Page 20 of Mountain Target

Beau thought for a second before replying. “Our job isn’t without risk. But we’re trained to manage these. And that’s why we work in a team.”

Val found herself relaxing in her chair, still thinking of Ren and the future. Maybe tonight was a turning point.

Maybe—

And then Beau’s stone gray eyes were on hers. They shared a look without words, that told her she’d been wrong. That his attention had been on her the whole time, even as he answered all the girl’s questions.

He feels it, too.

This invisible thread pulling us together.

Val took a sip from her glass. The water, cold and crisp as it went down her throat, didn’t help cool her in the least.

At the end of the dinner, Ren helped to clear the table, then went to her room to do her homework.

When she looked up at Beau, he was pinching the bridge of his nose

“You okay?” she asked softly, recognizing the signs of a headache. She often got them at the end of a long day.

“I’m fine,” he said stiffly, standing up. She couldn’t help but notice how he favored his knee as he did so. “Let me help you with these,” he said, pointing at the pile of dishes.

“No need. I’ll just stick them in the dishwasher. Thanks again for staying.”

He blinked. “Thank you for the great meal.”

She paused for a moment, debating whether to address the elephant in the room.

“You know,” she said softly. “About my sister. Ren’s mom.”

Beau nodded sharply.

“How do you know? Does the whole town know?”

“I asked a nurse at the hospital about you.” Beau looked decidedly uncomfortable as they moved towards the door. “I’m sorry.”

She smiled. “No need to apologize. Thank you for … your kindness towards Ren.” She didn’t add that she could see he was tired and in pain.

He looked like he was about to say something, then changed his mind. “Are you sure I can’t help you with the dishes?”

She shook her head quickly. Everything felt too raw, and if he stayed, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t end up crying all over him.

8

Valentina

Some days, she was almost sure everything was going to be alright. That had been the case for the last few days, ever since the chicken casserole dinner.

Other days were hard.

Like when school sends a letter asking parents to participate in a classroom event.

When Val had arrived at school for pick up that afternoon, Ren had jumped into the car without saying a single word. At first, Val had assumed it was because she was late. As hard as she tried to arrive on time, traffic between the hospital and the school meant she was often one of the last to get there.

When they’d gotten home, Ren had silently handed her the letter and locked herself in her room.

She was still currently locked in there, playing music loud enough for the living room windows to rattle.

Val recognized the music—Saltatio Mortis—a strange German folk metal group that was way older than Ren. She marveled vaguely at their stamina, that they could still be producing music, still popular, so many years later. At its current volume, she hoped Beau also enjoyed this kind of music. Otherwise, she’d have that problem to contend with, as well.