“Firefighter and EMT.”
“Both?” I guess it explains his build. Wide. Broad. Strong.
“Small town,” he says as Paige bounds out the back door, telling me to bend. “You don’t have to let her do this.”
“Being someone’s doll is what I do best.” I don’t mention that I prefer the dress-up kind above the rag doll. I hold very still while Paige ever so gently places two small bandages over the fading bruises. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be here tomorrow too, if you need new ones,” she tells me. “If you need more after that, just ask my dad. He knows where they’re at.”
“Okay, I’ll remember that.”
“Thank you for letting me get dirt, Lulu.”
“You’re welcome,” I tell her, and she waves before she goes into her greenhouse.
“Lulu?”
“She’s hard to say no to,” I say, shrugging with a small smile.
“Don’t I fucking know it. Remember to text if you need anything,” he says, pointing at my hand.
I nod and head back to my side of the fence, proud of myself for having a normal interaction with other humans.
Juliet told me the Pacific Northwest was a good place to heal, that the rain is cleansing, and the land grounding. She didn’t mention the people specifically, but maybe they’re why this place is special. If this town is full of Grady and Paige Steele types, people who don’t pry but offer what they have, maybe Juliet is right. Maybe I’ll get my feet back under me here.
From there, who knows. One step at a time is about all I can handle right now anyway.
Four
Grady
“Trust dies but mistrust blossoms.”
Sophocles
“That’s bullshit, Tom. You know that.”
“Grady, I agree. But you are the one who decided to move back to Stowaway,” he says.
“Well, yeah, because it’s a hell of a lot less expensive than Portland. Now that I’m paying child support and all the bills by myself, that matters.”
“I know, but in the eyes of the court, they won’t necessarily see it the same way.”
“Will the court take into consideration that the marriage ended because of Brenda’s infidelity?”
“Probably not, since the divorce has been final for years.”
“She already agreed. Does that matter?”
“Some,” he says, but it doesn’t give me hope. “I’ll do everything I can to get you more time, Grady. I promise.”
“Thanks, Tom.” I hang up. Before I let my anger grow, I yell one single word at the raging ocean on the horizon in front of me. “Fuck!”
Seconds later, I hear the back door of the Jackson house shut loudly.
Damnit.
I’ve been at the station the past two days, since dropping Paige back at her mother’s house. I haven’t seen Lou since Paige needed dirt, but she did send a text that said the honey was helping. It felt like we were making some progress, a small step toward her realizing that not everyone in the world wished her harm. The last thing I want is to scare her back into her hole because I can’t control my frustration.
