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I chuckle. “To be honest, I didn’t think about that part of things. Mostly just thinking about the kid part of it.”
“What brought that up?”
Miranda Boxer is my closest friend at work, but it’s hard. With our lives constantly at risk, it’s hard to get close to anyone. But I know I can trust her. Unlike some of the guys, she’s no gossip. “I need you to swear what I tell you won’t leave our tent.”
She smiles and frowns at me. On anyone else, they’d look confused. But Miranda looks offended. “You know me better than that, Everett. I don’t tell anyone shit.”
“Yeah, I know, it’s just…this is big.”
“And I’ll never tell anyone. It stays here, okay?”
I nod, and my heart races just thinking of telling her. “I’m not even sure where to start—
“You have a kid?”
My mouth drops open. “How…how—
“I’m not stupid, Everett. You said you were thinking about the kid part, and you should know better than to leave your cell in plain view when you’re looking at parenting websites.”
“When—"
“In the gas station when we were fueling up, you were looking at something about five-year-olds and whether they needed car seats. They do, by the way.”
All the wind is out of my sails. “You’ve known since yesterday? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Figured you’d either tell me, which means you need someone to confide in, or you wouldn’t tell me, which means you’re way too freaked out. Considering the fact that until now, you’ve always talked about how you picked the right career for a child-free person, I’m guessing you’re both way too freaked outandyou need someone to confide in. But the problem with you picking me for your confidence is, I ain’t a parent. Never gonna be one, either. In fact, the only reason I know the car seat thing is my niece and nephew, and how bad my brother freaked out when I had his kids in my car with lap belts only.” She shrugs. “I didn’t know.”
“I think that makes you the exact right person to talk to. Imagine if someone accidentally told you that you had a five-year-old.”
She laughs. “Uh, considering the plumbing involved, thatwouldbe one hell of a surprise.”
“Okay, imagine you’re a guy and—"
“No, no, I’m just teasing. Relax, Everett. I can take this seriously.” She nibbles her sandwich in silence. “Well, I think I’d freak the hell out. Followed by a few rough nights of drinking. Then I’d go see my kid. And by the look on your face, I’m guessing that is not at all what you did.”
“I came here.”
She stares for a moment, before cackling sharpness at me. “You ran away from home?”
I huff a laugh and shake my head. “No. I’m at work.”
“You fucking ran away from home! Everett, I’ve seen you run into fires no one should have, and lesser people wouldn’t have walked away from. But a five-year-old sends you headlong into a fire? Really?”
The urge to pout and defend myself grinds against me. “I didn’t run away. Came here for the peace of it. Clear my head. That kind of thing.”
“Ah. So my nights of rough drinking are your massive fire in Maine?”
“Something like that.”
She nods. “Okay. I get that. Still sounds like running away, though. Are you sure your kid won’t see it like that?”
“I don’t think he knows anything about me yet. His mom hasn’t…I haven’t met him.”
“Oh. I’m guessing he’s back home?”
“Yeah.” I take a breath to calm myself. “Almost six years ago, I had a one-night stand with the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. Still haven’t met anyone who could hold a candle to her. But it was right before I left for traveling, and I didn’t want my parents to find out I was leaving to travel instead of finishing college, so I gave her my middle name instead of my first, just in case. My parents are well-connected, but I don’t know everyone they know, so it just seemed safer to prevent them from stopping me from leaving the country.” Another breath for courage. “We didn’t exchange last names or numbers. We went into the night with our eyes open about everything. I used a condom. It was…all the things you’re supposed to do for a one-night stand, Miranda.”
“Even when you do everything right, things can go wrong. How many times have we seen that with a campfire someone poured water on and thought they put it out?”
