CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Carson
I went back up to my room to pack. Then I went back downstairs. I could hear Brett in the kitchen, making lunch. I wanted to talk with him before I left, so I went in.
“Brett?”
“Hey, Grant!” he called cheerfully, using my surname as he had done. “How are you doing?”
“Okay,” I said, sitting down at the table. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Not really,” he said. “The salmon is in the oven, doing what it does. Amelia’s just gone to fetch the parsley from the garden, so…”
“Oh?” I stood. Somehow I didn’t want to come face to face with Amelia right now. The way she had looked through me in the hallway had scared me. Even though I spent the last few days doing my best to try and push her away—making a real hash about it, I had to admit—I hadn’t expected how bad it would be when it really worked.
“What’s up, brother?” Brett asked, looking confused. “Did I say something wrong?”
“N…no,” I stammered. Just then the kitchen door opened. Amelia appeared. With her cheeks red from cold, her hair loose and shiny, cleaning her boots on the doorstep, she was beautiful.
“Brett? Is about a handful enough?”
“Sure,” my friend said obliviously. “Put them at the sink, will you?”
“Okay,” she said. Then she saw me. She looked surprised, then that shutter came down over her eyes again. I winced.
“I should be going, Brett,” I said quickly.
“Okay,” he said, looking suspiciously at me. “But wouldn’t you like…”
At that moment, my phone vibrated. Then rang. I pulled it out of my pocket. Oh, heck. I need to take this call.
“Sorry, Brett,” I said quickly, pressing the answer button. “Hey, sweetie!” I said. I walked quickly out of the kitchen door and into the hallway, then upstairs.
When the call was over, I closed my eyes, worried. I had planned to leave this afternoon, but it seemed like I’d have to stay another night. I hoped Brett and his family would be okay with that.
I went down to the kitchen. “Brett?”
“Yeah?” my friend was on his knees by the oven, looking in on the salmon. He looked up at me.
“I…I’m sorry, brother, but I…would it be possible to stay for another night?”
He blinked at me. “Sure. Why not? Are you okay? I mean…”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Okay,” he said mildly. “Well, I think we need to give these guys a couple more minutes, then we should be able to eat. Have you seen Amelia anywhere?”
“No,” I said quickly. That was the one topic I didn’t want to think about. Anything about Amelia was like stabbing my heart.
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Josh said, appearing suddenly in the kitchen. His father laughed and ruffled his hair.
“I think it’s almost done, Josh,” he said gently.
“Would you like to do some fencing?” I suggested as the little boy’s face fell.
“Yes!” Josh said, brightening again. “Can we go up to your room?”
“Well, it’s your room, actually, Josh,” I pointed out kindly as we went upstairs together. I grabbed the broom-handle from behind the front door—my saber—as I passed.
“I suppose so,” Josh said mildly.
We went through the basic blocks together, he with his toy saber, and me with my broom-handle. The little boy frowned with concentration as I showed him a lunge and he practiced over and over to get it right. I sat on the bed while he was occupied. I felt miserable. After a minute of earnest practice in front of the mirror, he dropped the sword and looked at me.
“Carson, why are you so sad?”
I closed my eyes. “You noticed,” I said mildly.
“Sure, I noticed,” he said, coming to sit beside me on the bed. I sighed.
“I’m okay, Josh,” I said sadly. “It’s just…some trouble has come up and I won’t be able to go home before tomorrow.”
“Really?” Josh said brightly. “That’s nice.”
I was touched. I blinked rapidly and ruffled the little boy’s hair. “Aw. You’re great, Josh,” I said.
He looked up at me with admiration. “Thanks.”
Now I really was in danger of tearing up. I stood and went to the window. On top of all the emotional upheaval of the last week, his honest, unconditional care was more than I could handle. I sniffed and then, when I had gotten a hold of myself again, turned around.
“Do you think your dad has finished cooking lunch yet?” I said with a credibly even voice.
“I think we should go see.”
We went downstairs to the kitchen together. Reese was setting the table and Cayley was already seated. Brett was at the stove, stirring sauce.
“Are we ready?” I asked.
“All set,” Brett declared positively.
I took a seat as far away from where Amelia usually sat as I could find. Josh sat down next to me. When Reese came and sat down too, in Amelia’s usual place, I was surprised.
“Is Amelia still here?” I asked, feeling a sudden panic that she might have left without saying goodbye.
Brett looked uncomfortable. Reese blinked. “She’s feeling ill,” she said smoothly. “She won’t be joining us.”
“Oh,” I said awkwardly. I wasn’t sure what to say so I didn’t say anything.
“So you’re staying with us tonight, Carson?” Josh asked me.
“That’s right,” I agreed.
Cayley looked at me with a frown. “I thought you were going today?”
I grinned wryly. “You seem eager to be rid of me?”
“No!” Cayley looked mortified and I felt bad. “I just got confused.”
“I didn’t really think you were excited to be rid of me,” I said consolingly. “I just got held up. Change of plans. Sorry, Reese,” I added mildly.
“Not at all,” Reese said calmly. “Now. Where’s this lunch going?”
We all laughed as Brett fussed and set out lunch. I couldn’t take my mind from the empty place at the table and the sadness that I had finally succeeded in turning Amelia away.
“Is Amelia leaving this afternoon?” I asked Brett quietly.
“This evening. Round six,” Brett supplied. “She’s not that far away.”
“Okay,” I said, as neutral as I could manage. I had no idea how to deal with saying goodbye to her. I didn’t want to think about that. In some ways, it would have been easier if I could have just quietly slipped away after lunch. It would have been a cowardly thing to do, but it was the only thing that made sense to me at this point.
“She’s resting right now,” Reese put in. I nodded.
“I hope she feels better. It’s not fun to drive when you’re ill.”
“Yeah!” Brett nodded sympathetically, swallowing a mouthful. “I know how bad that can be.”
As Brett and Reese chatted about the vagaries of driving with a headache, I found my thoughts wandering to upstairs to where Amelia was resting. I felt bad and I wished I could do something about it, but I had no idea where to even start.
I noticed Cayley and Josh looking at me oddly during the meal and I felt bad. I knew my own bad mood was probably seeping through to them, but I had no idea how to stop it.