Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“Of course not,” he agreed.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get the chance to tell Turi you loved him.”
“Me too. I was waiting until after graduation. I wanted him to come with me when I left for Cornell. He was accepted to the University of Vermont, but he told me he had other plans. I had no idea he meant leaving with Breckin. I thought he could come with me. He was so smart. He could have done the community-college thing for a year and then gotten into Cornell, or done something else. I just wanted us to be together.”
“I have no doubt you did,” I said, sighing deeply. I got up, walked around the table, and hugged him. He looked startled, but then hugged me back.
“Tracy, you have a really soft heart.”
Pulling back, I said, “It’s a tragedy, and I hate those.”
He patted my shoulder, and I retreated to my seat.
“You must have been furious with Breckin.”
“I was too devastated over losing Turi. Breckin was the last thing on my mind for so long,” he explained, the sadness radiating off him. “I thought, if only I’d been brave enough to tell Turi, maybe he would have fallen in love with me instead and still be alive today.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault. It was Turi’s choice to take his own life. I wish he’d talked to you. Even if he was done with Breckin, he still had you to turn to. I so wish he had.”
“Yes. If only.”
“So was it hard for you in high school? Being gay in this small community?”
“No one knew, so no, it wasn’t. I was a big jock, right? So were Breckin and Turi. And like I said, we were always together, and there were always cheerleaders.”
“Was Breckin bi then too?”
“Yeah, he was.”
“You and Turi too?”
“No, just Breckin. But Turi and I dated a lot of girls. Both of us just made sure we picked the ones we knew were saving it for their husbands, or at least college.”
“So not only did Breckin have Turi, but cheerleaders as well.”
“Yep. You know him—he likes to have his cake and eat it too.”
“I wouldn’t know,” I lied.
He lifted his eyebrows. “No? You’re gay, Breckin’s bi… Not once?”
“How did you know I’m gay?”
His smile was sheepish. “I saw you kiss the inspector in the foyer last night.”
“You were here last night?”
“I was.”
“I don’t remember seeing anyone but Breckin’s family.”
“I’m a little invisible,” he teased me. “But I’m also in private security here in Fieldcrest and work closely with the police.”
“Oh.” I chuckled. “Well, that explains it.”
“Yes. I’m under contract with the police department. The chief hired my company to do backup surveillance for them since he has a total of himself and four officers.”
“That makes sense.”
“We’re supposed to be walking around, checking out all the guests, but since there are enough of us here, I thought, I’ll go sit with Mr. Brandt. I apologize for the subterfuge—I already knew who you were when I walked over here.”
“That’s okay.”
“And I didn’t mean to burden you with my ancient history.”
“No, thank you for telling me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So you went to Cornell, then came back here to work in private security?”
“No. First I got a master’s in chemistry at Cornell, then a PhD in chemistry at Dartmouth.”
“And came back here to do what?”
“I tried teaching in Burlington at the University of Vermont, but it just didn’t agree with me. Then I tried teaching high school, and that was worse.”
“You didn’t want to get a job at a lab somewhere?”
“No.”
“So you came back to Fieldcrest.”
“I did, and after taking a look around, I decided private security was what was needed in this town. I mean, it’s a small community, but we get a lot of tourists, a lot of people coming through all the time, and people need to have their homes protected.”
“Sure.”
“I’ve been back about seven years.”
“And is there anyone in your life?”
“Not yet.”
“Because of Turi?”
He looked pained. “There have been a few people, but…no one important.”
“I’m really so sorry.”
“My whole life just stopped that summer. I’ve done things, gotten my degrees, traveled, but as far as…” He trailed off, his gaze flicking to me and then away.
“What?”
“I’m rambling, and you’re a complete stranger. I’m surprised you haven’t gotten up and run away yet.”
“No,” I said, reassuring him. “I feel privileged that you’ve trusted me with this.”
He was silent for a minute or so, and I stayed quiet, giving him time. “You know, his parents never once went to his grave.”
“That’s awful,” I said sincerely.
“It was their choice.”
And then it hit me that there was something odd about his sentence. “Went? Did they move away?”
“No, they died.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.”
“Yeah. Seven years after Turi died, I guess they hit a patch of black ice and went right off the road. I heard they both died instantly, so that was some comfort at least.”