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The situation made both of us feel helpless.
Once we got to the creek, we dismounted and let the horses drink. I reached for Otto’s hand and pulled him over to sit with me under the tree the way we’d done when we were younger.
“Talk to me, baby,” I begged. “I hate it when you’re stressed like this.”
“I’m fine,” he lied, trying to give me a shitty fake smile. I rolled my eyes.
“You’re a fucking liar is what you are. Try again.”
“Seth, you already know what I’m stressed about. Hell, at this point, part of me wants to cop to the damned fires just so we can move on from this. Plea down the jail stint and start serving my couple of years.”
The idea of him pleading guilty to a crime he didn’t commit made my blood boil.
“That’s not happening, so shut your mouth right now,” I told him. “And fuck you for even thinking about leaving me when I just goddamned got you back.”
He blew out a breath and leaned into me, laying his head on my shoulder and clasping my hand in his. “You know I’m not going to do something that stupid. If nothing else, I wouldn’t be able to be a firefighter anymore if I plead guilty to arson. Kinda sure that’s a deal-breaker right there.”
I snorted. “I think you might be right.”
“Let’s change the subject. Tell me how things are going with Tisha and Jolie. How’s Jolie adapting to working full-time?”
“Good, I think. I had dinner with them while you were gone. Jolie seems happy. I think having a job outside the home has made her more confident. I can tell she enjoys dressing professionally and being around people all day. I mean, I think it’s tiring too, but overall it seems like it’s been good for her.”
“And Tish?”
I felt my cheeks tighten in a grin when I thought about her sweet face and plucky personality. “She’s having a ball. Spending tons of time with Cody and Eliza. Beth’s taken them to the pool a bunch this summer already, and John’s been a lifesaver in making sure they always have dinner together as a family even if Jolie and I get caught up with work. If it wasn’t for that kind of stability in my family, I wouldn’t feel as okay about the divorce, you know? But my family’s really come through for Jolie and me with Tisha. As much as they seem to be upset about the split and about me being with you… they’ve proven they’re committed to Tisha at least. And that means the world to me. I think even my parents might come around to accept me and you, if you can believe it.”
Something strange came over his face for a brief moment before he smiled at me and straightened up. “That’s great, Walker. I’m really glad things are working out with them.”
“It’s about time. After losing Ross, and then John going into a tailspin of depression, I thought my family was going to be struggling for a long time. But now that we’re all settled together here in Hobie… it’s really starting to feel like a fresh start. Like it’s finally our turn to have an easy time of it.”
I didn’t tell him about overhearing John and Beth’s conversation about Otto’s parents’ house. There was no way I could bear to see the expression on his face when he learned that there were people, my own fucking brother included, out there who were hoping to profit off of his family’s misfortune.
Otto fell quickly back into his silent self, claiming a sudden headache and the desire to head back. When we brushed and fed the horses, he turned to me and said something that both surprised me and planted the first seed of doubt I’d ever had for him.
“I’m afraid I’m not feeling well, Walker. Would you mind if I just went home alone tonight?”
He left me standing in the yard in front of the barn staring after him as his jean-clad ass moseyed on home without me to his cabin. I stared after him like it was some kind of joke, too stunned to say a word.
First, he hadn’t let me into his cabin, and then, he hadn’t wanted me to stay the night. What exactly was he trying to keep me at arm’s length for?
Or was he actually hiding something and the Otto Wilde I thought I’d known my whole life truly had changed in the ten years we’d been apart?
Chapter 32
Otto
Otto,
I still can’t believe it. The powers that be in Hobie have offered me the interim sheriff’s position. Supposedly the last guy left amidst scandal, and they’re desperate for someone Hobie locals know and trust, someone with ties to the community. Here and I never thought I’d see the day my family’s ancient Hobie legacy ended up coming in handy. They said it’s mine if I want it, so I said yes.
