Page 56 of Forever After Fall

“She’s right,” Anson agrees with me. “Let’s just have them come get him. It’s not worth it. And they’ll have him on watch now that he made an attempt at escaping. He might even try to run when they get here, and we know how that’ll end.” The person talking doesn’t sound like the Anson I’ve known for years, or the one I’ve finally been getting to know better these last few weeks. This version of him is one I’ve never met. Cold. Calculated. Only agreeing with me because he thinks it’s the path of least resistance. Not because it’s the ethical thing to do. The right thing.

My stomach churns as I realize he’s having to convince the rest of the group. Everyone besides Hazel seems skeptical, and I get the impression I’m the only real reason she’s on this side of the discussion. She’s as loyal as I am to my friends, and I’d argue the sky wasn’t blue if it meant holding ground with them when they needed me.

I always knew there were complicated dynamics in the Stockton family. Things people whisper and gossip over in equal measure. I’ve seen enough of it over time to know some of it is real. I just never realized how heavily it bled over into the Briggs family too.

“I’ll call,” Hazel announces, pulling her cell phone out. It’s as much a declaration as it is a request for any last words from everyone. But none of the men argue with her. I watch her call 911 with at least some temporary relief in my gut. Unfortunately, it only lasts until the ambulance and the police are pulling away from the scene a couple of hours later, having taken my statement after my refusal of treatment.

Hazel tries to get me to stay the night. Dakota appears out of the ether and insists I can’t drive, and she’ll drive me herself if she has to until I insist I’m fine and they go home. Marlowe just lets me lean on her shoulder as I try not to cry when the silence finally swallows up the ranch again.

Anson reappears, having given his own statement to the police and then answering to Grant and Ramsey Stockton about their concerns. He approaches us slowly, taking his time walking up the pathway to the porch at the back of the ranch house where I’m sitting with Marlowe. She stands when she sees him draw near.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” Marlowe gives my hand a squeeze.

“Sounds good.” I nod.

“I’ll make some of your favorites, and you can pick them up from Hotcakes. Okay? Let me do that for you.” She gets ahead of me, knowing full well I won’t want her fussing over me, but wanting to be the good friend she is.

“Thank you,” I offer up half a smile before she waves goodnight and heads off home.

“You ready to get out of here?” Anson asks, hands in his pockets as he leans against the railing around the deck.

“I guess I’d better get back to Mom. I don’t want her to be alone much longer.”

“She went over to stay at her friend’s house. Guess she was too creeped out to stay there with the idea of Chris still wandering around. I told her the police had him, but she said they already lost him once. Couldn’t argue with that. Said she’d call you tomorrow.”

I shake my head, heaving a little sigh as I stand up. My mother is nothing if not dramatic. Of course she’d think it’s all right for me, the target of his ire, to be alone. I’m not Fannie or Ford. I don’t need protection. I can do all right all on my own.

I can. Of course I can. But sometimes I wish I didn’t have to. I thought Anson was the answer to that. That he had been all along. I thought we had each other, and now it feels like I don’t know him at all.

My heart aches at the thought of him not being next to me. Especially tonight. But I need time alone. Time to think and sort through all my emotions. Space to figure out how I feel about Anson now that I’ve seen a side of him I never knew existed. I need to decide what I want before I can try to understand how we move forward.

“That’s fine. I could use some time alone.”

“I promised everyone you were staying with me.”

“With Ford there? Aren’t you worried?”

“Chris isn’t gonna get up out of the hospital bed and come find us tonight, whatever your mom thinks. But he’s staying with Bo so I can keep all my focus on you. Promised you’d call him when you got home.”

“That’s considerate of you,” I admit as he holds the door to his truck open and helps me in. It’s sweet of Ford to be worried too.

“I try.”

He rounds the front and hops in the driver’s side, starting the engine as I put my seatbelt on. The cab feels smaller than usual. The air buzzing with the unspoken feelings we desperately need to work through. I stay quiet most of the ride home. I don’t want to distract him from driving, and I wasn’t lying when I said I needed time to think. The ride back to his house isn’t really long enough, but it’ll have to do because when we get inside, I can tell he wants to talk. For better or worse.

“I’m sorry tonight happened. That I missed him coming onto the property and the news. I should have seen it and had time to warn you.” Anson apologizes for things he can’t control.

“You couldn’t have known. I don’t blame you for that.” I shake my head, wrapping my arms around my middle. Anson has become such a safe harbor for me that the idea of arguing with him makes me feel sick. But I can feel it brewing.

“But there’s something you do blame me for?”

“Were you planning to kill him?” I ask bluntly.

“The thought crossed my mind.”

“Pretty easily it seems.”

“I handle a situation however it’ll best protect the people I love. That love doesn’t know limits. Especially when it comes to you.”