Chapter Twenty-two #2
After taking another fifteen minutes to get herself together, she had a lovely conversation with Mr. Abney.
She hadn’t been this excited about a project since…
since the disastrous Firecamp video. But she knew so much more now about what was really important.
She caught herself holding her breath as she tried to reach Fallon, but the call had gone straight to voice mail, so she was either out of range or had turned off her phone.
It could be either, but neither mattered anymore.
An hour later, Nora had changed into her most comfortable jeans and sweatshirt and was almost through packing.
She had a wheeled duffel for most of her clothes and a small overnight bag to take into the hotel on the way.
The Colorado mountains would be getting colder, but she knew Fallon would loan her whatever she needed.
After all, if she’d give Nora her heart, she would surely part with some thermal underwear. Nora laughed out loud.
As she passed through the living room, she stopped to wrap her arms around Cade.
“Thank you. You’re a good listener. But take care of my little brother, or you won’t like what you hear from me.
” She stepped back. “Ask Tyler to call me when he gets in. Tell him I’m going to need a few minutes.
” Cade nodded solemnly, and Nora suspected Tyler’s new friend would be taking stock after she closed the front door.
She could imagine the internal assessment: Tyler is a great guy, but his sister is something else.
Falcon is going to have her hands full with that one, but if anyone can handle it…
When Tyler called, she caught him up on everything, and they talked until she got into New Mexico.
In those four hours, he was able to convince her that the printout of the resignation email she’d left on the kitchen table was a much better alternative to killing her boss, though he saw the appeal of the latter.
She’d brought Fallon’s note and read it to him twice—she’d pretty much memorized it by then—admitting that Fallon had said almost all of that to her at dinner, though not quite so movingly.
Tyler was convinced that Fallon was saying that she loved her.
“Do you really think so?” Nora asked. “I haven’t been able to reach her. Do you think she’ll be glad to see me?”
“Wait,” he said. She could hear him taking a drink of something. “Have you not told each other ‘I love you’?”
Nora sighed, recalling that first night at the canyon. She’d thought that Fallon might have said it. And if she’d been sure, would she have said it back? The tears were starting again, so she decided to be defensive. “No. Why should we?”
“Because you fucking do,” he said calmly. “Love each other. It’s completely obvious to anyone who spends ten minutes around you. And once you’ve said those magic words, a lot of other stupid things get out of the way.”
“Oh yeah, like what?”
“Like, where should we live, and what should I do about my career, and do we want kids or dogs or cats or all of the above?” Tyler sniffed.
“Because once you say ‘I love you,’ you’re promising someone else that they get first place.
First in your thoughts, first in your heart, and first in your actions.
But they’re promising you the same thing, which makes it all work out. ”
Nora managed a laugh. “That sounds good, but how can something so simple iron out all the other complications?”
“It just does. You’ll have to trust me.”
“How would you know this? You’ve never been in love.”
“I think I was once.”
“What? When was this? And why am I just now hearing of it?”
“Junior year in college, just before the pandemic got really bad. A guy in one of my classes. Smart, funny, handsome, and for some reason, actually into me.”
“Tyler! What’s his name? And where is he now? What happened?”
“Robin was his name.” His voice caught. “He died of COVID. Right before I moved in with you.”
“Oh God, sweetie. I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He sighed. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want me as your roommate if all you saw was your weepy little brother. Besides, you were working pretty much twenty-four seven, and what good would it have done?”
“Have I not told you how glad I was when you moved in? I’m sorry if you didn’t know that. Weepy or not, I’ve loved living with you.”
She thought he said “Thanks,” but his voice cracked, so she didn’t say anything else for a while. “What about Cade?” she asked finally. “Could this be love yet again?”
“I don’t know. Should I follow your model and wait ten years to find out?”
She blew a raspberry at him. “You really think Fallon loves me?” she asked when he stopped laughing.
“I really do.”
“Then I need a plan.”
He yawned. “Where are you? Can we talk about the plan tomorrow?”
She told him she was an hour from Albuquerque, where she planned to stop for the night. He yawned again, telling her to listen to NPR or put on a podcast and call him when she got on the road in the morning.
* * *
“Nora? Hi. I thought that was you. What are you doing here?” Maris’s tone was friendly, but her expression was worried. And rightly so. Nora was hungry and road weary and in no mood to waste time with Fallon’s little minion.
She barely turned, continuing her march across the Firecamp grounds. “Where is she, Maris?”
“Where is who?” Maris was hurrying to match her stride.
Oh no. She wasn’t playing stupid questions today.
“The Easter Bunny,” she snapped, almost laughing when Maris stopped walking.
With the last bit of her patience, she said, “Fallon, Maris. Where is Fallon Monroe?” Maris started to take a breath, but Nora cut her off.
“And don’t tell me she’s in a meeting or unavailable or some other shit.
Just tell me where she is. Now. Please.” She added that last word because Maris looked like she was about to cry.
“But she actually is in a meeting.” Nora fixed her with her most threatening expression. It worked. “In the ranger’s office. With the new ranger.” Maris began to babble. “They’re not supposed to be disturbed.”
Under other circumstances, Nora might have respected those instructions.
But her seismic decision regarding her professional life had freed her.
And after reading the most beautiful note ever written and driving eleven and a half hours to find out if she was right about the most important thing in her life, she had no such concerns.
“Thank you,” she said as sweetly as she could manage, resuming her progress toward the building in question.
Maris was trailing her, so just before she mounted the steps, she added, “And don’t let me catch you or anyone else with your ear outside that window, or it will be the last thing you do, understand? ”
Maris nodded and hurried in the direction of the barracks without another word.