A Longer Fall (Gunnie Rose #2)(78)

They both stared at me with real serious faces. Mother and Jackson both wanted to know whether my relationship with Eli was one that would break me, or just a little thing. I could not tell them one way or another.

“So I don’t need nobody—anybody—to tell strangers where I am or who’s with me. I might not get the drop on ’em next time. Might not have any warning.”

“You need me to bring you some food to cook?” Mother asked me.

“Yes, ma’am, since I can’t go shopping. I know that everyone on the hill will know I’m home, but I think I can trust ’em to keep their mouths shut.”

“I’ll take care of ’em if they don’t,” Jackson said. “You in love with this man?”

“I am.”

Mother’s eyes widened. “You love a grigori.”

“He isn’t anything like Oleg Karkarov.” My father. Whom I’d killed.

“Must not be,” she said quietly. “You got good sense.”

“But I know he’s gonna leave,” I said. “He’s got to go back.” I shrugged. “That’s it.”

They both stared at me, and then my mother nodded. Jackson touched my shoulder. Conversation about Eli was over.

“You heard about the train wreck?” I asked.

“Charlie’s wife and Jake’s man came by to tell us how much they appreciated your letting them know, and that you were fine when you sent the message.”

“It was terrible,” I said. I had never told my mother something like that. I nodded again, when I couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Well, I better get back home.”

“Here, take you some eggs and some cornbread.”

I gladly accepted a bag from my mother. She’d stuck in some pears, too. “Thank you, Mom.” I couldn’t manage a big smile, but I hugged her as I gave her a little one. “I’ll pay you back.”

She knew I would, too. “Maybe just shoot me a deer when you’re up to it,” she said.

I told her I would.

Off I went home, to find that Eli had gotten into the shower and that Chrissie had left some cookies in a little basket at the door. I had passed her cabin on the way up. I retraced my steps and knocked. Her pretty blond head stuck out.

“Thank you,” I said. “I got company. You don’t know about him, and you don’t know I’m back.”

“I understand,” she said. “Hey, look here.” She showed me a little bundle wrapped in an old sheet.

“Ohhhh,” I breathed. “What is it?”

“Got me a girl,” Chrissie said proudly. “Her name is Emily Jane.”

“Your husband must be proud.”

“He acted fussed at first, like boys were the only ones could help out. But after he held her and looked at her, I caught him singing her a song, and swaying with her like he was dancing.”

“Sometime I’ll babysit if you need to go to the village by yourself,” I offered. “In a week or two.” I don’t know how I decided Eli would be gone by then.

“I thank you,” she said. “And you two enjoy the cookies. You got that tall man back?”

I grinned. “I do. How long has Dan been leaving me flowers?”

“Every other night, lately. He got real worried when you didn’t come back when you’d told him you would.”

It hadn’t been Chrissie’s job to keep Dan out of my house. Chrissie and Dan (and my mom) knew where I’d hidden a key, in case they needed something while I was gone. Chrissie enjoyed using the refrigerator. I’d asked Dan to check on the cabin once while I was gone, make sure everything was running okay. That had been a mistake made by me.

I admired the baby for a minute more and went uphill.

Eli was out of the shower and toweling off. There was a lot to admire. “My wound is much better,” he said. “I think you made a good start, with that healing spell.” Eli felt so much better that we didn’t get around to doing much of anything for another hour. It was slow and easy, because we both felt battered.

“I went down to see my mom,” I said. “And talk to Jackson.” I told him what I’d asked them to spread around.

“People here will know that, and they won’t try to earn money by informing?” Eli said.

“If I get put in jail or killed, Jackson will take care of ’em.”

“They will hide me, a stranger?”

“They will hide you if I ask them to. I grew up here. And they appreciate that I’m real accurate with a gun.”

“Two good reasons.” Then he bent his mouth down to mine, and he said, “I think we could do this again.”

“Right now?” I couldn’t help but smile.

“Right now.” He smiled too.

So we did.

In seven days, no one came for either of us. I had seldom had seven days in a row of doing very little, and I had never had seven days with Eli when we weren’t on the road. I cleaned my guns and my rifle, with Eli watching closely. I went out hunting for a morning, and Eli stayed at home and made bright magic bubbles for Emily Jane, which she watched with a solemn look, he told me. Chrissie said he was a great babysitter, that he knew how to change a diaper and everything. She was able to get her washing done.