Even though I thought I’d prepared myself, and even though this was my best friend, who’d shown up with a truck, shovels, and dirt, thinking that we were burying a body, I still lost it.
I grabbed Sam by the shirt and slammed him against the side of the garage, putting my forearm to his throat.
“That’s the first and last time you talk about her that way, you got it?”
Sam’s eyes practically bugged out of their sockets—with surprise, I wasn’t holding himthathard. Sam held up his hands and I released him.
He cursed as he stumbled forward to catch himself. “Fuck! Have you completely lost it?”
A giggle from behind us had me closing my eyes.
“Watch your language,” I murmured to Sam under my breath. Turning, I spotted Ryla standing directly behind me, watching us with rapt attention.
“Hey there, Ryla. This is my friend Sam. We were just playin’ around, but I promise not to do it again. It was wrong of me, and I am very sorry.”
Ryla’s eyes were full of mischief. “He said a bad word.”
I got down to the balls of my feet in front of her. “I know. And he’s also very sorry.Right, Sam?”
Sam stepped forward, nodding down at Ryla. “Uh, yup, very sorry. You shouldn’t say those words until you’re older. Like uh, fifty.”
“Are you fifty?”
“Fuck no!” Sam retorted.
“Sam!” I barked as he shouted, “Sorry!” again and Ryla launched into a fit of giggles.
I scrubbed my hands down my face. This was not going at all how I’d planned.
Trying again, I stood and gentled my voice. “This is my best friend, Sam. Sam, this is Ryla. One of Polly’s kids.”
Ryla studied Sam as I spoke, then as if he’d passed some sort of internal test, she started hopping between the cracks in the driveway. “I have a best friend. His name’s Eric. He’s seven. I’m six.” After a few feet, she turned and looked at Sam. “Wanna see my room?”
“No!” I barked, then held my breath and counted to three. “Ryla. You can’t invite strangers into your room, alright? Especially not male strangers.”
Sam shot me a look like I was completely off my rocker.
I wasn’t normally a nervous person. The opposite, in fact. But I hadn’t asked Polly about any of this, she didn’t know about Max’s bee phobia, and when she came home tonight and saw that I completely changed her entire backyard without permission, she’d be fully within her rights to fire me on the spot.
“Don’t you worry about Jace, Ryla. He’s just having a hard day.” Sam eyed me one more time, then crouched down to her level. “I brought some things over ’cause it sounds like we’re doing some plantin’.”
Ryla pumped her fist in the air. “No more bees!”
“You know it. Wanna help me carry this stuff to the backyard while Jace takes a breather? I think he might need it.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
POLLY
Sometimes an understanding silence was better than a bunch of meaningless words.
Mia Sheridan,Archer’s Voice
All day I’d been restless, the questions I hadn’t yet answered were turning over in my mind. It didn’t help that I received an email requesting a meeting between me and the school board president Brad Goldenstein—just him and I. Why would we want to meet with me alone? Considering what Rose told me about him, I had a feeling he was up to no good.
I finished up the last of my work after a full day of clinic, my restlessness turning into giddy anticipation as I walked to my car, thinking about the night ahead. I had a few books on my TBR that I wanted to read. Maybe the kids would be so tired, they’d crash early, and I could get a jump start on them. Or maybe Jace would want to watch a few episodes ofTreasure Dogswith me.
It was most definitely the thought of diving into my TBR that had butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Or the thought of watching my new favorite TV show.
