Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
On one hand, they were just cheap bits of plastic that wouldn’t be worth over twenty-five cents at a yard sale. On the other hand, these were the best pieces of my childhood. Didn’t I want to hang on to them?
Not now, I slowly realized, the certainty growing in my chest. I didn’t need this stuff. I had the kitchens back, the one place that had truly brought me peace back in those days. And Nicky was a good kid. If he didn’t appreciate this stuff, if he left it all lying around, forgotten, I could always take it back later. But I didn’t think that was going to happen.
I rooted around in the trunk for a few more minutes and didn’t find anything else I thought Nicky would like until I happened on the one thing I knew would make his head spin. He, August, and Thatcher weren’t the first kids to get obsessed with their trading card game. In fact, it had been huge when I was his age. And I had a card that was almost impossible to find. My prized Pikachu card would be the surprise at the end of my scavenger hunt. I couldn’t wait to see Nicky’s face when he saw it. It was a little beat-up, but I didn’t think Nicky would care.
Gathering everything I’d found, I closed the trunk and headed back downstairs. One more stop, then I’d run to town for supplies. I couldn’t pull off trick-or-treating by myself.
I stopped outside the door to the office, raising my hand to knock, hesitating out of habit. I’d always hesitated to knock on this door. Most of my life, this had been my father’s office. My least favorite room in Heartstone Manor. A summons here could only mean trouble. At least, for me.
I remembered the bonfire we built the day we learned Ford had pled guilty to Prentice’s murder. Griffen had lost it, turning his fury on the office itself, tearing down the trophy animals Prentice had hung on the walls. Royal added the heavy curtains and the stuffed bear head, Griffen tossing Prentice’s portrait on the top with a manic grin on his face. I’d rolled out the ornate leather desk chair our father had loved, a wide smile stretching my mouth as I watched it burn.
My stomach twisted as I recalled what had happened after that. I’d lied to Griffen. About being in the army. About coming home. Why hadn’t I just told him the truth about the last ten years? Why confirm our father’s lie about the army and imply I’d been back to Sawyers Bend since? I’d wanted to force some kind of confession from Griffen, but it hadn’t worked. Maybe because he had nothing to confess. Maybe he was exactly what he seemed to be. I still couldn’t make myself believe that. Too much baggage and too many years apart.
I couldn’t tell you the last time Griffen and I had an actual conversation. Since I’d been back, we didn’t spend much time hanging out. I knew that was mostly on me. Too many years away from my family. Not that my exile was my fault. But even with our limited interactions since I returned six months ago, it bothered me that I couldn’t trust my read on Griffen. He seemed like the Griffen I knew as a kid. He acted like that, Griffen. And he sure as hell was nothing like our father.
But I still couldn’t bring myself to trust him. Trust takes time, and we hadn’t had enough of that. Gritting my teeth, a tight knot in my chest, I knocked.
“Come in,” Griffen said, his voice muffled by the thick door. It swung open smoothly to reveal Griffen, Royal, and Hope, their eyes locked on their respective laptop screens, deep in conversation. Standing at the door, I cleared my throat. The three of them looked up, Griffen’s eyes widening in surprise.
“Finn,” he said, his voice more than a little cautious. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, but no. You talked to Savannah?”
Hope sat up straight. “Not since she texted to say Nicky was sick and you were covering breakfast. Is she okay? Did he get worse?”
”I don’t think so. It sounds like the same thing August and Thatcher had last week, but Savannah laid down Mom Law. No trick-or-treating.”
“Tough,” Royal said, shaking his head. “Cold out there, though.”
“What can I do for you?” Griffen prompted.
I hesitated, not sure Griffen wouldn’t laugh at my idea. My father would have.
“I’m going to run into town and get supplies to make some of Nicky’s favorite treats and get some candy,” I said, the tight knot in my chest loosening at Griffen’s nod of agreement. “I thought he could put his costume on before dinner and go around knocking on doors in the Manor. Would you guys be up for that?” I directed that at Hope and Royal. “Could you answer your doors and hand out candy? I’m doing a scavenger hunt downstairs too. I don’t know what else. I haven’t figured it all out yet.”