When they got outside, William suddenly noticed all the chickens and ducks were gone from the yard.


    “Where are all the chickens and ducks? You used to baby those things.”


    Of course I babied them.


    The eggs brought in cash, let us buy actual meat for dinner.


    But William hated them.


    His fancy ass sensibilities couldn’t handle the smell of bird shit. He preferred Emma’s setup.


    Flower gardens.


    A grape arbor.


    Somewhere you could sit and sip tea in the summer shade.


    Maybe even make your own wine from the grapes.


    That’s where they’d hang out when they had free time.


    I shrugged. “Sold them.”


    Since I was leaving, I had to tie up loose ends.


    Nobody in this town gave a damn about me anyway. No point sticking around.


    Last time I stayed put because I thought they mighte looking for me.


    Now I knew better. They wouldn’t look, and they wouldn’t care.


    William let out this weirdugh, all sarcastic and bitter.


    Right.”


    With all that money I gave you, you don’t need to raise livestock anymore.”


    A hundred grand should be enough to buy a ce in town.”


    Henry kept pestering them to leave, so they finally got in the car.


    Henry still wouldn’t say goodbye to me.


    Guess there really wasn’t much to say.


    We probably wouldn’t see each other again in this lifetime.


    William pressed a cell phone into my hands. “You can call us if you want.”


    Last time around, he didn’t leave me jack shit.


    This time, since I was ying it cool, he was suddenly all considerate.


    But I wouldn’t be calling.


    And I wouldn’t be keeping that money either.


    From here on out, we’d go our separate ways. Clean break, no looking back.


    This time around, I wasn’t getting tangled up with them ever again.


    When the convoy disappeared around the mountain road, I grabbed my stuff and took onest look at the house.


    Lucy.


    Time to start over.


    William’s first night back at the Winchester estate felt strangely familiar.


    Lying on the plush king size bed, he kept thinking about the rickety wooden frame and ckened mosquito back in Pine Hollow.


    And all those damn bugs.


    He’d never slept well there.


    It got better after Lucy made those herbal mosquito repellent sachets.


    His room here had perfect climate control and this subtle, expensive fragrance in the air.


    The scent he used to love most.


    William figured he’d sleep like a baby tonight.


    But he tossed and turned until dawn, couldn’t fall asleep.


    Something was missing.


    What was it?


    hat herbal smell?


    Yeah, that was it.


    Made the fancy room fragrance seem cloying somehow.


    After basically pulling an all-nighter, William dragged himself downstairs looking like hell.


    The Winchester breakfast spread was ridiculous.


    Since they weren’t sure what he and Henry liked, the kitchen had made both Western and Chinese options.


    fenry sat there poking at the fish on his te with his fork.


    William’s father saw this and his voice went stern. “Henry, eat properly.”


    Henry looked hurt,


    Mom always used to pick out the bones for him.


    Emma moved to help him.


    “Stop.” The old man held up a hand. “You’re old enough to do it yourself.”


    Then he muttered under his breath, “What do you expect from some country woman’s parenting.”


    Emma put down her fork at thatment.


    Henry felt even more hurt.


    Back home, when Mom told Emma not to do something, she never listened anyway.


    10.34


    He could sense that Grandpa didn’t really like him very much.


    And Emma was acting different too.


    He was starting to miss Mom.


    Kids are pretty straightforward, so as soon as breakfast was over, Henry told William exactly what was on his mind.


    William thought about it, then dialed Lucy’s number.


    No answer.


    William forced a smile. “Mom’s probably busy with something. We’ll try againter.” <fn8792> Find the newest release on ?ovelFind</fn8792>


    But Henry didn’t get another chance to call.


    His schedule got packed solid.


    Old Mr. Winchester wasn’t impressed with his eldest grandson’s performance and figured the kid had a lot of catching up to do.


    y the end of the day, Henry was wiped out.


    lis whole body ached from posture corrections.


    fter his bath, lying in bed, he whined to his dad, “Dad, my legs hurt. Can you rub them?”


    ut William’s massage technique sucked.


    Should I get Emma?” he offered.


    enry shook his head.


    She doesn’t know how either.”


    Only Mom knows how.”


    Villiam was stumped.


    enry’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Tell me a story then! Stories make the hurt go away.”


    When I had fevers, Mom would hold me and tell stories.”


    Villiam ruffled his hair.


    What do you want to hear?”


    Tell me about you and Mom.”


    lim and Lucy?


    Actually, it was pretty cliché.