Page 27 of High Water

“That winter when your sister was home from school, your dad and your uncle got into a fight one night. They were arguing at the ranch house, and then your uncle took off on horseback through the snow. Your dad nearly crashed into me in the stables on his way to chase after him. He yelled at me to saddle up and go with him. I don’t know why he wanted me with him—maybe to watch the horses. I followed him out though. All the way up here through the snow and the cold.

“When we got here, Creighton was already inside the homestead. He was rifling through the things stored inside. Looking for something. Kip went storming in after him. They were arguing again while I tied the horses up, and before I could even finish, there was a loud shout. Creighton came busting out of the door with what looked like a massive knife in his hand. I can’t forget the way it gleamed in the moonlight. Between the bright moon and the bounce of light off the snow, it practically glowed. Minus the blood dripping down it.

“Kip came stumbling out, holding his arm, and yelled at me to go after Creighton and get the sword back. Creighton was already jumping on the back of his horse and taking off like a bat out of hell. I could barely believe my fucking eyes. I still question, every time I think about it… whether I really saw what I saw that night or if it was all a nightmare.” I take a deep breath, looking at Levi to make sure he’s still listening. His gaze is riveted, and his shoulders are squared as he waits for me to continue.

“Seeing Kip bleeding like that, the sword bloody. I assumed Creighton had tried to kill him. So I did what Kip asked. I chased him down. Downhill through the snow. There were huge banks of it where the snow had created massive drift walls, and he was trying to dodge them. But he kept looking back at me, watching me gain on him, and he took his eye off the path too long. He jerked the reins in a panicked moment, and the horse lost its footing. He threw Creighton, and both of them came crashing down into the snow.

“I held my breath the whole rest of the ride down. Praying that neither of them had gotten seriously hurt. Hoping that the snow had broken the worst of the fall, but…” I shake my head and close my eyes. I can still see the blood seeping out onto the snow that night, spreading like a warm red river and melting into the surface. The stark splash of it across the fresh white powder from the night before.

“Creighton had hit his head on a large boulder that was jutting out from one of the drifts. Cracked his skull open. When I got down on my knees to see what I could do to help, I saw his eyes were wide open. Pupils blown. Jaw slack. Not even a wisp of breath came from his mouth…

“The sword was lying there in the snow with him, and miraculously, the horse was fine. More than a little unnerved but otherwise fine. Your dad made it down to me a few minutes later. His arm was wrapped, and he was riding one-handed. I warned him off. Told him he didn’t want to see, but he wouldn’t listen. I’ll never forget the way he sobbed when he saw his brother. I’d never seen Kip so much as drop a tear, and this was just heart-wrenching.

“After a few minutes, he pulled himself together though. It was like a switch flipped, and he realized that we had bigger problems. He had me take the sword. Told me to find a place to hide it, and to go straight home after. Not to come back through this way. He was gonna ride for help for Creighton after I got a head start. But he swore me to secrecy. He told me I was never there. I never went out to the homestead with him. Never saw Creighton. That instead, I went out for a nighttime ride, saw the two horses were gone, and assumed they’d done the same.

“It wasn’t implausible. We’d all done it. Even in the winter. Your dad, especially when he was restless over something. But I hated lying. I argued with him that we could just get help and tell the truth. We could explain that Creighton was the one who stabbed him. That it was all just a freak accident and a misunderstanding.

“He was furious with me. He told me to never mention it. Said it was life or death for all of us, and I needed to never speak a word about the sword or being there that night to anyone. I worried about his wound, and he brushed me off. Told me it was just a flesh wound, and I’d better keep my mouth shut.

“I was fucking shell-shocked. Your dad never talked like that. He never even raised his voice around me, let alone with threats like those. I figured if he was this undone by it, it must be serious. I didn’t know what else to do but listen to him. So I took the sword and my horse, and I took off. I knew a place I’d hidden things as a kid when I was trying to get away from my dad. Money from my grandmother and mom, and other stuff I knew he’d steal if he had the chance. I buried the sword there. Under the snow and dirt. It took me a while to get it buried and then put back to rights. I remember scraping snow and dirt for what felt like forever, cursing the fact that I didn’t even have a proper shovel and, instead, was using a makeshift set of fence repair tools I had in my bag.

“Once I got it covered as well as I could manage, I rode back. Put the horse back in its stall and got into the bunkhouse shower. When I was changed, that’s when all hell was breaking loose. Your dad had called in the accident to the authorities. He told you all that they’d just been out for a late-night ride and the horse had gotten spooked and thrown him. There was plenty of blood in the snow, and the scene was a mess, but it was dark, and they didn’t take many pictures or do much documentation. They believed him. They had no reason not to, I guess. It wasn’t like Creighton or your dad had bad blood between them otherwise. They’d just been celebrating the holidays together, happy as ever.” I turn to look back at Levi, still lost in my memories, and see his hand over his mouth before he runs it through his hair, letting out a long, low breath as he considers my story.

