Chapter Twenty-Six MADISON
Chapter Twenty-Six
MADISON
It was day three of Graham being gone, and I wanted an update. I loved updates. But I didn’t think hotshot firefighting in the middle of the wilderness was the kind of job where updates were provided on the regular.
There was no reception where they were. I had tried, oh-so-casually, to gather information during my now daily stops at Firehouse Café.
I was working, and I loved my job so far.
Gratefully, that kept me busy, and it meant I didn’t have to panic about money anymore, so I wasn’t forced to ration my social trips to town.
My reconnaissance at the coffee shop had given me little nuggets of information.
Graham was the superintendent of his crew, and they were fighting a fire that was a good hour away as the crow flew.
Maisie knew everything because she was the main dispatcher.
She was becoming what I thought might be a friend and had even mentioned we should get together one evening with some of her other friends.
I was looking forward to it because Graham would be gone.
I felt silly over my small thrill at making friends.
However, I was beyond grateful that I didn’t have to wonder if they wanted to know me because of my family’s connections.
Those were tarnished, but it was nice not to wonder.
Small favors and all that. I’d had another meeting with the attorney about my deposition, which was coming up next week. Fun stuff.
I was finishing up for work when my phone rang. I didn’t get a ton of calls. When I looked down, I was surprised to see Allie’s number flashing across the screen. Curiosity, of course, got the best of me, and I answered quickly.
“Hey, Allie, what’s up?”
“I need some help, and you’re probably going to think it’s a bad idea.” She sounded stressed.
“Tell me what’s going on.” Worry tightened in my chest. “Aren’t you staying with your grandparents?”
“Yes, but I’m at school right now.”
“Okaaaa-y,” I said slowly, unease slithering down my spine. “Tell me what happened.”
“I got caught smoking on school grounds,” she said, her words coming out in a rush.
“And you’re calling me about this?” My heart pinched with worry and empathy. Being a teenager wasn’t much fun, and I still marveled that anyone pretended it was. Opportunities to make stupid and careless decisions abounded around every corner.
“I need someone to pick me up.”
“Allie, I can’t do that.” I might’ve felt for her, but that answer was clear.
Allie burst into tears. “Please.”
“Allie, I can’t. I’m sure you only have a few people on your permission list, and I’m not one of those people.”
“Actually, you are, because you picked me up that time.”
Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Allie, I still can’t do that, and I have to tell your father what happened.”
Allie sniffled. “I don’t want him to know.”
“Look, I know it’s not good to get caught smoking at school, but it’s not the end of the world. I’m sure your dad will be reasonable about it when he gets back. Just tell your grandparents what happened, and you’ll figure it out from there.”
“Promise you won’t tell my dad.”
“Allie, I can’t make that promise. What I will promise you is when he’s back from wherever he is, I’ll let him know we had this phone call.”
Allie went quiet for a moment before she sniffled. “Fine. Thanks for nothing.” Then she hung up.
I stared at the phone, uncertain what to do. I knew I couldn’t pick her up. I wanted to call her grandparents, but I didn’t know them very well, and I didn’t have their phone number.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was not good. I really wished Graham were home.
I couldn’t keep this secret from him. With nothing to do to fix this, I started pacing back and forth in front of the windows.
Wilbur sensed my upset and paced along with me.
I reached down to stroke across his back just as my phone rang again.
I raced over to my desk. This time, not recognizing the number, I answered with trepidation. “Hello?”
“Hi, is this Madison Glen?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Hi, this is Ms. Smith, the vice principal at Willow Brook High School. Allie’s grandparents aren’t available to pick her up because they’re in Anchorage for the next few hours. You’re the only other person on the pickup list. Would it be possible for you to pick Allie up?”
I groaned silently. “Of course I can pick her up. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
I hung up, my unease multiplying inside.
The second Allie climbed into my car, she set out to beg me not to tell her father why I had to pick her up early.
While I had never been a mother, it only took me mere minutes to acquire an enormous amount of empathy for every parent of every teenager in the entire universe.
Wow, she was a master at putting the pressure on. I held firm and told her I wasn’t going to lie on her behalf. When I pulled up in front of her grandparents’ house, Allie’s eyes beseeched me. “Please,” she repeated for what must’ve been the hundredth time on the short drive.
I took a deep breath. “Allie, my answer is not going to change. I’m really sorry. I’m not comfortable keeping that secret.”
She climbed out of the car, her shoulders hunched and her feet scuffing the ground as she walked up the stone walkway in front of the house. I left, feeling sad for her and nervous.
I decided to call Janet. She’d given me her phone number, and I figured I would at least tell her. Maybe she would know how to reach Allie’s grandparents. Janet answered on the second ring. “Hi, Madison.”
“How did you know it was me?” I was astonished.
“I have your number in my contacts. I had it before you even moved here. Your grandfather’s attorney gave it to me.”
“Oh, wow. That makes sense. I need your opinion.” I quickly filled her in.
Janet replied matter-of-factly, “Of course you can’t keep that a secret, not that you’re asking. I’ll call her grandparents and let them know the school called you to give her a ride. It’s that simple. I would let the rest of it go because it’s not really your problem.”
The tension in my shoulders eased as I let out a breath. “You’re absolutely right. Thank you. You gave me permission to let it go, and I appreciate you calling them.”
Janet chuckled, shifting gears so smoothly she caught me off guard. “How are things with you and Graham?”
“Um, what do you mean?”
I hadn’t told a soul about what passed between Graham and me. There was no way Janet knew about our weekend together, or the other kiss, or that first kiss before I even knew I was going to be his neighbor.
“He’s your closest neighbor. Plus, I think he likes you.”
I almost choked. “What?” I squeaked.
Janet chuckled again. This time, I could hear the sly tinge in the sound. “I may be old, but I’m observant. That man could use a good woman in his life.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, trying to sound all cool and collected when the feel of his hands mapping my body flashed through my thoughts. I was profoundly relieved she couldn’t see how red my face was, considering it felt like it was on fire.
“I’ve got to run, new customers coming in.” She hung up quickly as I said goodbye.
Allie getting caught smoking at high school really wasn’t the end of the world.
Not that I’d ever smoked in high school.
I was ridiculously well-behaved. I still remembered the lecture I got from my then-boyfriend because I didn’t have sex with him.
I’d been homecoming queen and valedictorian of my class, and I’d never once felt I was cool, not for a second. Talk about appearances being deceiving.
After college, the outside of my life looked postcard-perfect—holiday cards to friends and family, and the like.
And now, it felt like those pictures had been torn up, someone laughing as they tossed them in the air, the confetti singed by the fire of my father’s betrayal. “Whatever,” I muttered to myself.
The week passed, and I stayed busy with work, and there were no more calls from Allie.
I did wonder how she was doing. I resisted the urge to text her and check in because I didn’t feel like that was my role.
I also wondered when I would see Graham again, and I wished I knew when he’d be back.
I’d stopped with my casual questions at Firehouse Café because I’d give myself away if I got too nosy.
I might not be an expert at small-town life, but I knew how gossip worked.
It burned like a brush fire on the winds created by rumors.
The smaller the community, the faster it burned with every little rumor setting new fires.
Everything was fine, even if I missed Graham more than was sensible. Well, everything was fine until that Saturday.