22. Blake
BLAKE
I wait until Aspen has vanished back inside the property, carrying her new purchases with her, then I leave my work to go and find Levi.
I don’t know exactly where my son will be, but I can normally take a good guess.
While I’m mainly focused on renovating the hotel, he’s busy with the surrounding grounds.
He chops wood to get us through the cold winter months, or hunts for game for the freezer.
This time, I find him by the river. He’s been fishing and is now sitting on a flat rock, cleaning the trout he’s caught.
He guts one then washes it out in the water.
His knife blade catches the sunlight, reflecting in bright shards.
I normally love the sound of the river flowing. There’s something about it that immediately relaxes me. But right now, every muscle in my body is tense.
“She spoke to someone in town,” I announce.
Levi flicks his hair back from his face and scowls up at me. “What?”
“She needed to go into town to get supplies, and she spoke to an elderly man.”
He narrows his eyes. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, letting her go into town?”
“I could hardly stop her, could I? But I took precautions. I made sure she only used cash, and she can’t use her phone. She thinks we have the worst possible coverage around here.”
He tosses a handful of fish guts into the water. “How long is she going to buy that?”
“I’m not sure, but I think, deep down, she likes that she can’t contact anyone. That’s why she’s not asking more questions.”
Levi twists his lips as he considers this. “Maybe you’re right.”
Certainty solidifies inside me. “I am. I know her.”
“No, you don’t,” Levi scoffs. “You might have known her a long time ago, but she was a little girl then, and she’s a grown woman now. You have no clue as to what she’s thinking or how she’s going to act.”
I raise my eyebrows. “And you do?”
“Yeah, I’ve got an idea. She’s into you. I don’t think she’s going anywhere.”
I like the idea of her being into me. “What does she think of you?”
“That I’m an asshole, and she’d be right.” Levi grins, and it transforms his usually hard features. “But she’ll come round.”
“What about—” I start, but Levi holds up a hand to stop me.
I try not to be irritated at my son’s disrespect.
“We’ll deal with that when we have to,” he says.
I bite the inside of my cheek and glance back in the direction of the hotel. “I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later. He’s getting confident.”
“I know. Let’s hope he doesn’t frighten her off.”
The idea of losing her now hits me harder than I want to admit. “I think she’s tougher than she seems. She’s already been through a hell of a lot. It’s what makes her so perfect.”
Levi seems to consider this. “Let’s just be careful not to give her too much rope. Letting her go into town, and take your car, was a risky move.”
I’m still arguing my case. “But if we act as though she’s not allowed to leave, then we’ll spook her and she will. What was I supposed to say when she asked if she could borrow my car? It was sitting right there. I could hardly say no.”
I want to be right. I don’t want it to be that I’m being too soft on her because I feel affection for the girl.
Levi shrugs. “My point is that her going into town was dangerous. Even if she didn’t use her credit card or her phone, she’ll have been caught on CCTV somewhere. If people start asking questions, they’ll come looking here.”
“So let them ask. We’ll handle it.” I think of something else. “Anyway, the boyfriend knows where she is. She might not have many ties, but that’s an annoying one.”
A slow smile crosses Levi’s lips as he picks up another fat rainbow trout and stabs the sharp point of his knife into its shiny belly.
“If he becomes a problem,” he says, dragging the knife down to expose the inner flesh, “we’ll have to deal with him.”