Page 57 of The Refiner

Dropping her ankle, I sit, leaning back against the tree trunk, making a show that I don’t intend on going anywhere without her.

For a moment, we both simply relent, and relish the peace with the birds chirping overhead. The world doesn’t know of our pain, it simply keeps spinning, keeps growing. We’re the only ones on pause.

“Why are you up in this tree anyway?” I finally ask after a moment. “Don’t tell me, you were a tree climber as a kid?”

There’s a beat of silence before she sucks in a breath and speaks. “No, I wasn’t a tree climber. Piper was. She started after our grandma died.” She breathes in and out like she’s trying to keep calm. “Dad noticed it too and built us a treehouse, but Piper would never play in it. Instead, she climbed the tree next to it.” I gaze up and see her staring out at the men filling the grave with dirt. “I asked her once why she’d rather sit on a limb, and she said it was the closest she’d ever get to Heaven—to grandma.” Keagan shrugs, swiping under her eyes. “Since I know Piper is with the angels, I wanted to be as close to her as I could. She’s not in that grave anymore.”

I stand, dusting off the back of my pants, and reach out for the lower limb.

“What are you doing?”

Gripping the limb, I hoist my body up, making sure my foot is secure before grabbing hold of the next limb. I don’t need to tell Keagan what I’m doing, she knows. Very carefully, I adjust to lean against the trunk. I don’t know how sturdy the branch is, so I keep my distance, searching for another.

“Astor!” She raises her voice like that’s going to make a difference. “Get down! You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I thought you said I was a hero?”

She cuts me a sharp look. “You’re going to be a hurt hero if you don’t cut it out. You’re a doctor for goodness’ sake. I bet you’ve never even climbed a tree before.”

I would never admit that she’s right. My father made sure our outdoor time was kept to a minimum. Potters studied; they made good grades and stayed focused. There was no room for imagination or free time.

“I can climb a tree just as well as the next man,” I argue, snapping a branch.

“Oh my gosh! You’re going to fall!”

Finding a better angle, I adjust my body and wedge myself between the limb and the trunk. I flash her a wink. “Can you hush? I’m trying to enjoy the peace up here. You’re making it quite difficult with all that worrying.”

She looks aghast. “Me? You’re—”

I hold my finger to my lips and shush her. She wanted to be close to her sister, and I want to be close to her. She needs to know she’s not alone—I’m with her, even if she’d rather I not be.

I don’t know how long we sit in the tree. Halle texts and tells me that Tatum is sleeping and not to rush home. So I don’t. I sit until my legs grow numb and my stomach growls.

“You should eat.”

I glance over at Keagan. “I’ll eat when you do.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m not hungry.”

“Neither am I.”

“I literally just heard your stomach growl,” she argues.

I shrug. “I’ll be fine.”

The leaves rustle and I have to force myself to keep still.

“Come on, let’s go feed you. The last thing I need is you passing out in this tree and breaking your neck. Tatum would never forgive me.”

I watch as she carefully slides down the branch, wedging herself in next to me. She smells of honeysuckle and sunshine.

“Why are you looking at me weird?”

How am I looking at her?

Smiling, I reach out, and surprisingly, she allows me to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you for letting me sit in your tree.”

At first, I think she’s about to tell me to shut up, but then she sighs, and leans forward, looping her arms around my neck. “Thank you for not leaving.”

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