DOWN BROKEN LANE by Amber Hart

Author:Amber Hart [Hart, Amber]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

24

CAMILLE

“Another winter’s here,” Will says, meeting me at the dividing line.

“Sure is,” I reply, extending the burlap sack to him. It’s full of window grown peppers, the only thing I have to offer this late into the season.

My fingers are still stained with dirt. A layer of black sticks to the underside of my nails, displaying trace evidence from the potted plants and stinging with the spice of the hot peppers.

“Smells delicious,” he compliments, taking my offer and handing me a mason jar full to the brim with honey, a soft comb inside.

I notice he hasn’t brought an instrument this time. He lights a cigarette and inhales deeply. Right there, on the cold earth, he takes a seat, smiling up at me as I lean against the bark of a neighboring tree.

“Tell me about the renter,” he drawls.

I wonder what exactly he wants to know. Will doesn’t ask about many people.

“His name is Dawson,” I tell him. “He moved from Arizona where a house fire took his family.”

Will’s face is solemn as he pulls another drag into his lungs. A plume of smoke rises into the air between us, creating a thick, ghostly wall.

“Shame to hear,” he murmurs. “Good that he got away. Sometimes it’s easier to leave the past behind. Maybe he’ll be good for you—allow you to have friends your age. Hard to come by when most folks who own acres and acres are older. You lucked out with that land. Hold it forever. It’ll be worth a pretty penny one day, guarantee it.”

I don’t know if I can. It depends on if I have to run again.

“Tell me more,” he requests.

“Well, he’s ex-military.” I notice a drop of sap oozing from the tree and scoop it up between my fingers, rubbing it over the burn of the peppers. “He’s working for Mr. Hill now, and he seems to fit in just fine around the property. Even around the town.”

“Sounds like you get along.”

“We do.”

“Maybe even enough to become friends?”

I consider it. “Maybe.”

Will withdraws a pepper and bites clean into it right there, seeds and all. I don’t know how he stands the heat of it without adding them to blander foods and cooking them to calm the spice.

“You’re different, Camille. I see it in you. You need folks, and that’s okay. I hope he stays.”

“Thank you.”

The fact that Will wants to see me settled and happy creates a warmth in the center of my chest.

“Better get going,” he announces. With one last bite, he finishes the pepper and stands. “You take care now.”

With a nod, he’s gone, weaving back into the trees.

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