AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That’s it. One word. Wow. He really doesn't talk.
“You going to be out here long, Mrs. Winston? I’ll make sure I stay due east.”
“Not real sure, to be honest.” Her eyes dart back and forth between us. Even though I’m standing tucked into Jacob’s side, I feel like the odd man out of a conversation I’m not really understanding.
“I’ll keep an eye out.” She gives him a nod, then points at me. “Keep him out of trouble. Men always get themselves in a mess over a pretty girl like you.” I think that might be one of the backhanded compliments my mom's sister is great at. “By mess, I mean wind up dead.”
“Don’t mind her. She likes to play the grumpy old woman part.”
Mrs. Winston shrugs. “I took theatre in the seventh grade, I’ll have you know.Arsenic and Old Lace. I was the love interest, naturally.”
“In 1927,” Jacob throws back. I hit his chest.
Mrs. Winston just throws her head back and laughs. A roller falls out of her hair. I bend down and pick it up for her.
“Thanks. Like I said. My eyes are open. I’ll let you know if I see anything.” She turns and tramps off through the trees.
“She’s strange,” I whisper.
“I’m old, not deaf,” she calls.
I throw my hand over my mouth and look up at Jacob. He smirks. It’s not a laugh, but it’s close.
I’ll take it.
11
JACOB
“Her family’s lived out here just as long as mine. I let her hunt on my land when I’m not here, so that’s pretty much all the time.” I keep trudging ahead through the undergrowth until I find a suitable spot to set a sapling trap.
“She’s different, but I can tell she’s nice.” Margaret drops down to her haunches and watches as I loop the trap and tether the bent sapling to the ground to create a snare. I place some leafy greens we found along the way into the loop to lure rabbits, raccoons, even squirrels.
“Are we going to hunt for deer?” she asks, a hint of worry in her voice.
“Not now. Those shots scared off anything big, but we can try again tomorrow.” I loop around the cabin setting traps, and Margaret watches my every move.
“What happens if the sapling breaks?”
“The quarry gets away. If there’s no tension, my wire will fall off and they’ll live to fight another day.”
“Oh. Where did you learn to do this?”
“My father. He lived for the outdoor life. My cousins and I used to spend summers here together.”
“Are you still close with them?”
“One of them. But he’s an asshole most of the time.” And the main reason I have to work for Mr. Baines. But I can’t talk about that. I won’t. Thinking about it and the deal I made with Mr. Baines--that I’ve now blown--isn’t something I can deal with right now. So I push it away.
“Do you?” She looks at me with those inquisitive eyes.
“Do I what?”
“Live for the outdoors?”
I don’t want to answer. I feel like I’ve spoken more words to her in the past day than I have to anyone in the past decade. But if I keep talking, I’ll eventually give her too much truth about me, and she’ll run. As she should.
“You always seemed so polished in the office,” she continues. “Your suits, the way you were so put together. All the men who came to see Mr. Baines were wealthy. You were like them in some ways, but not every way.” Her cheeks heat. “I mean, you just seemed more …”
