His excitement makes me grin.
“Oh?We were talked about?”Sawyer questions.
“Briefly,” Katelyn replies as she shoots me an embarrassed smile.“After we got back from the hospital, Thomas told me that you guys were all SEALs.Apparently, you all have quite a fan club.”
“I always did like being popular.”Sawyer winks.“Guac is done!”
The front door opens, and a few moments later, Anastasia comes in, a beaming smile on her face.“Hello, everyone.You must be Katelyn’s son,” she says, offering Thomas a handshake.
The teen’s cheeks flush as he takes her hand.“Uh, yeah, Thomas.”He clears his throat.“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”I fight my own smile as I note the not-so-subtle signs of a swiftly-developing crush.
I quickly glance at Sawyer, amused to see him hiding a grin.
“Please.Just Anastasia.”She shrugs out of her light jacket and hangs it on the back of a chair before crossing over to give her mom a hug and kiss.“It smells amazing, Momma.”
“Thanks, Babygirl.Why don’t you get some sweet tea and have a seat?We’re ready to eat.”
As it always does, Sawyer’s gaze lingers on Anastasia.That is until he realizes I’ve noticed.Then his smooth smile slips into place, erasing the longing that had been there only a heartbeat before.
“So, Katelyn, what’s it like living next to Garrison?He a noisy neighbor?”He takes a seat right beside her, with Thomas on her other side.I take a seat beside him while Ryker and Weston help Linda place the food in the center of the table.
“Actually, we’d never even officially met until after I?—”
“Pepper-sprayed him,” Thomas interrupts.
Her cheeks flush.“Yes.Exactly.We seem to keep different hours.”Her gaze momentarily shifts to me before turning back toward the others.
The grin Sawyer directs at me is evidence enough that I’m wearing my feelings on my sleeve.I’ll be hearing about that later, for sure.
“So tell us, what brought you to Stormwatch Landing?”Linda asks.“You both moved here recently, right?”
At her question, the light in Katelyn’s eyes fades just a bit.“We’ve been trying to find a place to call home for quite some time.”She wraps an arm around Thomas, who, for the first time since they arrived, keeps his eyes downcast, his mood falling just a bit.
“You’ve moved around a lot?That must have been hard,” Anastasia offers.
“It has been,” Katelyn replies.“But as long as we have each other, that’s all that matters.”
Thomas smiles up at his mom, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.There’s pain there, too—and it hurts me to see it.
“I love that.”Linda’s own smile is a bit softer now, and I imagine it’s because she’s likely picking up on the tension rolling off the two guests in waves.Secrets buried don’t just linger silently; they fester, and when they become large enough, tendrils of that darkness find their way out one way or another.
And that’s exactly what’s happening here.
Whatever Katelyn is avoiding—it’s big.Unfortunately, if there’s one thing I know well, it’s that the past has a way of catching up with you.One way or another.
“Mr.Holt!You’re back!”Three teens rush forward to greet me at the door.
Jeremy Stewart, a seventeen-year-old who’s been hanging around the community center since he was thirteen, is the first to reach the door.Followed closely by Jonathan Davidson, his best friend, and Derek Charleston, one of our newer teens.He and his family had just moved here the week before I ended up nearly bleeding to death.
“Hey, guys.I’m not officially back, so shh.”I put my finger to my lips and move into the center.The pain in my side is certainly agitating today, but staring at the four walls of my apartment was just too much.Besides, the doctor only said no heavy lifting.
Walking is good for you, right?
“Should you be on your feet?”Jeremy asks, cocking his head to the side.
“As long as I don’t lift anything, I’m fine.”I head through the lobby and offer a wave toward Susie Marquez, our secretary.She’s on the phone, but she offers a smile and a wave back.
“How are you feeling?”Jonathan questions.