Page 44 of The Persistence of Thornes
I laugh at the sound of Quinn’s voice and hold out one arm.
“Things will get better,” I say as he crowds in close. “You’ll see.”
I have to believe that. Otherwise, I’ll drown.
CHAPTER 11
CALEB
“Floor’s ruined,” the insurance adjuster says. “Looks like it’s been leaking down the wall and under the floors for some time. The burst pipe just made it impossible to miss. My guess is when they start pulling carpet and laminate, they’ll determine that the whole subfloor is beyond repair.”
Beside me, Halle covers her mouth and closes her eyes.
“When will she know about the coverage?”
He sighs and glances at his clipboard. “Give me about a week.”
“Thanks for your time.” I shake hands with the man since Halle is—rightfully so—frozen in place.
He shuffles out and pulls away from the curb. A full minute later, when Halle still hasn’t moved, worry sets in.
Gripping her elbow, I duck in front of her, catching her eye. “Hal, are you okay?”
She shakes her head. “No.” Her voice is small.
Halle puts on a brave front. She doesn’t let many people see her vulnerable side. But for some reason, she tends to lower her guard around me. And I fucking love it, even if I hate that she’s hurting.
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and clears her throat. “I guess I just have to wait and see, right?”
“Right.” I wish I could assure her that it’ll all work out, but I can’t promise that, so I keep my mouth shut.
She starts back over to my house, her steps slow and tentative, and I walk beside her.
I’m waffling between talking about it some more or keeping my mouth shut, unsure of which she’d prefer, when she says, “I need to go into town. I put off picking up school supplies for my brothers, but I can’t wait any longer.” She frowns up at me, squinting against the sun.
School starts in three days, so she’s not kidding.
I wince. “You probably won’t find much here. You’d be better off heading a couple of towns over. I know a place.”
She wrinkles her nose, eyes still squinted. I move in front of her to keep the sun from blinding her.
“Do you just know everything there is to know?”
Fighting a laugh, I shrug and slide my hands into the pockets of my shorts. There’s a slight chill to the air today, and it won’t be long before summer is gone for good, but I’m not ready to let go of my shorts just yet. I only get threeor four months of warm weather, so I’ll take advantage of every one.
“Pretty much. Remember, I grew up here.”
“Right.” She licks her lips and looks away briefly. When she looks back, her expression is lighter. Fuck, it makes me happy to see that. “How could I forget your family founded the town?”
I rock back on my heels. “I don’t know. I try to forget every day.”
She cocks her head and scrutinizes me from head to toe, like she can see right through me. “Why’s that?”
I lean in close, and when her breath catches at my proximity, I bite back a smile. “You haven’t met my parents yet.”
Taking a step back, I pull my keys out of my pocket and hold them up. “I took the whole day off. Grab the boys and we’ll head out.”
Her brow pinches. “You’re going to take us?”
