Page 22 of With Spite

“He has a point,” Candice agreed with my inner monologue, turning to Hampton. “How many times did he start some shit with Vera and you before you got the nerve to quit and pursue firefighting?”

Hampton sighed. “That was the worst six months of our lives, though.”

“Because you’re so damn stubborn and wouldn’t fucking quit on your own due to some misguided devotion to a mother that treats you like hired help,” I grumbled.

“What happened there?” Bells asked. “And why are we on the subject of your mother? I thought we tried not to talk about her at all.”

Heidi explained about the new girl.

Bells threw his arm around her shoulders and said, “Bernice is pretty nice. I hope she can make it here. Creed seems to think that she’s going to die being here.”

“Her asthma is that bad?” I asked, unable to stop the curiosity from spilling from my mouth.

Dammit, I didn’t want to think about her at all.

“That, and she has anemia that keeps her cold all the damn time,” Bells answered. “The anemia is controlled with iron supplements and red meat. But according to Creed, she can barely tolerate the South’s winters. She’s going to die up here.”

I snorted. “No shit?”

“No shit. That’s why you’re seeing her wearing a sweatshirt with leggings and socks when the rest of us are sweating our balls off,” he said. “And apparently her asthma is bad. Everything affects it. Stress. Exercise. Allergens in the air.”

What a mess.

Maybe she shouldn’t have moved here.

“So what’s the bet that she lasts the winter?” Romina laughed.

“I’ll bet fifty that she’s gone by December first.” Heidi held up her hand. “I like her, but the weather…”

The rest of the crew made their bets, but it was me who said, “I’ll bet she sticks it out for the long haul.”

“What makes you say that?” Heidi asked.

“Because if I thought you were dead.” I leveled her with a look. “For even a day, and found out that you were in fact alive, I’d never want to let you out of my sight. Whether I was suffering or not.”

Seven

I am no longer shrinking myself to be digestible. You can choke.

—Bernice’s secret thoughts

Hux

Week One

I watched her from the top porch step as she stepped outside and shivered.

The Hubers watched her as well. Their new pastime was sitting there every morning so they could add commentary as she left each day.

Kurt, the youngest Huber, stood up and called out, “You need help, darlin’?”

Bernice didn’t glance up at him.

In fact, she ignored everything they did and said as she locked her front door using her keys and turned around to get to her truck.

She had a Yeti lunchbox in one hand, a coffee in the other, and her keys dangling from one finger.

When she got to the truck, she unlocked it and got inside.