“It’s not just bullshit,” Tean said.“It’s—it’s idiotic.It’s incompetent bullshit.He has no idea what he’s talking about.He says ‘predator attacks’ when what he means is ‘livestock depredation.’He calls us a department instead of a division.He has no idea when to use capital letters.And for hell’s sake, he pretty much says all we’re worried about is keeping the ranchers and the hunters happy.Then there are pages and pages of this—this joke of a protocol.I’m supposed to submit all my reports to him for ‘scientific review’?The man is an overgrown pest control salesman!”
The shout rang out in the office.
The corner of Hannah’s mouth twitched in a smile.
With a groan, Tean rubbed his eyes.
“This is bullshit,” Hannah said.“I agree one hundred percent.”
“He doesn’t want me to make him look bad in front of his rich friends.Or Karli doesn’t want me to make them look bad.”
“Perks of being the executive director.”
“Or they don’t want me to make them look bad in front of whatever stupid politician got them these jobs in the first place.So, instead of being allowed to do my job, I’m going to have to jump through all these hoops to make sure people with absolutely zero training or background in this field can rest assured they’re not going to hurt anybody’s feelings.”
“How much of that nettle tea have you been drinking?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s switch to water,” Hannah said, and in her typical Hannah way, she flipped off the mug warmer and moved the mug out of reach.“Now.What’s really going on?”
Tean rubbed his eyes.And then he told her: the phone call from Lucy, Ammon’s arrest, the horrible conversation the night before.
When he’d finished, Hannah said, “But she’s not really angry at you.She’s angry because she’s scared.”
“Of course she’s angry at me.She’srightto be angry at me.I—” Tean managed to cut himself off, but only barely.
“Were you about to say, ‘I stole her man’?”
“No.”
A smile teased the corner of Hannah’s mouth again.In spite of his best efforts, Tean smiled back.But a moment later, he pushed his hands through his hair.“I mean, Idid.That’s the worst part.I knew it wasn’t right.I knew he’d made a commitment to her.I knew what it meant, wanting Ammon for myself, pretending to be a friend of the family while the whole time I was—I was trying to take them apart for my own selfish reasons.”
“Good Lord, how much of that tea did you have?”
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“Tean, it was a shitty situation.I’m so sorry.But it’s not like you were on the prowl for a man, fixated on Ammon, and then did everything you could to break up a happy, healthy family.You and Ammon had been involved for years before he and Lucy got married.He was a massive closet-case who couldn’t keep his wiener in its bun.”Hannah paused.“Is that an expression?”
“It will be if Jem ever hears you say it.”
“This is why I shouldn’t have been raised Mormon.I missed out on all those good, crass, folksy sayings.You did too.”
“Not really—”
“And Ammon kept coming after you, remember?Ammon was the one who made up reasons to see you.”
“It doesn’t make what I did any better.”
“It makes it understandable, Tean.Look, I’m sure that was awful having to talk to her after the truth came out.I believe you.But I also think you might be giving yourself too much credit here.She took Ammon back, didn’t she?”In a wondering tone, Hannah added, “God, what do you think that was like?‘Hey honey, sorry I came out as gay, turns out I was wrong.’”
“From what I understand, he told everyone he was bi.Of course.Because he can’t keep it in his bun.”A flush burned its way up Tean’s cheeks.“Oh my gosh, was that anti-bi?Was that hate speech?”
“If it was,” Hannah said, “you really need to work on it.So, do you think she did it?”
The whiplash change of topic cost Tean a moment to recalibrate.“I don’t know.No, I don’t think so.”
“If someone hurt my child like that, I’d kill them,” Hannah said.The words were delivered with a chilling matter-of-factness.