Page 89 of The Sun Will Rise
“Oh,” I say, racking my brain. “The events manager?”
“The very same.” Thea steps forward with an outstretched hand. “You must be Everett. It’s good to meet you. I was just going over some of the plans with Jody, the facilities and whatnot.”
“All good, I hope?”
“Well, it looks great,” Thea says with a toothy grin. “You’ve got all the things you need. Plenty of extra stuff that’ll entice people, too. It’ll pass the inspections with flying colours.” That, at least, brings a smile to my face. At least something is going well. Moving forward the way it should.
I study Thea’s profile as she turns away. She looks like a paler version of Jody, who inherited his father’s height and features, and his mother’s Latin skin tone. Ms Angie’s mother was born in Mexico, and her family crossed the border into the US when she was young. She met and married Ms Angie’s father, Ms Angie was born, and the rest is history. Jody, Brooks, and I used to listen to her stories with rapt attention when we were kids.
I pitch in with some of the building work, marking out the plot where our front office will be. That’ll be where people check in for their stay at the ranch, or for events. The plans seem to grow every time I talk to Mom or Ms Angie about it, and the buzz around town is electric in its excitement.
Several local businesses want to be involved. Savannah wants to have some floral arrangements on the front desk, and her name at the top of the list for any wedding enquiries. Garth Tell wants us to stock the cabins with mini-bars full of Tell’s Moonshine and craft beer. Two empty storefronts on Main Street have had their first enquiries in three months.
I’m proud of Mom. This idea could’ve gone horribly wrong, but she did it right. She did her research, and it’s coming together nicely. With Ruth’s help, we were able to sign contracts, get our business tax license, and file the LLC paperwork to make Skillett Creek official.
There’s just one thing missing right now.
It’s a little after noon when much of the work wraps up. It’s too hot to be out working in the midday sun, but we got a lot done in the early hours. I know some more men will be out later in the day, once it cools off a little, to do some more before the sun goes down. I consider stopping at the main house for lunch, but I’m still not in the greatest mood, so I take the ATV home instead, parking it at the side of the cabin next to my truck.
The laundry load I tossed in the washer earlier is done, so I move it to the dryer before I change into a pair of grey sweats. I’ve barelyopened the fridge before a knock at the door has me slamming it closed and trudging down the hallway.
I expect to find Brooks or Jody—or both—when I throw the door open, but instead, Bethany stands there, biting her pink-painted lip. She must sense my confusion, because she steps forward and pastes a smile on her face.
“Hi Ev,” she says. “I didn’t like how we left things last time. We have so much history. We were good together, you know?”
“Bethany, I—” I’m cut off by a bird, presumably a paid actor, which swoops down from a tree and has Bethany shrieking. She all but launches herself through the door, standing in its frame with one hand on her chest in fright.
“I know you see it too,” she says once she’s caught her breath. I’m not sure how many more ways I can tell her I’m not interested.
“There’s nothing to see,” I say plainly. “You and me, we were—”
This time, it’s an engine that cuts me off, and four tyres rolling to a stop on the gravel outside my house. Two doors open on Brooks’ behemoth of a truck and Bethany’s hand somehow finds its way to my arm as I lean against the doorjamb, blocking her access to my home.
Everything trickles to a stop. My vision narrows, focusing on the truck and the pair of feet hitting the ground on either side of it. We’re still in real time, but it feels like slow motion as Brooks’ face appears over the top of the truck door, darkening as he recognises the woman in front of me.
And then the other person appears.
Tall red boots. Grey denim shorts, stylishly frayed. A sleeveless blouse that almost perfectly matches the red of the boots.
And Ruth, looking stricken as Bethany’s pink nails tighten their grip on my arm just slightly.
Chapter forty-nine
Everett
I’ve never been thekind of person who wanted to time travel. While my classmates wanted to go back to the sixties and seventies, for the music, or to the roaring twenties, for the moonshine, I was always perfectly content exactly where I was.
But right now, I’d give anything to go back. Just ten minutes—before Bethany showed up, before this whole nightmare took hold.
“Ev?” Ruth’s voice carries on the light breeze, mingling with the gentle rustling of the leaves overhead. She looks like she’s about to say more when Brooks interjects.
“The fuck is she doing here?”
Bethany whirls around to face Brooks, almost losing her balance in the shiny heeled sandals strapped to her feet.
“I’m here to—you know what, Brooks? I don’t owe you an explanation.” She scowls for just a second, then straightens her features. She was always worried about facial expressions giving her wrinkles.
“No, but you owe me one. What are you doing here, Bethany?”
