Read Online The Peyti Crisis: A Retrieval Artist Novel: Book Five of the Anniversary Day Saga (Retrieval Artist series 12) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Tags: Fiction
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fifty times smarter. His boy would be the most formidable man in Armstrong, maybe in the Alliance—if there was anything left of Armstrong or the Alliance by then.
“Some business has come up,” Deshin said. “Paavo, can you let your mother and I—”
“You’re going to leave?” Paavo asked, his grip tightening. “Mom’s scared and you’re going to go away on business?”
Gerda winced, confirming Paavo’s words—as if Deshin needed them confirmed. Deshin’s heart sank. He knew that Gerda was upset by all that had happened; he hadn’t realized that her fears had seeped into the boy as well.
Deshin didn’t want to lie to his son, so he told an incomplete truth. “That’s not why I’m here.”
The actual truth would have been “that’s not exactly why I’m here,” although it was close.
Gerda must have seen the thought cross his face. She tried to get control of her own expression, but didn’t seem able to. Instead, she bent down, turned the bread pans around inside the oven, then closed the oven door, her face flushed from the heat. She had done that so she wouldn’t have to look at him, so that he wouldn’t see her reaction to his news.
“Can you give us a minute, Paavo?” Gerda asked, only her tone brooked no disagreement. She had made it sound like a question, but both the men in her life knew she was commanding Paavo to leave the room.
“I’m old enough—”
“Yes, you are,” Deshin said. “But right now, this isn’t about age. This is about private things between your parents. Please, let us talk.”
Paavo pulled away from him. Gerda half-smiled at Deshin. He never said “please” to anyone except his boy.
He and Gerda had brought him into their lives as a baby, but hadn’t formally adopted him until two years ago, fearing legal complications with his Disappeared parents. They ended up having legal complications, just not the ones they expected.
But he was theirs now, and that moment when Deshin thought he might lose the boy, that was the worst moment of his life.
He never expected to be this kind of parent. He thought he would be the father of half a dozen children, coming home to a large laughing household filled with playful athletic kids, not a quiet place with his wife and his brilliant son, thinking the day away.
But early on, Paavo had proven such a difficult child and they had loved him so much they didn’t want to lose focus on him when they brought in a different child.
Deshin and Gerda had talked about adopting another child. They felt that it might be good for Paavo now. But that had been just before Anniversary Day.
Anniversary Day changed everything.
Gerda walked to the kitchen door and stood, arms crossed. She watched as Paavo walked into his room and pulled the door closed.
Then she turned to Deshin.
“You can’t leave us now. There’s going to be another attack. We’ll die without you.”
He’d never heard his wife sound so terrified. He had married her for her courage as well as her heart. She had stood up to horrible things in their past, and she had defended Paavo like a she-tiger during the crisis with his biological parents.
If Gerda were one of his valued employees or even one of his friends, he would have tried to placate her. But she knew him better than anyone. She knew when he was trying to manipulate her.
He extended his hand toward the table, so that she would sit down. She shook her head slightly, clearly too upset to sit calmly. So he did.
He sat in one of the soft chairs that were such a part of his comfortable home, and stretched out his legs, crossed at the ankle, as if he were relaxing after one of Gerda’s marvelous meals.
“I’m not here to talk about my absence,” he said.
She frowned. She clearly didn’t understand.
“Sit, please,” he said.
She did. She sat on the edge of one of the chairs as if she were going to spring up at any moment. Behind her, he could see bowls on the counter. They were filled
“Some business has come up,” Deshin said. “Paavo, can you let your mother and I—”
“You’re going to leave?” Paavo asked, his grip tightening. “Mom’s scared and you’re going to go away on business?”
Gerda winced, confirming Paavo’s words—as if Deshin needed them confirmed. Deshin’s heart sank. He knew that Gerda was upset by all that had happened; he hadn’t realized that her fears had seeped into the boy as well.
Deshin didn’t want to lie to his son, so he told an incomplete truth. “That’s not why I’m here.”
The actual truth would have been “that’s not exactly why I’m here,” although it was close.
Gerda must have seen the thought cross his face. She tried to get control of her own expression, but didn’t seem able to. Instead, she bent down, turned the bread pans around inside the oven, then closed the oven door, her face flushed from the heat. She had done that so she wouldn’t have to look at him, so that he wouldn’t see her reaction to his news.
“Can you give us a minute, Paavo?” Gerda asked, only her tone brooked no disagreement. She had made it sound like a question, but both the men in her life knew she was commanding Paavo to leave the room.
“I’m old enough—”
“Yes, you are,” Deshin said. “But right now, this isn’t about age. This is about private things between your parents. Please, let us talk.”
Paavo pulled away from him. Gerda half-smiled at Deshin. He never said “please” to anyone except his boy.
He and Gerda had brought him into their lives as a baby, but hadn’t formally adopted him until two years ago, fearing legal complications with his Disappeared parents. They ended up having legal complications, just not the ones they expected.
But he was theirs now, and that moment when Deshin thought he might lose the boy, that was the worst moment of his life.
He never expected to be this kind of parent. He thought he would be the father of half a dozen children, coming home to a large laughing household filled with playful athletic kids, not a quiet place with his wife and his brilliant son, thinking the day away.
But early on, Paavo had proven such a difficult child and they had loved him so much they didn’t want to lose focus on him when they brought in a different child.
Deshin and Gerda had talked about adopting another child. They felt that it might be good for Paavo now. But that had been just before Anniversary Day.
Anniversary Day changed everything.
Gerda walked to the kitchen door and stood, arms crossed. She watched as Paavo walked into his room and pulled the door closed.
Then she turned to Deshin.
“You can’t leave us now. There’s going to be another attack. We’ll die without you.”
He’d never heard his wife sound so terrified. He had married her for her courage as well as her heart. She had stood up to horrible things in their past, and she had defended Paavo like a she-tiger during the crisis with his biological parents.
If Gerda were one of his valued employees or even one of his friends, he would have tried to placate her. But she knew him better than anyone. She knew when he was trying to manipulate her.
He extended his hand toward the table, so that she would sit down. She shook her head slightly, clearly too upset to sit calmly. So he did.
He sat in one of the soft chairs that were such a part of his comfortable home, and stretched out his legs, crossed at the ankle, as if he were relaxing after one of Gerda’s marvelous meals.
“I’m not here to talk about my absence,” he said.
She frowned. She clearly didn’t understand.
“Sit, please,” he said.
She did. She sat on the edge of one of the chairs as if she were going to spring up at any moment. Behind her, he could see bowls on the counter. They were filled
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