Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Alice
If I’d known I would be walking into a Kelly family dinner, I never would have come. Of course, they acted like my being here was the most normal thing in the world.
Well, most of them, anyway. Caleb kept looking at me, like he was trying to figure out why I was here.
I hoped he didn’t think I was stalking him or some obsessed fan.
Elena had invited me, and after she’d taken care of me last week and checked on me every day since, I couldn’t have possibly said no.
I regretted that decision now. This family was lovely and welcoming, exactly as I thought they’d be, but the last thing I wanted was to make Caleb uncomfortable.
He’d shown me a lot of kindness last week, but I hadn’t misinterpreted that as anything more than him being a wonderfully protective human being.
Elena ordered everyone to take a seat at the long farmhouse table. Chairs scraped against the hardwood as everyone grabbed a spot. Caleb was already directly across from me, and it was difficult not to sneak glances at him, especially when I felt him staring.
“Now, Alice, tell me,” Lily said from her spot beside Caleb, her blue eyes bright with curiosity. “How’s our little library doing? Are they still cutting your funding every other year?”
I swallowed a mouthful of lemonade, trying to gather my thoughts. “Not enough funding is a fact of life as a librarian, but we're managing. Yes, we could use some new computers, and the roof leaks in the back office whenever it rains hard, but we’ll find our way through.”
Lily clucked her tongue in disapproval. “You shouldn’t have to find a way through. I don’t know if you’re aware, but I spent my career in politics. I know how to convince people to donate to a worthy cause. Leave this to me. I’ll find the funds for you.”
In my career, I’d met a myriad of people, but the Kellys stood apart. They were something else. “That is so kind, Lily. Thank you. But please don’t think you have to and don’t go out of your wa—”
“Don’t be silly,” Lily cut in. “At my age, I only do what I want to do, and I want to do this.”
Her husband patted her hand and shot me a wink. “Let her have it, Alice. My Lily loves a project.”
She leaned into him. “That’s right. I do.”
“Then, thank you.” I stacked my hands on the table. “Let me know what help you need. I have a few volunteers who also love projects. I’m sure I could lend them to you.”
Jesse lifted a forkful of mashed potatoes. “Did you guys know Alice wrote a book?”
Everyone’s head swiveled toward me, including the man across from me. His gaze was like sitting too close to a campfire. Enticing, but so hot, I could barely stand it for more than a minute.
“What kind of book?” Elena asked from down the table, her elbows propped up as she leaned forward.
I almost dismissed it. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her it was nothing worth speaking about, but I stopped myself. No one would ever know me unless I let them. And wasn’t that what I wanted—to be seen and known?
“I’m writing a middle grade fantasy series. I’m working on the final book now. Then…well, I don’t know. I suppose I’ll actually have to let people read it.”
Jesse waved his fork at me. “I’ve already volunteered as tribute. I mean, I’m the target audience, right?”
I snorted. “You are. You’ve let me pick your brain so much, if this thing ever gets published, you’re going in the credits.”
He twisted his mouth as he considered this. “That’d be cool, but only if I get to be the first reader.”
“Jess,” Caleb grumbled, “lay off.”
“It’s all right. I don’t mind,” I assured him. To Jesse, I added, “I’m not sure if I’ll ever let anyone read it, but if I do, you’ll be at the top of the list.”
“Not just a book, a whole series.” Caleb’s dad, Lock, shook his head like he was amazed. “That’s a big deal, Alice. I hope you know that.”
“Right?” Cormac shook his head like his father had. “Along with Remi, you’re the second author I’ve met.”
I laughed softly. Remington Town had spent over a decade as a conflict photographer and documented his experience in a book. There was no comparison.
“I’m not an author,” I argued.
Lock’s brow crinkled. “Have you written multiple books?”
Biting my lip, I nodded.
“Then you’re an author.” He pinned his chocolate eyes on me, and I felt like I was seeing Caleb in the future. “If you won’t be proud of yourself, we’ll handle it.”
Jesse puffed his chest. “Yep. I’m the proudest here since I helped. Did you guys know I helped Charlie with his book too? He needed a robotics expert, so I stepped in.”
“Remind me who Charlie is,” Remi said as he handed his son another roll.
“The guy who loiters at Sugar Rush,” Caleb said flatly. “Taking up a table so other customers can’t sit.”
Elena tsked at her son. “I’m sure Phoebe doesn’t mind.”
Hannah speared a green bean with her fork. “If she minded, she’d sic me on him, and I’d get rid of him. I’m not saying I haven’t had to tell Charlie to skedaddle at closing time, but he’s harmless.”
I risked a glance at Caleb. His jaw was tight, eyes focused on his plate. He’d barely said a word since I’d arrived. I was becoming more and more convinced I was making him uncomfortable.
“Anyway,” I said quickly, trying to end the attention on me, “for now, writing is a hobby. The library is my real job.”
Lily waved her hand dismissively. “Sometimes the things we think are hobbies end up being the most important work we do.”