“Holy fuck” is all he manages to say when he finally speaks. “Did he ever say why they were fighting? Give you any sort of insight?”

“Not much. He said the sword was an heirloom. It belonged to your grandfather. That Creighton wanted to sell it, and Kip didn’t. That’s what they were arguing over that night.”

“Fuck. He never mentioned any of this to Grant or me.”

“I don’t suppose he would. Given the threats he made, it seemed pretty clear he didn’t want any of you finding out. I think he was worried I’d tell you or Aspen someday. I wanted to. I might have if I’d stuck around.”

“And that’s why you left.” Levi puts the puzzle pieces together.

I nod.

“I couldn’t live with it. The lie was eating away at me. Not telling you the truth. Not telling Aspen. I was so fucking in love with your sister that I couldn’t see straight for wanting her. And that winter… I thought we had something real. I thought there was a real chance for us since she and Ethan seemed like they were done. I was hoping she would choose me. It wasn’t going to be the life she had planned, but I would have done my best to make her happy.

“But how could I let her choose us and then lie to her about her own father? About her uncle? About a crime I participated in? It was a big fucking secret to keep before we even got to all the questions I had about why it happened in the first place. Ones I didn’t expect your father was ever going to answer. I couldn’t betray your dad either. Not after everything he did for me. He saved my life when he didn’t have to. If he hadn’t taken me in, I don’t know how many more nights of my dad I would have survived. How could I take that and not give him the loyalty he deserved in return? And it wouldn’t have just been me and him with that secret then. You all would’ve had to keep it too. The resentment, the hate, the questions… It would have ruined your relationships with him. With me. How could you or Aspen ever trust me if I’d betrayed the man who kept me safe and fed all those years?”

“Jesus. I’m so fucking sorry, Bishop. I…” Levi’s at a loss for words, and frankly, so am I. I’ve used them all to confess the thing I thought I’d take to my grave. By the look on Levi’s face, I wonder if I might have made a mistake by not doing just that.

“I didn’t want to tell you even now. I considered not coming back again. But Fallon… Fallon changes everything for me. I want to know my daughter. I need to know her. I want to be there for her and Aspen, especially now that they’re on their own together. Maybe that’s fucking selfish of me, but⁠—”

“No. Don’t even think it.” He shakes his head vehemently. “Whatever the fallout is from this, I’m glad you told me. We’ve been trying to piece this puzzle together for so many years, ever since he died, and it always felt like some huge piece was missing. He was so cagey before his death. I could tell he was hiding something. But he wouldn’t share it. Now I know why.” Levi gives me a sympathetic look that turns pained. I’m just grateful he doesn’t blame me.

“I won’t lie and say my daughter wasn’t my first concern. But I’m worried for you too. I don’t know what the consequences are for Zephyrine and your family if you don’t solve this for whoever’s looking for it. I didn’t want to keep something from you that could’ve helped. I just hate that I had to share this with you in the process. Especially with your dad gone. It feels like I’m talking ill of the dead, and I don’t mean to be. He was a good man despite it.”

“You’re doing what you have to do. I’d do the same in your shoes. Not an ounce of blame lies at your door for this.” Levi stares out at the horizon, and despite his steady words, I can see how shaken up he is by the revelation. I give him a little space, leaning against the balustrade and staring out at the same view. “I’m not sure of the consequences either. Nothing good. That’s for sure. That’s all this whole fucking thing has been. One bloody fucking surprise after another. Watching this family fall apart and then trying to stitch it back together with half the pieces missing. I wish I could travel back in time to put a stop to all of it. Maybe they’d still be alive.”

“You can’t think like that either. Whatever this was with your family and the governor’s, it’s not on any of you. They’re all decisions that were made long before you even knew how to make one.” I look back at him over my shoulder.

“Fucking hell. I don’t want to have to tell Grant this. It’ll break him.” He scrubs a hand over his mouth in frustration.

“I’m not keen on telling your sister either.” I lean over the railing of the porch, resting on my elbows and letting my hat shield my eyes from the burning sun. “Seeing the look on her face when I tell her something like this about her father. I don’t even know how to stomach it.”

“I can tell them both if you want.”

“No. I have to tell her. She’ll be furious with me, and I worry she’ll never forgive me or let me see Fallon again. I should have told her the second I came back and let the chips fall where they may.”