“Forgive me for getting pissed off every time you put my father on a pedestal,” he snarled. “I’m tired of getting blamed for what’s wrong around here.”
She hardly heard him, too consumed with getting away before he could lob any more insults. Striding down the hall, she entered her bedroom and slammed the door. “Pigheaded brute.”
An eerie silence pulsed from the hallway. Jaye leaned one shoulder against the door, listening. After a long moment, she heard his work boots clomp out of earshot.
The kitchen door slammed.
His truck fired up with a loud roar. Bright headlights moved through her window like the rotating beam of a lighthouse. The low rumble of his engine headed down the road.
Alone at last.
Jaye peeled off her work clothes in favor of a pair of comfortable jeans and a white T-shirt. She flopped onto the bed and pulled a pillow over her head. Her stomach growled, but there was no way she’d touch the food Mitch had brought home. She lifted one corner of the pillow to peer at the six giant chocolate bars sitting on top of her suitcase. The candy was meant for chocolate fondue at the next poker game, but she could eat one now.
Guilt squashed her hunger. A moment ago, Mitch admitted he was tired of getting blamed for what went wrong, and she’d ignored the heartfelt confession. Sympathy stung the back of her eyes. She knew how he felt. For too long, she’d carried the silent blame for not being the son her father wanted. No matter how much Mitch provoked her, she didn’t want to indict him for something he couldn’t change.
No wonder he was angry.
Jaye closed her eyes and wondered if he’d give her the silent treatment like her father did when he was displeased. Or would Mitch avoid her, like her mother? She hoped he wasn’t like David, who headed to the nearest bar whenever tension arose.
Her own coping mechanism was to bury her feelings so she wouldn’t feel the pain, but a persistent tickle of a cold finger of air from the drafty window wouldn’t let her lie in peace. Muttering a curse, Jaye pushed the bed away from the wall. No draft reached the center of the room, so she left the bed there. Jaye surveyed her handiwork and nodded. Getting out of the cold felt good, in more ways than one.
The doorbell rang and Jaye froze. No one had ever stopped by since she’d moved in. Had Mitch forgotten someone was coming over? Curious, she peered through the curtains and spotted two small figures standing on the front porch. Even though they were wearing bulky football uniforms, she recognized the distinctive way their shoulders sloped—like their older brother.
She jogged into the foyer to open the front door.
“Trick or treat!” Brody smiled at her from behind the grill of a grass-stained helmet.
“Are you surprised?” Carter pointed toward the empty road. “No one ever walks all the way out here on Halloween.”
“I’m very surprised.” Jaye glanced at the empty sidewalk and felt a pang of worry. “Did you come here by yourselves?”
“It’s only two miles. We both had flashlights, so the dark road wasn’t too scary.” Brody tilted his helmet so he could peer past her. “Where’s Mitch? He didn’t forget Halloween, did he?”
Jaye had a feeling he had. “He left a few minutes ago. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”
Their smiles faded.
“Come inside. Use my cell to call him.” Jaye handed her phone to Brody. “Tell him you’re here, and I’m sure he’ll rush back to see you.”
Brody took off his helmet and dialed.
Jaye noticed the pillowcase wadded up in Carter’s hand. “Looks like you didn’t have the chance to stop for candy along the way.”
He gave a half-hearted shrug. “We’ll get some on the way home.”
Jaye couldn’t let the boys walk away empty handed. “I’ll be right back.”
She snatched the candy from her bedroom and hurried to the living room.
“Mitch said he’s ten minutes from town. I said we’d meet him on Academy Street.” Brody handed her the phone. “Could you please drive us there?”
“Yes.” She dropped the chocolate bars into the boys’ pillowcases. “I think Mitch wanted you to have these.”
“Wow.” Carter grinned, revealing a black mouth guard. “Thank you, Miss Davis.”
Jaye put on her tweed blazer, hoping the thin fabric would protect her from the cold. “Let’s head out the front door. I’m parked in the driveway.”
“We noticed. You have a sweet ride.” Brody bounded out in front of his brother and hollered, “I’ve got shotgun!”
On the way to town, Carter’s gaze met hers in the rear view mirror. “Do you like Mitch?”
“Um, yes. Why?”
“He likes you,” Brody explained. “Remember when we came over on Monday night? When you left the kitchen to change clothes, Mitch asked us to talk a lot at dinner. He said he needed us to cover for him, because every time he looks at you, his mind goes blank.”
A shiver twisted along her spine. “He said that?”
“Yeah. I knew what he meant. I feel the same way when I look at Gina Lambert.” Brody shuddered. “It’s terrifying.”
Carter tapped her shoulder. “Turn here, Miss Davis. This road will take you to Academy Street.”
She followed their directions and parked along the curb. Even though Academy Street was one of the main thoroughfares through Shinglehouse, she spotted only one car driving down the road.
Brody looked at Jaye. “Want to walk with us?”
“Yes, I would.” Jaye joined the boys on the sidewalk.
As they strode along the neat concrete path, the boys rattled off the names of the people who lived in the houses they passed. Jaye realized that people mattered to each other in this little town, which hadn’t been the case in the sprawling upscale neighborhood where she lived as a child. She would’ve struggled to name one family who lived on her street, whereas Carter and Brody knew everyone on this road.
They paused beside a modest white two-story house with a collection of carved pumpkins
