Chapter 23 - Torrin #3
Reid and I watch until Jules finally releases Trent's hand and see the kid shake out his fingers. "He's going to scare that kid shitless."
"That’s what being a good big brother is, I guess."
Briar gives us both the finger from behind Kara's shoulder, which I’m choosing to count as progress.
Anders claps his hands. "Alright. Everybody's met. Food first if you haven't eaten, then let's get these animals loaded."
"We ate while packing," Gord tells him. "Let's get the stock moved. Weather's changing."
All of us look up. The sky is still bright enough, but there's a dirty haze near the southern horizon that wasn't there when we arrived. I can't tell whether it's clouds, smoke, ash, or something else, and I don't particularly care, because my impatience snaps right back into place.
"Let's move."
With the experienced extra hands, everything goes faster. Gord and Stu clearly know exactly what they're doing with cattle, which means the rest of us mostly just listen and stay out of the way.
The chickens are worse, and not because they're difficult to move. Sheila, Dana, Kim, and the kids have them into travel crates with brutal efficiency. They're worse because of Reid, who lasts thirty seconds before backing away from the barn with both hands over his ears.
"No. Absolutely not. That red one is insane."
Mikey looks into the crate. "That's Dorothy."
"Dorothy needs therapy."
"She's a chicken."
"Yeah, a chicken that needs an exorcism!"
Penny barks at him, and Reid points a finger at her. "Do not encourage the crazy, Penny!"
Luna doubles over laughing beside the barn door, and I stop what I'm doing just to watch her. It steals my breath how fucking beautiful she is when she laughs.
When the last of everything we need is secured and ready to go, Anders walks the line of vehicles with a box of walkie-talkies.
"One per vehicle. They're all set on channel 2, make sure to keep them on that channel.
Any problems call out. If anyone has to stop, we all stop.
Nobody breaks from the convoy unless it's some kind of emergency and they let everyone know. "
Luna walks toward me carrying a small bag, and my mood lifts immediately. "Calling shotgun?" I ask her.
Her eyes slide toward my truck, then over to Gage at the motorhome, then to Mars near the Jeep and Jules standing beside the Escalade with Reid and Kara. She looks at every one of them before turning back to Anders's pickup.
"I think I'm going with Anders."
Disappointment punches through me with embarrassing speed. "Why?"
She adjusts the strap on her bag and mumbles something, so I lean closer. "What was that? I didn't hear you."
"I said I'm choosing the coward's way out."
"Coward's way out of what?"
"Nothing."
"Love, what are you talking about?"
"Shut up."
There is enough pink in her cheeks to bring my curiosity roaring back. Across the yard, Gage is watching us now, and Jules notices that too, which sets the bastard smiling again.
Luna sees where I'm looking. "Stop investigating."
"I'm doing nothing."
"Liar. You're doing it right now. You think I can’t tell when the wheels are turning in that head of yours?"
I grin at her. "Get in my truck."
"Nope."
"You wound me."
"You'll recover."
"Super healing doesn't work on a broken heart."
She laughs, but she still backs toward Anders's pickup. "I'll see you at the mine."
"Cold, Luna."
"Coward," she corrects, pointing at herself. "We've established this."
Then she turns and climbs into the passenger seat before I can convince her otherwise, and I watch her buckle in with a fair amount of disbelief.
Gage walks past, carrying one last bag toward the motorhome. He looks at Anders's truck, then looks at me. "She ditch you too?"
"Appears so."
Something almost like satisfaction moves across his face, and I narrow my eyes at him. "Why don’t you tell me what put you in a shit mood? I know it has something to do with her and Jules."
His expression closes immediately. "No idea what you're talking about."
Jules calls, "I do."
Gage turns his head toward him and throws out a half-hearted, "Fuck you." But it lacks the heat of anger so he must have cooled off.
Jules throws his head back laughing, and Luna slides lower in Anders's passenger seat until the dashboard almost hides her.
I look from her to Gage, then over to Jules.
That story is coming out of somebody eventually, just not right now, so I let it go and climb into my truck.
One by one everyone's engines start across the yard until the quiet farmyard fills with diesel rumble and exhaust.
The walkie-talkie crackles. "Everybody ready?" Anders asks.
Everyone sounds off that they’re ready and then Anders's truck pulls forward and this time, when the convoy starts moving, it feels different. We're not running from anything. Every one of us is finally heading toward something instead.
I don't know what the Harlow Mine is going to become once we get there. Home sounds too optimistic, and shelter doesn't feel big enough for everything we're asking it to be. We’ll need so much to make it work but I have faith that together we’ll find a way to make a future there.