Page 70 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
“I’m so happy,” he whispered. “I know Mom’s gone, but these things?—”
“It’s okay, buddy. You’re allowed to be happy, and your mom would want that for you.”
He removed his hands and looked at her. “Really?”
“Really.” Leah hugged him. “We’re both allowed to be happy here together, okay?”
“Okay.”
“So, you got a name for your new friend yet?”
Hudson opened his hand, and in it was his favorite Lego man. “Benny.”
Leah looked at the dog. “I think that’s the perfect name for him. Don’t you, Benny?”
The dog gave a little yap.
“Perfect,” Leah said, getting to her feet again, and right then, it was just that.Small steps,she reminded herself.
“Is that for me?” Hudson asked, looking at the half muffin on the plate she handed him.
“Well, I got the other half, but yes, it’s for you.” She laughed at his excitement.
Money had been tough for Cassie too. Leah knew this because she’d helped her out as much as she could.
“Also, we have chocolate for after dinner. Ryder gave me some more to test. Libby has created another new flavor.”
“So we get to try it before anyone else!” He ran at her then and threw his arms around her waist like he used to when she brought him treats. “Thank you for everything.”
“You are welcome.” She hugged him back because, in a parenting book she’d read, hugging was important. It wasn’t something she’d grown up with, but he wasn’t having a childhood like she’d had, so to ensure that, she had to step out of her comfort zone and do things like hug Hudson.
He ate, they talked about his day, and then he took Benny outside to do his business and to see the tree house. She looked outside ten minutes later, and they were running around on the grass together.
“He’s happy, Cassie,” Leah whispered, feeling a wave of sadness her sister wasn’t here to see this.
Grief, she’d realized, snuck up on you when you weren’t expecting it.
Needing a distraction, Leah went outside.
“I’m going to look in one of the sheds. You come over if you need me,” she called to Hudson.
“Okay” was his response from up in the tree house. Benny was with him.
“How’d you get him up there?”
“I carried him under one arm. We’re gonna read some books!”
“Good work.”
Leah reached the fourth barn and got the charged battery. She’d drive the pickup out of here, and it would be Hudson’s lastsurprise in a day full of them. Maybe they could have a quick drive around the roads before bed.
After raising the hood, she put the battery in and connected it. Then she climbed back into the driver’s seat, turned the key, and it fired to life straight away. When she pressed down on the gas, the throaty engine roared.
Selecting a gear, she took her foot off the brake and eased forward. It didn’t move.
“Weird.” Leah got back out and checked underneath. There were blocks of wood under the wheels, but that wasn’t all. Someone had looped a chain around the axle, then through a handle in the floor.
“That’s odd,” she muttered. After getting the bolt cutters, she got under the pickup and cut the chain. It wasn’t easy maneuvering with little room, and she needed all her strength, but eventually she broke it. Leah pulled the chain free, then got back in the pickup and drove it forward before stopping again. She got out once more.
