Chapter 16: Weekly Rate

Siri's POV

I had told my mother to drive past the Reading Desk, and I had told myself I only wanted to see the porch.

The porch had three boxes on it.

Knox stood beside them with his coat open and a stranger's new key in his hand.

"Well," my mother said, and put the truck in park.

"Don't."

"I haven't said anything."

"You're about to."

"I'm about to get out." She pushed the door open with her cane. "You can sit."

I sat.

I watched her cross the walk on her bad hip.

I watched Knox see her coming and stand up straighter.

"Mrs. Lindqvist."

"Karin. What's in the boxes?"

"Books."

"Heavy?"

"Yes."

"Then pick them up."

He looked at her.

"Pick them up," my mother said again. "My truck's got a bed. I'm not carrying them and neither is she."

He carried the first box down the walk.

His sleeves were pushed up, and the cords of his forearms stood out under the weight.

I looked at the dashboard instead.

He set the box in the truck bed with great care.

"I can't take your help," he said to my mother. "I don't have a place to put it."

"Blue Heron has room four. It's got a bed and a window that sticks. It's forty-nine a night."

"I can't pay forty-nine a night."

"I got you the weekly rate."

"That's a favor."

"It's the weekly rate," my mother said. "I called ahead. Pick up the second box."

I rolled the window down two inches.

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