Elias Read online

  Cade nodded toward the ranch house. “June’s inside putting little Stan down to sleep,” he said. “You want to come up for a beer? I know she’d love to have you over.”

  “Sure,” I said. "Just let me get cleaned up and I'll be over in a few."

  After I'd showered and changed, I walked over to Cade and June's place. The sun was low on the horizon by the time I walked over, the sky all lit up like a watercolor painting, all pinks and purples and reds. I breathed in deeply, the smell of the evening air like a soothing balm.

  “June won’t say so, but she’s the biggest fan of yours,” Cade said. “She’s pretty much tickled shitty that you’re staying here. I mean, I don’t watch your movies - no offense.”

  I laughed. “None taken,” I said. “I haven’t exactly branched out beyond chick flicks.” I paused for a moment, trying to consider how to say what I wanted to say. “I’m here on the down low, though - you understand that, right?”

  Cade opened the front door to the house and motioned me inside. “Yeah, I gathered that,” he said. “You’re not the first person I’ve hid in West Bend.”

  He opened the refrigerator and withdrew a beer, popping the top and handing it to me. “Local brew,” he said.

  I took a sip. “It’s nice. So you’ve hid other celebs out here? You and June running some celebrity witness protection program?”

  Cade smiled, but the expression was drawn. “That would be something, huh? No, just have some experience with helping people lay low, that’s all.”

  “I appreciate it,” I said. “I won’t be here too long anyway. I imagine it’s not going to take all that long for someone to figure out how I’m here, all on their own.”

  Cade nodded, taking a drag on his beer. “You checked the internet or anything?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I was avoiding it. Why?”

  “June said it’s on the web.” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t pay attention to all that gossip shit, but she checked it today, said she wanted to make sure no one was pointing to you being out here. Said you were in a rough spot.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, that’s one way of putting it. I walked in on the fiancé and my sister going at it.”

  “I can take him out if you want,” Cade said. He paused. “Just kidding. Sniper joke, sorry.”

  “You were a sniper?”

  “Marines, yeah,” he said. “A long time ago.”

  “Elias was in the Navy,” I said.

  Cade nodded. “Explains the leg,” he said. That was the extent of what he said out loud, but I could tell his mind was churning. It was written all over his face. I wanted to know what he was thinking about Elias, but I didn’t ask.

  “You know, I’m actually not mad about it,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

  “About what?”

  “Viper and my sister,” I said. “I was, when it happened, but I’m actually not upset about it now. Is that weird?”

  “Shit,” Cade said. “I say, fuck ‘em. But I’m the last person to tell you what’s normal fucking behavior.”

  “What’s this about fucking behavior?” June asked, sliding her arms around Cade’s chest, as much as she could with her belly in between them. “How was your ride, River?”

  “It was great,” I said. “Haven’t been on a horse in a long time.”

  “I was just telling River that I’m not the person to ask about normal behavior,” Cade said.

  June laughed. “He’s really not,” she said. “Is there ice cream in the freezer?”

  “Brought it home,” Cade said. He rolled his eyes. “Speaking of normal behavior. You’re like a page out of a pregnancy manual.”

  “I know,” June said, putting a spoon in the carton of ice cream and bringing it to her mouth before she stopped, eyes wide. “Oh. Did anyone else want any?”

  I laughed. “I’m okay with the beer.”

  “This is my beer replacement,” she said. “Want to take this out on the porch? If we wake little Stan, it’s going to take forever for him to get back down, and I just don’t think I can handle another round of putting the toddler down for bed.”

  “If there’s any question of who wears the pants in this family, it’s Stan,” Cade said. “He’s like a mini dictator.”

  Outside, we sat in the cool evening air.

  “I was just telling River that you’re practically stalking her,” Cade said, grinning at June.

  “What?” June leaned forward in her rocking chair and slapped his leg. “You did not. I am not stalking you!”

  I laughed. “It’s okay,” I said. “As long as you don’t boil a bunny or something, leave it on my stove.”

  “I didn’t tell her you were stalking her,” Cade said, turning toward me and dramatically mouthing the words, “completely stalking you,” while June slapped him again on the arm.

  “Stop,” she said. “She’s actually going to think that. He was crawling up my ass because I looked you up on one of the gossip sites, and I really felt bad about it. But in my defense, I just wanted to see if anyone was talking about where you were.” She glared at Cade. “For research purposes only. That’s it.”

  “Was anyone talking about it?” I asked. I was suddenly nervous.

  "Well, they're talking about it now," June said.

  "June," Cade's voice sounded like a warning.

  "No," I said. "I want to hear it, whatever it is."

  "It's all just talk," June said. "Stupid stuff."

  "They saw Elias," I said.

  "There's video of you with him at a hotel in Vegas," June said. "Driving off in his car."

  My heart sank. I had basically pushed a giant pause button on my life, running out here, and I wasn’t ready for it to start up again. I didn’t want reality intruding on this.

  Not yet, anyway.

  I wasn't even sure exactly why. But I knew there was something about being here in this place that made me want to just stay like this for a while. Even if I knew that was unrealistic.

  "So you're going to have some people show up here," Cade said. "Probably soon."

  "When was the video posted?" I asked.

  "It looked like it was this morning," June said.

  "Okay," I said. "I knew it was coming."

  "A bunch of tabloid reporters and bullshit," Cade said. "Anyone shows up, we can keep them away from the house."

  I sighed. "Thanks for the offer," I said. "But they can be really obnoxious. And you've got a kid."

  Cade cleared his throat. "When I said we could keep them away, it wasn't a suggestion. That's what the hell is going to happen. This here's not public property."

  June shrugged her shoulders. "He's real stubborn like that, River."

  I nodded. "Okay, then."

  "There is one more thing..." June's voice trailed off.

  Cade rolled his eyes. "Junebug," he said. "She doesn't need to see that shit."

  "I'd want to see it," June said. "If I were her. Just so I had all the information in case I was making any decisions."

  "I'm going on the record as saying this isn't a good idea," Cade said.

  "Just grab the laptop for me," June said. After he went inside, she turned to me. "There is something you should see. When I searched today, it was all over the place."

  Cade returned, laptop open in his hands, and gave it to June. He shook his head. "I'll let you be the one to decide before I throw in my two cents," he said.

  June fiddled with something on the screen, then turned the screen to me. "Here," she said.

  I watched as Viper appeared on screen, sitting on a sofa in our house. My ex-house. He had a new guitar in his lap. I'd smashed his old one. "This song is dedicated to my fiancé, River. I know you're out there listening, and I just want to say..." I stared, numb, as I listened to him launch into song. "Baby, I'm so lost without you here..."

  When his musical apology was finished, I shut the computer and handed it back to June before I sat down. "Huh," I said.

  June and