Page 96 of Rune’s Solace

“Yeah,” I said. “Us.”

Her mouth trembled before she got it under control. “Okay.”

We started with the first one.

I dug while she loosened the roots with her fingers, careful about it because she’d picked up more than she thought from watching me. Around us, the compound started waking up. Somebody fired a bike near the shop. Josie shouted through an open window that whoever had used his good knife and left it dirty was about to lose a finger.

A few yards beyond the fence, Fiona crossed the yard slow with one hand on her belly, Bolt was five feet behind her carrying something she could’ve carried herself and pretending he wasn’t watching every step she took.

Amy followed my eyes. “He’s ridiculous.”

“Yep.”

“It’s cute.”

“Didn’t say that.”

“You thought it.”

“Didn’t.”

She bumped my shoulder.

Brenda came out behind them with a basket of yarn under one arm, already arguing with Lucy about something, and Horse was on the porch watching her.

He did that a lot lately. Less hiding in it too. Brenda noticed.

Hell, everybody noticed.

Didn’t mean either one of them had done anything useful about it yet. Some people need more time than others. I had no room to judge.

“Think they’ll ever figure it out?” Amy asked, following my eyes.

“Who?”

She gave me a look.

“Probably.”

“When?”

“Could be Today. Could be fifteen years.”

“That’s encouraging.”

“Talking about Horse.”

“Fair.”

I went back to the hole.

There were other things moving around the club too. Gearhead had gone strange the week Chain’s little sister Briar came through the gate with Ash by the hand. Most people would’ve missed it. I didn’t. Gearhead had watched that woman like a man watching a road he’d once decided not to take, and Briar had looked everywhere except at him.

Hadn’t asked.

Wasn’t my business.

For once, I’d learned that lesson before doing any damage.