you.”
A short time after her parents and children left, Wyatt called Maggie’s phone for the third time in an hour. She felt horrible for ignoring it, but she did anyway. A moment later, he texted her.
Pulling in with David’s truck.
Her chest tightened as she set down the phone, and she had just slipped into her flip-flops by the door when Coco started whining and leaping. By the time she got the door open, Maggie could hear the familiar, slightly hollow hum of David’s old Toyota pickup.
Coco nearly fell down the deck stairs as the truck pulled into the parking area in front of the house, a Sheriff’s cruiser behind it.
“Coco!” Maggie called, thinking she could warn her poor dog somehow, but Coco was beyond hearing. Stoopid flew out from under the house, but Coco’s excitement was too much for his nerves, so he veered off into the flower garden.
Maggie was at the bottom of the stairs when Wyatt opened the door. It took a second for Coco to process that the wrong man had climbed from the truck, but she liked Wyatt, and tried to look happy, even though her body wagged much more slowly.
Wyatt reached down and rubbed Coco’s head, then walked around to the front of the truck, where Maggie stood.
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to talk to anybody right now. Or me.” Wyatt put his hands on his hips. “But I couldn’t just pull up in David’s truck without warning you.”
Maggie swallowed hard and nodded. She found it hard to look him in the eye. On the one hand, she wanted to run to him. On the other, she wanted to insist that he shouldn’t be here, where she and David had conceived their children.
She peered around the truck and saw Dwight at the wheel of the idling cruiser. She finally looked up at Wyatt. “I keep calling the fire department, but they keep telling me they don’t have any news. Do you know what happened yet?”
Wyatt looked down at Coco, who was sitting at Maggie’s feet.
“Not yet,” he answered. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, the way he did, then he looked at her. “Do you want me to stay for a while? I can get a ride back later.”
She was going to just say no, but he looked so concerned, she felt he at least deserved some honesty. “I do, but I don’t,” she said, and tried not to let it be hurtful. “I just need to be alone for a bit.”
He nodded, looked beyond her at the yard for a minute before looking her in the eye. “You know that I care. And you know where I am. When you need me,” he added.
Maggie nodded and wrapped her arms around herself, like she could hold herself back from just walking into his chest and hiding there. He looked at her for another moment, then put his hat back on and walked to the cruiser and got in.
Maggie watched them go, then stood and stared at the truck that David had bought while they were still married. She slowly, almost fearfully, walked to the driver’s side and looked through the open window. A photo keychain hung from the rear view mirror, the kids in it three years younger.
She jumped when she heard a trilling, then reached into her back pocket and answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Maggie, it’s Larry,” said the old medical examiner.
Maggie swallowed hard. “Hello, Larry.”
“I wanted you to know, because I know you,” he started. “David died from severe concussive trauma to the brain. There was no water in his lungs. I hoped that this would bring you some comfort.”
Maggie closed her eyes.
“You couldn’t have saved him, even if you’d found him as soon as he hit the water. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Maggie said, and didn’t recognize the small voice. “Thank you.”
“I’m so very sorry, my friend. I truly am.”
Maggie blinked several times before speaking. “Do you know when—when he’ll be released?”
“I have most of what I need. Whatever arrangements you’ve made, he can be picked up as early as tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thank
A short time after her parents and children left, Wyatt called Maggie’s phone for the third time in an hour. She felt horrible for ignoring it, but she did anyway. A moment later, he texted her.
Pulling in with David’s truck.
Her chest tightened as she set down the phone, and she had just slipped into her flip-flops by the door when Coco started whining and leaping. By the time she got the door open, Maggie could hear the familiar, slightly hollow hum of David’s old Toyota pickup.
Coco nearly fell down the deck stairs as the truck pulled into the parking area in front of the house, a Sheriff’s cruiser behind it.
“Coco!” Maggie called, thinking she could warn her poor dog somehow, but Coco was beyond hearing. Stoopid flew out from under the house, but Coco’s excitement was too much for his nerves, so he veered off into the flower garden.
Maggie was at the bottom of the stairs when Wyatt opened the door. It took a second for Coco to process that the wrong man had climbed from the truck, but she liked Wyatt, and tried to look happy, even though her body wagged much more slowly.
Wyatt reached down and rubbed Coco’s head, then walked around to the front of the truck, where Maggie stood.
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to talk to anybody right now. Or me.” Wyatt put his hands on his hips. “But I couldn’t just pull up in David’s truck without warning you.”
Maggie swallowed hard and nodded. She found it hard to look him in the eye. On the one hand, she wanted to run to him. On the other, she wanted to insist that he shouldn’t be here, where she and David had conceived their children.
She peered around the truck and saw Dwight at the wheel of the idling cruiser. She finally looked up at Wyatt. “I keep calling the fire department, but they keep telling me they don’t have any news. Do you know what happened yet?”
Wyatt looked down at Coco, who was sitting at Maggie’s feet.
“Not yet,” he answered. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, the way he did, then he looked at her. “Do you want me to stay for a while? I can get a ride back later.”
She was going to just say no, but he looked so concerned, she felt he at least deserved some honesty. “I do, but I don’t,” she said, and tried not to let it be hurtful. “I just need to be alone for a bit.”
He nodded, looked beyond her at the yard for a minute before looking her in the eye. “You know that I care. And you know where I am. When you need me,” he added.
Maggie nodded and wrapped her arms around herself, like she could hold herself back from just walking into his chest and hiding there. He looked at her for another moment, then put his hat back on and walked to the cruiser and got in.
Maggie watched them go, then stood and stared at the truck that David had bought while they were still married. She slowly, almost fearfully, walked to the driver’s side and looked through the open window. A photo keychain hung from the rear view mirror, the kids in it three years younger.
She jumped when she heard a trilling, then reached into her back pocket and answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Maggie, it’s Larry,” said the old medical examiner.
Maggie swallowed hard. “Hello, Larry.”
“I wanted you to know, because I know you,” he started. “David died from severe concussive trauma to the brain. There was no water in his lungs. I hoped that this would bring you some comfort.”
Maggie closed her eyes.
“You couldn’t have saved him, even if you’d found him as soon as he hit the water. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Maggie said, and didn’t recognize the small voice. “Thank you.”
“I’m so very sorry, my friend. I truly am.”
Maggie blinked several times before speaking. “Do you know when—when he’ll be released?”
“I have most of what I need. Whatever arrangements you’ve made, he can be picked up as early as tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thank
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