Deep River Promise Jackie Ashenden (best life changing books .txt) 📖

Morgan’s mouth worked as if she’d been going to say something, then it firmed, Officer West firmly in control. “I’d like a rundown on the situation if you’ve got time.”

“Of course.” Astrid gestured at the chair that Damon had vacated. “Take a seat and I’ll walk you through it.”

“Astrid.” The steel in Morgan’s gaze had eased. “I’m not trying to be difficult, okay? At the moment, all I want is some normality.”

That was something Astrid could get on board with. She could use some normality right now herself and it was a pity there wasn’t much of it to go around.

“Hate to say it, but normality pretty much disappeared when Cal died,” she said.

Grief flickered across Morgan’s face. “I suppose so.” She turned abruptly and went over to the chair near the desk and sat down. “Tell me anyway, then.”

Chapter 8

Coming out of the mayor’s office, his head still full of the glitter of heat in Astrid’s eyes, it took Damon a moment or two to notice a familiar figure.

Connor was once again lounging near the Nowhere pole, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his strawberry-blond hair gleaming the sun.

Hell, that was another thing to think about. Were people going to notice the resemblance at some stage? He’d met Morgan West at the funeral, and her hair was exactly the same color. It wasn’t common either.

Connor came to attention instantly and started toward him in a very determined manner. Clearly the kid had something to say, which was good. Damon had been hoping Connor would seek him out rather than the other way around.

“I’m going to April’s to get donuts,” he said casually as Connor approached. “Want one?”

“You were supposed to be leaving.” Connor sounded personally offended by this, his blue eyes snapping with anger. “You weren’t supposed to be hanging around.”

Damon didn’t react. “Nice to see you too, Connor.”

“What were you doing in Mom’s office?” The kid was bristling with the same prickly energy he’d noticed around Astrid. “You don’t need to talk to her.”

Damon studied his face. There was something more going on than simple anger that Damon hadn’t left and that he’d been talking to Astrid. Naturally it would be complicated by Caleb’s death, but that wasn’t the only thing at work here.

“I like that you’re looking out for your mom.” Damon kept his voice uninflected, holding the kid’s gaze so Connor could see the truth in his eyes. “But you don’t need to protect her from me. I’m not going to hurt her. I’ve just been talking to her about tourism opportunities for Deep River. That’s all.”

“That would sound good if I trusted you. But I don’t.”

“Fair enough. I wouldn’t trust me either. Have you been waiting for me?”

Connor looked disdainful. “No.”

“Do you want to talk?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Shall I get us a donut and hot chocolate?”

The kid’s jaw worked, every line of him in denial.

Damon gave him a minute.

“Coffee,” Connor said, the very essence of grudging. “I like coffee.” And then, as an afterthought, “Please.”

Damon nodded, keeping his grin to himself as he pushed open the door to April’s and went inside. He’d take grudging. That was progress.

A couple of minutes later, he came out again, carrying coffees for himself and Connor, plus another bag containing the donuts.

“I’m not talking to you,” Connor warned. “But thank you for the donuts.”

Damon decided not to respond to that, jerking his head toward the dock, then starting toward it, the boy trailing along behind him.

A couple of boats were still moored, but most of them had gone downriver to the sea. Kevin Anderson’s was on the other side of the river, though whether he was picking someone up or dropping them off, Damon couldn’t tell.

He went down the wooden stairs and along the dock a ways, then putting down the food and drink, sat down on the side, his legs dangling over the edge.

Connor came up to him, hovered there a minute as if uncertain what to do, then finally, reluctantly, sat down beside him.

Damon handed him his coffee and a donut.

“Thank you,” Connor said politely, taking them.

Good manners even when annoyed. That was an excellent start.

Silence fell and Damon let it sit there, broken only by the rushing of the river beneath the dock, the sound of the odd conversation drifting from the town nearby, and the call of a bird somewhere overhead.

The sun was still shining, settling warmly on his back and doing a good job of convincing him that it was summer. Though it wouldn’t actually be summer for another few weeks yet.

It was 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?