As soon as he awoke, her words seemed to echo in his head all over again, as if she had programmed it into an alarm for him.
You’re the worst possible man in Haven Point for me.
That was clear enough. A guy couldn’t argue with a woman who could make that kind of definitive statement. The worst. Not just questionable or even bad. He was the worst. She had her mind made up and he was pretty damn sure he could say nothing that would change her mind.
Did he want to change her mind, even if he could?
He didn’t know how to answer that and his restless sleep certainly hadn’t provided any insight.
He was still trying to figure it out when he heard a vague sound from the kitchen, a little whimper.
Sadie, he realized. That must have been what awakened him. Somehow the dog must have slipped out of Andie’s room and was now waiting by the door for someone to come and let her out.
No reason he couldn’t help her so Andie could sleep a little longer.
He forced himself to push past the usual morning pain and pulled sweats on over his stupid brace before he rose from his bed and headed into the kitchen.
The little dog was practically dancing by the back door, desperate to go out.
He opened the door for her and she bulleted out to take care of business. He stood there watching the snow fall in big fat flakes. Up and down Riverbend Road, as people started making ready for the day, early birds with snowblowers and all-terrain vehicles with plows were busy clearing away driveways and sidewalks.
A moment later, his son walked around the side of the Jacobs home with a snow shovel in his hand.
You have to tell him.
He could almost hear the echo of Andie’s voice in his head, though he hoped she was still tucked into her bed.
Unable to resist, he hobbled out onto the small covered porch off the kitchen.
The boy spotted the dog first, up to her belly in snow, and pulled out his earbuds.
“Sadie, what are you doing out here?” he asked.
The kid probably couldn’t see him, since he was standing on a dark porch.
“Morning,” Marshall called softly. “You’re out early.”
Christopher shrugged inside his big snowboarder coat. “No choice. Gram says I have to finish both driveways before the bus comes.”
“You don’t have to. I just won’t pay you if you don’t do the job.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Christopher said. He stuck the shovel in the soft powder and went to work.
Marshall couldn’t bring himself to go inside, even after the little dog finished her thing and waddled up the steps to stand beside him.
“Dude, you need a snowblower,” Christopher said when his path led him closer to the porch.
Yeah, probably. Before moving to Wyn’s house on the river, he had lived in an apartment where snow removal was taken care of by the management company, so he’d never had reason to buy one.
Wyn might have one back in the shed, he just hadn’t bothered to look.
“When do you get out of school for the holiday break again?”
“Today’s the last day,” Christopher’s voice sounded muffled as he pushed the snow in the other direction. “Too bad yesterday wasn’t.”
“Yesterday was a snow day, probably the last one you’ll see all winter.”
“So I hear. You should know, tomorrow I’m sleeping in. If you want your snow shoveled before noon, you’ll have to pay someone else to do it.”
“I heard we’re done with the snow for a few days. Until Christmas Eve, anyway.”
Christopher didn’t say anything, just continued clearing the driveway in back-and-forth horizontal stripes that sent him away from Marshall every other pass.
With no real incentive to go inside except the cold, which he found more bracing than uncomfortable, Marshall stayed where he was and watched.
After about five minutes, Christopher stopped in front of him. “Okay, what am I doing wrong?”
Marshall blinked at the unexpected attack. “Nothing. Did I say you were doing something wrong?”
“No, but you’re just standing there like you think I don’t know how to shovel a driveway.”
He wanted to respond that there was nothing wrong with looking at the son whose life he hadn’t been part of for all these years.
“You’re not doing anything wrong. I really appreciate the job you’re doing, especially since Andie and her kids are here for a couple of days. I know it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve done good work and I’m grateful for it.”
The boy studied him for a long moment, then shook his head. “You are one weird cop.”
Yeah, didn’t he know it?
“I just wanted to say thanks. That’s all.”
Christopher grunted in response, which Marshall was going to assume meant you’re welcome.