“Take. Your hand. Off her.”
He takes his hand off her, butIdon’tlet go of his wrist.
“Sullivan.” Tess’s hand is on my forearm, her voice is low and calm. “Sullivan.”
“In a second.”
“Sullivan, look at me.”
I look at her. She’s not afraid. She’s angry and tired but steady. She squeezes my forearm, not to stop me, but to anchor me.
“Let his wrist go,”she says evenly.“I want to talk to him.”
I let him go.
The man steps back and shakes his hand like he’s getting feeling back into it. His face has turned an unflattering color.
“Marcus,”Tess says politely.“I’mgoing to say this exactly one time. The cabin is not for sale. Not at the original offer, not at the new offer, not at any offer.You’regoing to leaveHollowPeak today.You’renot going to call me.You’renot going to send anyone in your stead. If I see you anywhere near my property line,I’llcall Sheriff Granger, andI’lltell him you put your hand on me without permission in front of a witness. Are we clear?”
“Tess, be reasonable.”
“Are we clear, Marcus?”
A pause. “Crystal.”
He looks at mebriefly,then turns on his Italian heelsand walks back the way he came.
The lumberyard is silent.
Asmy system comes back online,I’maware ofthree other men at the loading dock,leaning on a forklift,watching. One of them is the kid who rang me up this morning.The secondis a guy with a long gray ponytail.The thirdis a guy whose faceI’veseen at the Switchback Café and whose name Ican’tremember.
“We didn’t see anything,”the guy with the ponytail says.
“Marcus who?”the kid adds.
Long-gray-ponytail nods. “Tess, you all right?”
“I’m fine, Reggie.”
“Good. Sullivan, brother, you got that plywood?”
“I got it.”
“Holler if you need help loading.”
That’s all. Three men speaking on behalf of the entire town.
We finish loading and get into the truck. Tess’s hands are shaking slightly on the wheel. She notices that I notice and takes a deep breath.
“Talk to me,”I say.
“I will. In a minute.”
“Take your time.”
“Marcus isan associate of my mother’s.He’sbeen calling me about the cabin since Aunt Rosa died.He doesn’t actually want the land.He wants me to fail.Togohome. He wants me to be the cautionary tale my motherwarned me I would be.”
Her hands tighten on the wheel. “I’ve been ignoring his calls for two months. I didn’t think he would come here.”
