat and turned back to her. The force of his gaze pinned to hers was stronger than the sun on her bare shoulders and just as likely to burn her. “How’s it been since you’ve been back? Run into anyone?”
She knew he meant from Deer Creek High, but she nodded anyway. “Your mother, for one. And all the gossip queens that hang out at Mae’s.”
He chuckled and donned a leather glove to pick up the damaged razor wire with. “Yeah, they’re more dangerous than a pack of wolves out here, and just as easily spooked by newcomers.”
“Your mother was nice, though.”
“You expected otherwise? You might’ve left me high and dry, but in her eyes you couldn’t do wrong.”
“What do you mean, I left you high and dry? You—”
“Can we not?” Bennett hung his head. Sweat traced the outline of his muscular shoulders on the tight black fabric of his T-shirt. “I’m just here to help, not to hash up old wounds.”
“Sorry.” But how could they separate the wounds from the person who had caused them?
“Mitch told me he stopped by. Brought you a King Ranch chicken casserole, did he? You know his wife’s won awards three years running at the state fair with that dish. You’re lucky to have been one of the few who get to try it.”
Maggie worried the corner of her bottom lip. “He told me about my dad paying for my school.” Guilt rose up like bile.
“You didn’t know? Carl never acted like it was a secret.”
That had confused Maggie, too. “Maybe he didn’t think I’d ever find out. Mitch also told me how you and he tried to help, but my dad wouldn’t let you. I think pride might’ve been my dad’s greatest weakness. Thinking he could keep me from becoming him was the second.”
“Do you have any regrets?” Bennett asked.
A few floated to the surface, but nothing she cared to share.
“I mean, with what happened with your education?”
“I don’t think so. And even if I did, it’s in the past. Reliving it won’t do me any good. What’s done is done.” She stopped lining up the wire when she felt him stop beside her.
“It’s that easy for you to move on from… everything?”
What could she say that wouldn’t open up the very thing he wanted to keep locked tight?
“It has to be. Life hasn’t given me many other options.”
His eyes searched hers. “We’re done here.”
She wanted to tell him that yes, they were, until she looked down at the three panels. The repairs were not only done but seamless.
“Hmmm. Thanks. We make a good pair.”
“Looks like with the new contract for Steel Born, we will be again.”
“You’re going to honor that? I thought now that you knew I was at the helm—”
“What? I’d bail because we broke up when we were kids? I’m better than that, Maggie.”
“Sorry, I know. But it’s hard to know the right thing to say or do around you. It’s been so long.”
Bennett handed her the staple gun and heaved two wreaths of wire, one on each arm, to the bed of his truck. “It has. Hop in and we’ll knock the other two out.”
