Page 67 of Beneath the Mountain Sky

Claire’s Bakery, the church, the courthouse, Town Hall, the police station, and the library around the town square, the bait shop and sporting goods store, the grocery and general store, the old newspaper building, now abandoned, and finally, Wilson’s diner.

Connor and Liam’s trucks stand parked in front, with a familiar car between them.

Shit.

My hands tighten on the wheel, and I pull into a spot and climb from the truck, then make my way in past the bear with a picnic basket I carved for Elaine a few years ago.

The bells above the door jingle, and she smiles at me from behind the counter, inclining her head toward the corner booth where Raven and Willow sit with Liam, while Connor stands facing them, feet planted wide and arms crossed over his chest—looking pissed the fuck off.

“You might want to deal with your brother.”

“What’s going on?”

She shrugs. “Arguing with Raven again?”

Hell.

I stalk over to him and bump his shoulder with mine, interrupting whatever he was saying. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Raven glares at Connor, her green eyes hard as emeralds, while Willow watches with a slight smirk on her lips.

Her amusement matches Liam’s. He leans back beside her in the booth, fighting a grin as he watches Connor and Raven’s battle of wills.

Connor doesn’t even look at me, refusing to back down from the staring contest he’s locked in with the blonde, who seems to get on his nerves even more than mine. “Raven and I were just discussing her most recent article she posted today.”

I raise a brow. “Which is?”

Raven drags her gaze from him and offers a saccharine-sweet smile laced with contempt. “An exposé I think you might be interested in.”

Shit.

Which means it is something I very much will not appreciate.

“Oh, yeah?”

She nods. “It’s all about relationships, how keeping secrets can sour them.”

Acid and fury crawl up my throat as I fight the desire to rail at her.

This fucking woman…

She’s calling me out the same way Liam did earlier, demanding I come clean with Willow. But it’s only been a week, and Willow is still weak. Traumatized in ways I can’t even imagine.

Raven isn’t there every night, hearing her scream. Feeling her trembling. Getting soaked with her tears.

Demanding the truth from me when she doesn’t even understand the depths of what Willow has suffered is enough to make me cross my arms over my own chest, mirroring Connor’s stance.

Because I actually agree with him.

I let my gaze drift to Willow, who watches me with wide gray eyes and one dark brow raised at me. She’s waiting for something—an explosion or the truth.

Maybe both.

But when I do come clean and discuss what happened between us, it sure as shit won’t be in front of a captive audience like this or anywhere public.

All eyes in the diner are already on us.

Elaine’s from the counter, pretending to wipe it down while watching us from the corner of her eye. The McMahon’s in the opposite corner booth, him glancing over his shoulder to see the fireworks while his wife who faces us leans forward and whispers to him. A young couple—clearly out of towners passing through on vacation—casting furtive glances our way. And the few other town residents sitting at the counter, each peeking over between bites of their food.