“I think so,” I say honestly.
“Yeah, yeah me too.” She grunts like she’s moving something heavy. “I’ll see you on the flip side, Big Guy.”
The phone goes dead on the other end, and I know that’s all the information I’m going to get.
“Miss Jenny, I think we’re going to have to take our pie to go,” I tell her.
She stares at the phone in my hand before jumping into action. “I, um, this is a special pie plate, so don’t break it.”
“Jenny, we don’t need to take it with us,” Raffe says, watching as Dirk makes a beeline for the door.
She shoves it into his chest. “Please take the pie. I’ll get the plate from you later.”
This makes him smile wide. He leans over and kisses her cheek gently. “I’ll take good care of it until then.”
She nods and then turns to me. “Please tell Lily I love her.”
I step forward and give her a hug. “I’ll do that.”
When I try to pull away, her grip on me tightens. “Lily can never know,” she whispers before leaning away slowly.
My eyes meet hers, and I feel a tug on my heartstrings. I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about, but it feels like I’m making a pact with her. Whatever surprise Jesse has in store for me is yet another secret.
I nod, because I know what this woman is willing to give up to protect those she loves. Her son, her life … her soulmate.
Raffe pulls her away from me. “Come with us,” he begins to beg in a last-ditch effort.
Her brows pull together, and a painful look spreads across her beautiful features. “I … I can’t.”
I place my hand on his shoulder. “All in good time, brother. You’ll find a way home, won’t you?”
She blinks at me, unable to answer as tears spill over the apples of her cheeks.
Raffe’s head falls, and I can see he’s worried it’s too late for her. I’m not sure if he’s right or wrong. All I know is she’s isolated herself up here for a long time. The world outside probably looks like one hell of a scary place. She knows what evil lies beyond that gate out front. She’s lived it.
“I’ll see you soon,” she whispers.
When we get in the truck, the tension in the cab is off the charts.
“Where the fuck is she?” Dirk asks the minute we pull onto the road.
“She said she had a surprise for me … at the shed.”
He punches the steering wheel. “I hope she’s enjoying herself, because I might just build me one of those little rooms JD had in his basement.”
Raffe and I both make a noise of amusement. There’s no keeping Jesse down. He’s delusional.
“What do you think it is?” Raffe asks me.
“I don’t know. This whole fucking thing is weird. I don’t know what I have to do with any of this.”
“Well, you married Jenny’s friend, her son’s sister, so maybe you have more to do with this than you think.”
“She said it was something I’ve always wanted.” I rub my temples, wracking my brain for what it might be. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“If she’s at the shed, it’s a someone, not a something,” Dirk says dryly.
The three of us get quiet again because fuck, he’s right.
