Page 34 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
Born in the city, he’d lived in a high-rise and spent most of his time watching TV or walking to the park with Leah or Cassie.
“Really, and cool—you can teach me. What do you want to grow?”
“Carrots,” he said decisively, his little face smiling up at her.
When he did that, she saw Cassie, and she had to swallow down the emotion.
“Okay. Tomorrow we can head to the store that sells all the supplies we’ll need, and you can start planting. But you need to tend them, make sure they get enough water and stuff like that. But I’ll help, seeing as I’m going to be growing things in here too.”
“I like going into Lyntacky. It’s got nice people there,” Hudson said.
“Yup, there are plenty of those,” Leah said, stomping down the guilt.
Since seeing Dan five days ago, when he’d asked her if Hudson was his, she’d avoided going into town. Birdie had called and texted, but she’d ignored the calls and only answered the texts, saying everything was okay; they were just getting organized.
They both heard the crunch of tires on the driveway ten minutes later. Standing, Leah saw a blue pickup, and behind that, two more, plus a four-wheel drive last.
“Who is it, Aunt Leah?”
“Not sure, bud. Let’s go and see.”
When she arrived, it was to find Birdie standing beside the pickup and the rest of the Dukes getting out of their vehicles.
“Hey, I thought I’d drop by, seeing as you’re not taking my calls,” her old friend said, looking cute in purple overalls with white-and-yellow daisies all over them. “Hi, Hudson.”
“Say hi.” She nudged her nephew.
“Hi.”
“Birdie,” Leah added.
“Hi, Birdie,” he parroted.
“Mom’s having movie night at hers and wants you to come,” Birdie said. “So I’m delivering the invite personally.”
Leah looked behind her at the others getting out of their vehicles. The Duke family…. All of them except Robyn and Phoebe, who she guessed were looking after the two youngest.
“You brought your family to do that?”
Birdie just smiled.
“Movie night? Is this a new thing?” Leah asked, unsure what was going on.
Birdie sighed. “You know how my parents are always coming up with new money-making schemes, even if they no longer need to. Well, they’ve started kind of a drive-in theatre, but not.”
“Makes sense,” Leah said.
“You park and then get out and sit on the rugs and seats set up. Mom then sells you her food and popcorn, all vegan, of course, and Dad fires up the big projector and shows a movie on this massive screen he got from somewhere that I don’t want to know about.”
“How’s that all working out for them?” Leah asked.
“Oddly, good. They’re actually making money, and the proceeds go to the new school library. Tonight, Mom’s making caramel corn, and Libby gave her all the chocolate bits she didn’t use, and she’s bagged those up to sell too. Plus, there’s those brownies you liked,” Birdie said. “So how about it?”
“Why is your entire family here to invite us to movie night tonight? I’ll add to that why are they standing silent beside their vehicles, looking at us?”
“Well, movie night is tonight, but today, this morning, actually, we’re here to do a worker bee,” Birdie said.
“No—”
