Chapter 4: The Crate

Evangeline burst into tears.

Real ones this time, or close enough.

"Me and my big mouth."

She covered her face with both hands and ran out the door.

The bell jangled behind her.

Bowen's face went dark.

"Happy now, Elodie? You made her cry. You're unbelievable."

He went after her.

Through the window I watched him catch her by the lamppost and fold her into his arms.

She cried on his shoulder for the whole street to see.

Over his shoulder, her eyes found mine through the glass.

Dry.

I turned around and wiped down the counter.

The woman at table three came up to pay.

She was in her sixties, with a church-lady cardigan and sharp eyes.

"Honey," she said, "I don't know what that was. But you didn't do a thing wrong."

"I know," I said.

She squeezed my hand and left a twenty in the tip jar.

My phone buzzed again.

This time it was Lucan.

"Bridge is done, my Luna. Home tomorrow afternoon. Tell Asher I'm bringing him the digger."

I smiled down at the screen.

My shoulders finally dropped.

Lucan had been gone for three weeks, finishing the river bridge up north.

Three weeks of Asher asking for Daddy at bedtime. Three weeks of me sleeping on his side of the bed because it smelled like him.

Three weeks of keeping a secret I hadn't said out loud yet.

I touched my stomach under my apron.

Tomorrow.

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