Silence Was Not Forgiveness novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: The Loading Bay

Dale was on the forklift in loading bay three when I found him on Tuesday morning, stacking pallets of cedar fence boards.

He saw me coming and turned the engine off.

"Nolan."

"Dale."

"The whole warehouse knew by seven," he said. "Mom told me herself at seven. She called me to say congratulations."

He climbed down and wiped his palms on his jeans.

My little brother is broad and bearded, and he has never been able to hold a straight face when he lies.

"Is it true?" he asked.

"Kendall says so."

"That's not what I asked."

I looked down the bay at the two loaders pretending not to listen.

"Walk with me," Dale said.

We went out the side door to the loading dock and stood in the cold with the yard in front of us.

Forklifts beeped. A truck backed in.

"It isn't yours," Dale said quietly.

"No."

"I know it isn't. I was in the parking lot with the radio on, remember?" He rubbed his face. "I sat there forty minutes and never said a thing to you."

"You said okay."

"I said okay. That's the worst thing I ever said."

I took a breath. "Dale, nobody can know. Not before the fifteenth."

"Why the fifteenth?"

"That's the date Lena picked."

He stared at me.

"Lena picked a date? Lena knows about Kendall?"

"She found out Friday. She set rules."

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