Deep River Promise, Jackie Ashenden [large ebook reader .TXT] 📗

years since she’d escaped the verbally abusive relationship she’d been in before coming to Deep River, but the scars were still there.

Connor had liked her ex, Aiden, very much. He’d been young, too young to know what the barbed comments and put-downs Aiden had directed at Astrid meant. All he’d known was that Aiden was nice to him, had given him male attention, and since he’d been starved for that attention, he’d lapped it up.

Astrid had tried to hide Aiden’s emotional manipulation and abuse from her son, wanting to protect him since Aiden had shown Connor nothing but his good side. But eventually she’d had to leave. She’d been alone then, with no one to call on for help. Her parents had kicked her out when they’d found out she was pregnant, so she couldn’t even go home.

There had been only one person she could call: Cal.

He’d told her to come to Deep River, that she could find a place for herself here, and so she had. The town had felt like a haven, a sanctuary. It represented safety and stability, and she felt more at home here than she had anywhere else.

But Connor had been gutted at leaving Aiden. And then when he’d found out that Aiden hadn’t been the heroic father figure he’d been searching for, he’d felt terribly, terribly guilty.

He didn’t trust men now, especially men who were nice to him, which Astrid could relate to. But his protectiveness over her was…problematic.

And part of her had been expecting Damon to be as manipulative as Aiden had been in response to Connor’s aggression, building it up while at the same time tearing strips off her for Connor’s rudeness, that she should have taught him better.

Yet Damon had been nothing like that. He hadn’t been manipulative and he hadn’t criticized her. He’d been calm in the face of Connor’s rudeness. Patient too, taking him seriously, which she knew for a fact Connor desperately wanted, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Her poor boy, who didn’t even know he’d lost his father…

The guilt settled more heavily in her, weighing her down.

“Hey.” Silas’s deep, rough voice rumbled in her ear. “Are you listening?”

Astrid started, then pulled her thoughts away from her son. “Yes,” she said, hoping she sounded as cool as she normally did. “Of course I’m listening.”

Silas, big and broad and muscular, leaned one hip against the bar and folded his arms, green eyes sharp and assessing. “You want to do this later?”

“No.” She reached for her lukewarm coffee. “Why would I want that?”

“Heard you and your boy arguing outside just as Damon left. Things okay?”

Silas was a good guy, if a little too “white knight” for her liking, but she didn’t know him well enough to talk with him about her worries for her son. Besides, she’d always preferred to deal with her own problems herself. It was easier that way.

So all she said was “Perfect.” And took a sip of her coffee, forgetting it was tepid. Ugh. She put the cup down again. “Now, back to Kev’s plan—”

“Because I’ve seen him around quite a bit.”

What was it with men who couldn’t take a hint?

“Yes, I know.” Astrid gave him a steady look. “He had a little issue with Damon and don’t ask me why because I don’t know. But now Damon’s gone, it won’t be a problem, I’m sure.”

Silas said nothing, the expression on his handsome face concerned, which was not encouraging. “Sonny told me that he’d seen Con up at Phil’s place helping out with building fences when he should have been in school. And Harry mentioned that the kid had approached him to tell him that he could help if Harry needed anyone to test out his survival skills workshop.” Silas paused, then added, “Also when he should have been in school.”

There was a sinking sensation in Astrid’s gut. She’d known about Phil. Not about Harry.

“I see,” she said. “And Harry didn’t think to come and talk to me about it?”

“I suspect he thinks it’s not such a big deal.” Silas’s mouth quirked. “You know Harry.”

Astrid did know Harry. He was a survivalist, a homesteader, and a prepper. He had a good heart, but he was also slightly paranoid and had a healthy disregard for authority of any kind. Of course he wouldn’t think skipping school was a big deal. In fact, he might even encourage it.

She gritted her teeth. She’d tried to talk to Connor about where this sudden need to help people had come from, because although he’d always been the caring type, he hadn’t ever skipped school because of it before, but he wouldn’t tell her.

In fact, for the past month, he hadn’t told her much of anything at all. It was unlike him.

“Well, if you hear of Connor doing any of those things again, can you let me know?” She tried to sound calm, because she didn’t like the feeling that things were slipping out of control, especially things like her son. “I’ll have to have a talk with him.”

“Hey, at least he’s not stealing beer from Mal’s.”

Astrid forced a smile at Silas’s attempt at humor that she hoped was convincing. “No, true.”

Apparently it didn’t convince Silas.

“You know, we look after each other in this town, Astrid,” he said, his sharp gaze unwavering. “And everyone needs help at some point in their lives. Even the mayor. There’s no shame in asking for it.”

Oh, Astrid knew that very well. It was just…complicated. Especially when it involved secrets. Secrets that had gotten way too big already and that the longer she stayed quiet about, the bigger and more unwieldy they got. And who knew what would happen if they got out? If everyone found out that Caleb West’s son had been here all this time and Astrid hadn’t told them? People would not be impressed. At all. Perhaps they’d make it unpleasant, and she’d end up having to leave…

No. No way.

“Thank you, Silas. I’ll keep that in mind.” She grabbed the paper