Page 32 of The Hangman's Rope

Syn looked her up and down and then looked to me, and then back to her again. I could seehiswheels turning, but I didn’t know fuck all about what he was thinking.

“I’m going to get this over to my girl and her bestie,” he said. “I’ll be back by with some clothes this afternoon. You needto be at the table tonight,” he said to me, stabbing a finger in my direction. I nodded. “I’ll figure out who to send, in the meantime, you’re covered for today. I had Fear send one of his workers out to dig the plots you were supposed to get to today. You’re off the hook. I think you need to take a day and think about some shit.”

I shook my head slowly, “I’m good,” I said and a thread of anger had crept into my voice. I felt my jaw set into a contemptuous look that he would even remotely question my loyalty to this club. He stared me down and finally nodded.

“Glad we had this talk,” he said dryly, his tone acerbic. He pushed off the arm of the couch and went for the door, letting himself out onto the porch and putting his sunglasses on. He shut the door firmly behind him and walked out of sight, to the stairs on the other corner.

“I just missed a whole lot, and I’m glad for it,” Lorelai whispered when his heavy bootsteps clattered down the porch steps.

“Yeah, you did, and it’s okay – it wasn’t about you,” I said.

She nodded slowly.

“How did you sleep?” I asked.

“Better,” she said, and sounded surprised.

I nodded.

“Something’s changed?” she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“I’ll see tonight. Tell you what I can, when I get back.”

She nodded and swallowed hard.

“So, what are you going to do today if you don’t have to work?” she asked.

I smiled at her and I knew it was tired. I probably hadn’t gotten more than a couple of hour nap.

“Just because I’m off the hook for digging graves at other cemeteries, doesn’t mean I still don’t have a lot of shit to do around this one,” I said.

She nodded a bit quickly and I smiled again. “I’m not doing shit without a proper fucking breakfast and at least three cups of coffee at this point.”

She smiled back at me and tried to suppress her laugh. It came across as adorably shy.

“Pancakes or waffles?” I asked and she looked surprised.

“Um, waffles,” she said after a moment and I gave a nod.

“Coming right up,” I told her, and I got to work.

Chapter Ten

Lorelai…

We had a pleasant breakfast. Hangman was good in the kitchen and let me help by handing me a knife, cutting board, and some fresh fruit to go with our waffles.

I carefully peeled and cut the two small melons and peeled and sectioned the two or three mandarin oranges while he whipped up some batter and took out a waffle maker from under one of the kitchen counter cabinets. His kitchen was small, but serviceable and laid out well from what I could tell.

He handed me plates, silverware, and even some napkins and said, “Why don’t you go on out and set the little bistro table out on the porch, it’s out that door,” he jerked his head to the front or back door of the house – I couldn’t honestly tell which was supposed to be which, but I guessed it was the back door given that it was past the little dining area and wasn’t the door that people predominantly came through.

“I’d like that,” I said gratefully. I was certainly starting to feel cooped up.

“Go on, then,” he said with a smile, jerking his head in the direction of the door. I took up the two stacked plates and went out. It was pleasantly warm, a little humid, but not terribly overpowering.

I set the table while he cooked in the kitchen and drifted back and forth to bring out the bowl of fruit, once I had washed and added some grapes, and then back again to bring out our coffees. By then, Hangman was following me up with a plate stacked with waffles in one hand and a bottle of pure maple syrup in the other.

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