Page 57 of Chasing Shelter

More silence came from Gabriel’s end for a beat. “It tells Jasper that what he’s doing is working. Might be smarter to ignore him.”

“There’s always the chance he’ll escalate if he doesn’t get the reaction he wants.”

“He escalates, and he’s back inside, finishing out that term,” Gabriel reminded me.

That much was true, but it also meant putting Keely and Ellie at risk. That didn’t sit well with me. “We put Lavender Lane, The Mix Up, Leah’s house, and the school on the regular drive-by list. Forty-five-minute intervals max.”

“That’s no problem. Especially since you and Miss Ellie areneighbors.”

“Gabriel,” I warned.

“What?” he asked with faux innocence. “Maybe she needs to come over and borrow a cup of sugar. Or her power’s out, and she needs someplace to stay.”

“Jesus,” I muttered. “Pretty sure you should be writing Hallmark movies.”

“Maybe I am on the side. It’s good to have hobbies.”

One corner of my mouth kicked up. “I support your dreams.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Such a good friend.”

I turned onto a street on the opposite side of town. “I gotta jump. Picking up Keels.”

“Tell that girl to give you hell.”

“I’d rather not teach my six-year-old a curse word, but thanks.”

Gabriel laughed. “I’m pretty sure Lolli has taught her far worse.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Call if you need anything.”

“Thanks, man. Appreciate you,” I said.

“Always got your back.”

“Same goes.” And with that, I hung up.

I was more than lucky to have the people I did in my life. The universe might’ve put me into a rough situation starting out, but with the family I’d built, one ofchoice, I’d more than made up for it. Gratitude washed through me as I thought about everyone who surrounded me and the support I had.

And then Ellie’s face flashed in my mind. I wanted her to havethat, too. Because, right now, as bright and cheery as she was, I sensed a loneliness in her. But she’d taken the first step. She was here in Sparrow Falls and building a new life. One I knew I wanted to be a part of even though I should’ve been keeping my distance.

I made the final turn into Leah’s neighborhood. The place she’d chosen to live after the divorce was as different from my house as you could get. The new development was full of modern builds set close together. The yards were minuscule, and the design made me think of a geometry problem. It was just one more piece of evidence that Leah and I had never fit.

Pulling into her driveway, I sat for a minute, tugging my mask back on, making sure every defense was in place. It wasn’t even Leah’s fault that I needed to do it. It was that she reminded me of all the ways I’d failed.

Taking a deep breath, I slid out of the SUV and headed for her front door. It opened before I reached the front stoop. Leah wasn’t glaring exactly, but her mouthwaspressed into a firm line. It accentuated her blond hair cut in an angled bob just below her chin. She was still in what I thought of as herwork uniform: tan slacks, a white blouse, and a brown belt. It was some version of this every day unless she had a presentation, then it was a suit.

“You’re late,” she clipped.

“I’m sorry.” It was always best to start there when I’d fucked up. “I told you what was going on.”

When I called Leah to tell her about Jasper, I’d asked if she could take Keely for a few hours after school so I could make some inquiries. Since she could work from home, it shouldn’t have been a huge deal. Clearly, Leah hadn’t been pleased.

Her brows pulled together in confusion. “What are youwearing?”

I’d completely forgotten about the atrocious pink Hawaiian shirt. How that was possible when I glowed neon was beyond me. No, Ididknow how it was possible. Ellie.

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