Landon (In Safe Hands Book 1) by S.M. Shade

backyard and I give him a
few minutes before following him.
    Our
old swing set and sandbox are still here. Ethan sits on the deck, staring
across the yard. I throw my arm across his shoulder. “Want to tell me what’s
running through your head?”
    His
lips turn up. “Most of my good childhood memories are out here. They left us
alone. Do you remember playing out here? Catching lightning bugs? Playing on
the swings?”
    “Of
course I do. I remember getting you down from that tree more than once when you
climbed too high and then got scared.” I gesture to the large oak with a laugh.
    “Give
me a break. I was seven,” he defends with a grin.
    “We
don’t have to sell this place.”
    He
shakes his head. “No, we should. The bad outweighs the good. I’m happy to leave
this place behind if you are.”
    “Far
behind,” I agree.
     
    * * * *
     
    The
funeral is two days later and after much inner debate, Ethan and I attend. The
snubbing response we receive from the other mourners isn’t a surprise. Everyone
here is from their church and well versed on how evil the Page family children
are. It doesn’t matter. We’re just doing our duty here.
    As
soon as the coffins are lowered, Ethan grabs my hand. “Can we go?”
    He’s
trying to hold it together, but the stress is clear on his face. Tears stream
down his cheeks when I pull him into a hug. “It’s stupid,” he chokes. “I
shouldn’t care.”
    “Don’t
say that. It’s not stupid. You’re a better person than they could ever be. It’s
okay to care and to grieve.”
    “I
just want to go.”
    “Okay.”
We’re almost to my car when Dare approaches us. What the hell? “What are you
doing here?”
    “Landon
asked me to come and see how you are. He…couldn’t make it.”
    With
a sigh, I step around him and he follows me. “Does he always send you to do his
dirty work?”
    “Hey.”
Dare grabs my shoulder. Ethan looks back at us, confused, and I wave at him to
get in the car. “He’s worried about you. And no, he’s never asked me to check
on anyone before. I’m sorry about your parents.”
    “Thank
you. You can tell Landon I’m fine. Thanks for coming.” This time when I walk
away, he doesn’t follow.
    I
spend the next few days packing and boxing up my parents’ belongings. Ethan
helps me donate most of the clothing and household items to the homeless
shelter that helped us. At least we can give a little back.
    Ethan
leaves for a school trip on Thursday, and by Friday, I can’t stand to be home
anymore. It leaves me too much time to think. I haven’t told Ethan about the
life insurance money because it’s just too good to believe it’s true. I’ll tell
him when we actually have the money. Until then, I have to go back to work.
    If
I’m being honest, I’ve missed Landon. It’s screwed up, I know. We agreed to be
friends, but he’s still my boss and I shouldn’t be so attached. That doesn’t
change the fact that I have a smile on my face as I unlock his front door.
    He
comes out of his office and gazes at me in surprise. “Zoe? I didn’t expect you
back yet.”
    Glancing
around the room, I grin. “But it looks like you need me.” An empty chicken
bucket sits on top of a pizza box on the coffee table. Has he eaten nothing but
fast food all week?
    “I
can survive. Really, take the time to be with your family.”
    “Thanks
for being concerned, but Ethan is my only family, and we’re doing fine. Sitting
around my apartment isn’t going to help anything.”
    “If
you’re sure,” he murmurs. “Would you mind starting in the library?”
    He’s
acting strange. And the reason just walked in. A thin brunette wearing nothing
but panties stumbles into the room and says, “There you are, baby. You coming
back to bed?”
    A
pang I have no business feeling makes me wince. It’s his house and we aren’t
involved. It’s none of my business who he fucks. “Sorry, I’ll just get started
on the library,” I mumble, making a quick