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One side of her ood side, the one that’s not swollen--curves up in a smile "Thank you, Jesse"

I don’t want to leave her but I do, heading back downstairs to findthe interior of my car, an open bottle of beer in his hand and another one tucked under his arm He doesn’t drink much and when he does, it’s only one or two "Hey, Dad"

He glances up athome this weekend"

"Last-minute decision" I watch hi over the body Without a word, he holds out the extra beer and I take it Neither of us is a big talker "So you finally got it"

"Drove it off the lot today"

He smiles to himself "So that sparked your last-minute decision" A pause "How much?"

"Just under sixteen" That’s what the papers say Do I think it’s accurate? Probably not That, or Viktor’s a rich fool with ine on a car like the Aston Martin wouldn’t be cheap, but there’s no way it’s worth almost half a year’s net salary for me

"You had that kind of money saved up?" I don’t miss the suspicion in his voice It’s the same suspicion I’ve faced for the last ten years, sincea six-pack of beer frorettable things since then, too, in his eyes, but it seeht anyot a full-time job I payout with in high school I don’t think it’ll ever be enough

Then again, considering I’ what may orupstairs,hard And I just rebuilt a DB5 engine for this rich assle He paid me well" Not a lie

"Huh" He holds his hand up No need to explain further I tossinto the open driver’s-side , he cranks the engine Even though that ruets me excited I hear the release on the hood pop and ether in front of the car, arms crossed The Welles Men pose, randdad, ht here in this garage, in front of , our arms crossed in the same way

"What does it need?"

"Dunno I’ll find out this weekend"

He nods slowly

"Where’s Mo stretch and Ahts with overti to Europe?"

He sucks back on his beer bottle "So she tells us We’ll see" If oes ahead with this idea of hers--to travel the world for a year--I’ll probably be the most surprised She’s always played the role of sht people, s her decisions carefully to ensure she doesn’tthe center of attention in our sh school, she was just that--Rodeo Queen, class valedictorian, and the winner of several state cha She could have applied to alram at almost any school, and yet she chose to stay close to home A part of me thinks it’s because she doesn’t want to beco around the world alone just isn’t so she’s cut out for

I suck back the rest ofto bed, Dad"

He frowns "This early?" He glances at the clock on the wall, which so the battery Granted, I’ve always been a night owl and it’s only ten thirty Still, his cop radar is always on

"I’ve been working nonstop I’ood rub, not just for effect but because I really aht Glad to see you doing well, Jesse Make sure you check the daht back on and picks his path down the road, heading toward home I watch him for a while He’s in his mid-fifties, and he’ll be sheriff until he loses an election or is forced out I think he was born to wear that badge He’s good at it, too Gabe Welles is revered as hard-nosed and righteous, the kind ofhis own son for atteers his way

Hitting the garage door--we’re four erald next door and yet I always lock up--I leave the hood up and shut the lights, wanting to get back to Alex

She’s exactly where I left her, hugging the edge of themore than a mattress cover, in a cold, dank attic, Alex curled up into a ball and fell asleep She probably didn’t sleep a wink last night or today If she’s like me, she hasn’t slept well since last Sunday

I don’t want to wake her tointo the cedar chest in the corner to find randmother’s favorite blue-and-red checkered blanket I was only eleven when ood shape until the day he succumbed to a massive heart attack, decided to turn the attic space into an apartether in the e care of A to do with living in the house with teenagers

I cover Alex with the blanket, hoping she doesn’tup in the small bathroom in the corner, I start a fire in the woodstove, turn off the lights, and edge into the old brown Barcalounger, the only piece of living room furniture left in here and a rickety piece of shit that squeals in protest with ht I don’t want to assu up next to et as comfortable as I possibly can And then I close my eyes and listen to her low, shallow breaths

"Jesse"

My head springs up with a deep breath of panic Alex’s face appears in ed to fall asleep in this old chair after all Now I feel worse than when I sat down