Alex’s eyes snap to mine so fast, I’m confident he’s dizzy. “Regan is pregnant?”
The disappointment that blazes through his eyes when I stammer out, “Not as far as I’m aware,” cuts like a knife, so I give him some hope to cling to. “But she is exhibiting symptoms that she could be.” He listens intently like I’m disclosing the meaning of life when I add, “Her moods are like a rollercoaster. She’s eating more than usual, and I don’t know about you, but I swear her cup size has increased the past couple of weeks.”
Alex peers down at his palm, curls his fingers like he’s groping something, then shoots his eyes to Regan’s chest. “You’re right. Her tits are bigger.”
I roll my eyes at his typical male response. Of course, he’d focus on my breast reference first.
My eyes only get halfway around when Alex suddenly leaps to his feet, yanks his phone out of his pocket, and asks Siri, “I need a drug store close to my location.” He cups his phone, makes a gesture for me to keep our conversation between us, then hightails it to the kitchen. “I don’t care how far away they are as long as they can deliver. I need a…”
I jump out of my bones when Regan mutters in my ear, “What’s he ordering?” She snuck up on me so agilely, I didn’t hear her steps.
“Umm… dinner.” Not the best response for four o’clock in the afternoon, but it is better than telling her I dropped her into a steamy pile of poo with the hope it will keep Alex and her occupied long enough I can have JR all to myself for the rest of the afternoon. “With the blizzard, you have to order super early.”
I begin to wonder if my ruse is a ruse when Regan’s eyes pop out of her head. “Make sure you order a creamy pasta,” she shouts before racing Alex’s way. “I’ve been craving carbs all day.”
She darts through the swinging door a second before JR is stopped in front of me by an officer with kind eyes yet stern features. “This is an emergency beacon. If at any time you need us, pull on this tab.” He references the tab he mentioned, blind to my silent assurance that I don’t need an emergency necklace. “Local agents will be on the scene within minutes.”
Despite my heart begging otherwise, I accept the device the agent is handing me before scribbling my name across a custody release form with JR’s real name typed across the top. “You can remove his cuffs. He won’t need them.”
“Are you sure?”
I let my slitted eyes answer on my behalf.
He holds his hands out in front of himself like my glare is more maiming than a bullet. “Okay.”
For the first time today, JR is treated like a human. Not only does the officer face him to announce he is bobbing down to remove the shackles from his ankles, but he also signs his movements.
“My sister was deaf,” he declares to my shocked expression.
“Was?”
While stabbing a key into the lock between JR’s ankles, he jerks up his chin. “She died a couple of years back.” He drifts his eyes to the woodland surrounding the cabin. “She loved these woods so much, when times got tough, she vanished in them.”
I lock my eyes with JR when the officer’s voice cracks at the end of his statement. His facial expression gives nothing away, but his hands do. “These woods don’t hide anyone. They teach them how to survive.”
Since I agree with him, I nod. Nothing I said to the judge today came from my heart. I merely used any tactic I could to give JR the chance to see his beloved woods again.
When I sign that to JR, he shifts his eyes away from my hands before asking the officer if he’s free to go.
“Your room is third on the left,” I advise, sighing when I almost sign ‘our.’
This cabin only has two rooms, but JR’s silence the past hour has made it obvious he’s not interested in sharing the same bed with me, much less the same air.
After showing the officer out and testing the durability of the locks on the doors and windows, I skirt past the kitchen to let Alex and Regan know that I’m going to get JR settled in before coming to assist in preparing dinner.
Regan looks a little lost, but Alex is quick off the mark when it comes to defusing her. “She means to set it out, not cook it. Stop being so pedantic, Rae.”
“I’ll show youpedantic, Mr. Fancy Pants,” she bites back while following him into the den.
Once I’ve breathed out my nerves, I bang on the door of JR’s room with enough force to knock it down. I need him to feel the vibrations since he can’t hear them.
When he fails to acknowledge my request for entry, I curl my hand over the circular doorknob and turn. I’m not surprised to hear running water. JR is obsessed with showering. I’m unaware if it is a new obsession or if it’s something he’s always loved. We’ve yet to discuss matters not pertaining to cheating spouses, murderous families, and crooked men.
I can only hope that day arrives sometime soon.
I’ve unpacked half the clothes Isaac had Catherine pack for JR and me into the walk-in closet and drawers when the shower faucet switches off. Half of me wants to hide away from my problems, but the other half is dying to get them out of the way so we can move on to more pressing matters than JR’s wrongful belief I am ashamed of him.
I go for the latter when my inability to make a decision is overtaken by the creak of the bathroom door being pried open. After another big exhale, I spin to face JR. “There are clothes for you in the closet. I didn’t know if you free ball out of choice or not, so I asked Catherine to pack you a range of underwear. You don’t have to wear them if you don’t want. I just want you to feel comfortable.”
