peaceful in this place. More peaceful than Juneau. He’d thought the day before about the magic of Alaska, but this town had a magic all its own. In the mountains that surrounded the town and in the deep green of the river it was named for.
He liked it very much.
“You like her, don’t you?” Connor asked after a moment.
Ah, hell. Damon knew what he was talking about and he did not want to get into it. “You really want to talk about me and your mom when you could be asking me about your father?”
But the kid didn’t back down. “It’s just a question.”
Damon glanced at him.
Connor looked back, challenging.
“Yeah, I do like her,” Damon said, giving him the truth because he wasn’t going to lie. Connor deserved the truth and so did Astrid. “But just so you know, nothing’s going to happen. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.”
Connor’s gaze was full of distrust and suspicion, but there was something more swimming in the depths. Something that Damon thought looked an awful lot like fear.
His heart shifted in his chest, the feeling unexpectedly sharp. At another time, he might have been worried by that, because his feelings were always muted, the sharp edges blunted long ago. But there were too many questions in his head to be concerned about that now.
Why was this boy afraid? And about what? Was it him, Damon himself? Connor had been mad about Damon talking to Astrid, which mean the kid was worried for his mother.
Someone has hurt these two and badly.
The thought sat in his head, the edge keen as a razor blade. The kid’s protectiveness and worry, his fear—they were all giveaways. Astrid was more guarded and reserved, and there was a wariness to her. She radiated “only so far and no farther.” Yet there were hints of a more passionate nature underneath all that cool, little flickers of fire and electricity.
People hid stuff all the time, and he knew that better than most.
These two were hiding something. And if he wanted to know what it was, he would have to go carefully.
Why do you want to know?
A redundant question. He had a promise to keep and if that involved finding out what had hurt a boy and his mother, then he would. And maybe he’d hurt the son of a bitch responsible in turn, because he had no problem with that. No problem with that whatsoever.
“You said you’d leave yesterday,” Connor said. “And you didn’t.”
“No. I didn’t,” Damon agreed. “Thought I’d stay in case you wanted to talk to me about your dad.”
“You mean you stayed for me?” Connor looked frankly disbelieving. “Why?”
“The truth? Because your father asked me to.”
Connor’s face went blank. “What?”
“You got a letter from your dad and so did I. He wanted me to look out for you, make sure you were okay. So that’s why I’m here.”
Connor stared at him for a moment longer, then glanced away, out over the water, holding his coffee in his hands. “I didn’t ask to be looked out for.”
“I know.”
“He could have looked out for me himself.” Connor’s voice deepened with hurt. “He knew where I was.”
Caleb, you asshole.
Damon had the strangest urge to put a hand on Connor’s back, a comfort and a support, just to let him know he was there. But he knew the kid wouldn’t welcome it, so instead he said, “You know why he didn’t, don’t you?”
Connor shook his head, his jaw tense, his attention still out over the water.
“He was ashamed,” Damon said. “He was ashamed of the way he treated your mom when she got pregnant. He…ran away. He was only two years older than you are now, so he was very young. Over the years, he came to realize what an awful thing he’d done, and so when Astrid needed some help, he gave it to her. And to you too.”
“But he didn’t want to see me. He knew where I was and he didn’t come.”
“Like I said, he was ashamed. You know what Caleb West was to this town. I think he was afraid of what people might think of him.”
Connor looked down, saying nothing.
“He was wrong,” Damon went on softly. “He should have said something to you. He could have done that at least.”
“Yeah, well, he didn’t.” Connor took an angry bite of his donut.
Well, the kid might be angry, but at least he wasn’t going to waste a good donut.
Damon let the silence hang for another couple of moments, trying