Hannah nudged her husband. “When Alice is ready, you’ll introduce her to your agent, right?”
Remi nodded then turned to me. “If that’s what you want, I’d be glad to make the connection. My agent might not be the right fit for you, but she has a lot of contacts.”
“That’s…” I didn’t quite know how to respond, so I said, “Thank you, guys. That would be incredible.”
“It’s no trouble,” Remi replied.
It might not have been any trouble, but it was a big deal to me. A kindness I would have never asked for and hadn’t been expecting. I guessed that was just the Kellys.
Dinner wound down with the clinking of forks against empty plates and Hannah telling a wild story about one of her farrier clients.
She mostly took care of horses, but one of her clients owned goats who thought they were lap dogs.
On her last visit, she thought one of them was snuggling with her and ended up with a hole in the seat of her jeans from the sneaky little goat’s teeth.
“That’s what I get for trusting a goat,” she said. “I know better.”
I laughed so hard, I snorted. “I’m sorry, but if you’d told me when I was living in San Francisco five years ago I’d one day be sitting on a ranch, listening to a story about ornery goats, I never would have believed it.”
Hannah grinned at me, her lively eyes twinkling. “Aren’t you glad you moved here?”
I nodded without hesitation. “I haven’t regretted it even once.”
When everyone was finished, I gathered my plate and began stacking others nearby to help.
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Alice,” Elena said, reaching out to take the plate from my hands. “We’ll let the boys handle cleanup.”
“Are you sure?”
She gave a small, elegant shrug. “They eat enough for three people each. They can wash the dishes.”
Jesse took my plate and his, dropped them in the sink, then returned. “Do you want to go outside with me, Ms. Clark? You’ve never seen stars until you see them out here.”
“I’d love that,” I said. “And you know you can call me Alice when we’re not at the library. It feels weird to be formal at your family’s house.”
“Okay.” He shuffled his feet, a grin twitching on his lips. “Okay, Alice. Let’s go.”
Outside, the sky spread out in a velvet-black expanse, thick with pinpricks of silver light. The air was cool, carrying the scent of cut grass and a faint whiff of horses. Silas toddled out behind us in his little cowboy boots and pajama pants, Hannah holding his hand.
“Look, Alice,” Jesse whispered, tilting his face up. “See it? That dusty line across the sky? That’s the Milky Way.”
I tipped my head back and sucked in a breath. “Wow…”
Stars sprayed across the sky like glitter, so dense it was dizzying. Hannah helped Silas plop down on the grass, and he started pointing up with chubby fingers, babbling, “Moon, moon, moon.”
“It’s beautiful,” I agreed, wrapping my arms around myself as a breeze sifted through my hair. “There’s nothing like this where I’m from. We’re lucky to see a singular star in the city.”
I would never get over Wyoming skies. Daytime or night, there was nothing like the endless expanse above. It didn’t make sense the sky could be bigger here, but it was.
“Yeah.” Jesse flopped onto his back in the grass. “My great-grandad taught me all the constellations when I was little. He has a sick telescope. Maybe if we ask him, he’ll bring it out when you’re here next time.”
Hannah lowered herself to sit cross-legged beside her son and leaned back on her hands.
“Your great-grandad taught me about the stars too. Do you know what else he told me? If I ever feel disconnected, I should think about how many people before us looked up at the same stars and how many people are looking up at the same sky as me.”
I nodded, feeling my throat tighten. A night like tonight made me feel small but deeply connected at the same time. Like my roots were finally planted, and I was part of something bigger than me.
Suddenly, the front door banged open behind us, making me jump. Cormac stormed out, his shoes hitting the steps hard and fast. His face was dark, jaw clenched so tight, the muscles in his cheek ticced.
“Maccie?” Hannah called. “Everything okay?”
Not answering, he stalked past us across the gravel driveway, climbed into his truck, and slammed the door. The engine roared to life, headlights sweeping over us as he peeled out, tires crunching on the road until his taillights disappeared into the dark.
Silence fell heavy over the yard. Silas blinked up at me, unbothered, then went back to poking at the grass.
“What was that about?” Jesse asked.
Hannah shook her head, worry pinching her brows. “I don’t know. Maccie doesn’t get mad like that. Something must be wrong.” She scooped Silas off the ground and glanced at Jesse. “Come on, guys. Let’s go find out what happened.”
Jesse pushed himself up with a sigh, brushing dirt from his jeans. “Wonder if Dad knows.”
“Probably,” Hannah murmured, already heading toward the house.
I didn’t follow them. It wasn’t my place, and whatever was going on with Cormac was none of my business. I’d already intruded enough for one night.
I slipped around the side of the house to where my car was parked. For a moment, I sat inside it, gripping the steering wheel, something like dread curdling my gut. This night had been so perfect. I wish it wasn’t ending this way, but everything ended—one way or another.
I finally pulled away, letting myself have one more glance at the house in my rearview mirror. The windows glowed bright against the long, dark night.
Then I turned onto the dark road, leaving the Kelly family behind me.