Read Online Never Forget: A Novella in the Echo Platoon Series by Marliss Melton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marliss Melton
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asked Mr. Kuzinsky.”
Rusty just looked at her, his dark eyes troubled. “Why don’t you call me later and we’ll talk about it,” he suggested quietly.
His mature and reasonable reply made her feel childish.
“Of course,” she agreed. But she was pretty sure he wouldn’t have the words to reassure her that her son was perfectly safe. Clearly the dog was more dangerous than he’d believed, or he would never have brought in a teenage boy to play with it in the first place—right?
Recalling her purchases, she gestured to the bags now splayed across the picnic table. “Here’s all the stuff on your list. I found the trash bin,” she added, pulling it out of the bag to show off her accomplishment in finding it. “Is this about right?”
He mustered a smile for her. “Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you.” There was so much formality in his tone that her heart fell. As far as he was concerned, Curtis wouldn’t be coming back, which meant their potential date this weekend was probably on the chopping block, as well.
“Well, I’d better get Curtis home,” she said.
Curtis divided a puzzled gaze between the two adults but held his tongue.
Rusty reached into his back pocket and pulled out several bills and handed them to Curtis. “Here you go, son. Thanks for your help.”
“You’re welcome.”
Maya bit her tongue against the same protest as the day before. It seemed like too much for just watching a dog, but, in this case, Curtis had earned that money today—and then some.
“I’ll call you,” she promised, heading toward her car.
There was no giddy feeling in her stomach like there’d been twenty-four hours earlier. As far as she could tell, Rusty considered their arrangement over. At the corner of the house, she glanced back to see him squatting beside the dog, petting him absently and staring out into the marsh. Draco gave a whine as Curtis turned the corner.
What was he sad about? The damn dog had ruined everything.
*
A S SHE’D DONE the previous evening, Maya dialed Rusty’s number at quarter to eight. A queasy feeling usurped the anticipation she’d felt when calling him the night before. She sat on her bed, glancing briefly up at Ian’s portrait, before looking away.
Surely Rusty understood that her first priority was her son’s welfare. And recalling the finality in his voice that day, he had probably already guessed she would want to keep Curtis away from Draco from now on. After all, what guarantee could he give that the dog wouldn’t bite Curtis again? And next time the ramifications could be worse. A bite to the face could leave her son permanently disfigured.
On the other hand, without the dog to watch, Curtis would be home alone, with a potential arms smuggler watching her house and brooding over the possibility that he might soon go to jail.
More than that, an end to Curtis’s dog-sitting translated to an end to any potential romance between her and Rusty. She’d like to unlink the two entirely so that she didn’t end up putting Curtis at risk just to satisfy her desire to get to know Rusty better. But if she did unlink them, then the bonfire on the beach might never transpire, and she was looking forward to it—more than she wanted to admit.
Without an excuse to visit Rusty’s farmhouse and with their lives so busy, they’d never see each other again. She’d continue her solitary existence indefinitely.
Until last autumn, that option had been fine with her. Meeting Rusty for the first time had awakened her dormant spirit. Suddenly, ten years of solitude struck her as an awfully long time to be alone. Here she was, still in her thirties. Why shouldn’t she get another shot at forever?
If she only knew Rusty’s intentions. Given all the distractions with the dog and the upcoming arrival of his visitors, he might prefer to stay single and unencumbered.
His phone rang and rang, suggesting that was probably the case. Or maybe he just wished to avoid a
Rusty just looked at her, his dark eyes troubled. “Why don’t you call me later and we’ll talk about it,” he suggested quietly.
His mature and reasonable reply made her feel childish.
“Of course,” she agreed. But she was pretty sure he wouldn’t have the words to reassure her that her son was perfectly safe. Clearly the dog was more dangerous than he’d believed, or he would never have brought in a teenage boy to play with it in the first place—right?
Recalling her purchases, she gestured to the bags now splayed across the picnic table. “Here’s all the stuff on your list. I found the trash bin,” she added, pulling it out of the bag to show off her accomplishment in finding it. “Is this about right?”
He mustered a smile for her. “Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you.” There was so much formality in his tone that her heart fell. As far as he was concerned, Curtis wouldn’t be coming back, which meant their potential date this weekend was probably on the chopping block, as well.
“Well, I’d better get Curtis home,” she said.
Curtis divided a puzzled gaze between the two adults but held his tongue.
Rusty reached into his back pocket and pulled out several bills and handed them to Curtis. “Here you go, son. Thanks for your help.”
“You’re welcome.”
Maya bit her tongue against the same protest as the day before. It seemed like too much for just watching a dog, but, in this case, Curtis had earned that money today—and then some.
“I’ll call you,” she promised, heading toward her car.
There was no giddy feeling in her stomach like there’d been twenty-four hours earlier. As far as she could tell, Rusty considered their arrangement over. At the corner of the house, she glanced back to see him squatting beside the dog, petting him absently and staring out into the marsh. Draco gave a whine as Curtis turned the corner.
What was he sad about? The damn dog had ruined everything.
*
A S SHE’D DONE the previous evening, Maya dialed Rusty’s number at quarter to eight. A queasy feeling usurped the anticipation she’d felt when calling him the night before. She sat on her bed, glancing briefly up at Ian’s portrait, before looking away.
Surely Rusty understood that her first priority was her son’s welfare. And recalling the finality in his voice that day, he had probably already guessed she would want to keep Curtis away from Draco from now on. After all, what guarantee could he give that the dog wouldn’t bite Curtis again? And next time the ramifications could be worse. A bite to the face could leave her son permanently disfigured.
On the other hand, without the dog to watch, Curtis would be home alone, with a potential arms smuggler watching her house and brooding over the possibility that he might soon go to jail.
More than that, an end to Curtis’s dog-sitting translated to an end to any potential romance between her and Rusty. She’d like to unlink the two entirely so that she didn’t end up putting Curtis at risk just to satisfy her desire to get to know Rusty better. But if she did unlink them, then the bonfire on the beach might never transpire, and she was looking forward to it—more than she wanted to admit.
Without an excuse to visit Rusty’s farmhouse and with their lives so busy, they’d never see each other again. She’d continue her solitary existence indefinitely.
Until last autumn, that option had been fine with her. Meeting Rusty for the first time had awakened her dormant spirit. Suddenly, ten years of solitude struck her as an awfully long time to be alone. Here she was, still in her thirties. Why shouldn’t she get another shot at forever?
If she only knew Rusty’s intentions. Given all the distractions with the dog and the upcoming arrival of his visitors, he might prefer to stay single and unencumbered.
His phone rang and rang, suggesting that was probably the case. Or maybe he just wished to avoid a
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