The Lights on Knockbridge Lane (Garnet Run 3)

Charlie frowned, his red-brown eyebrows drawing together.

“I’m real sorry, Adam. That’s a hell of a thing to deal with at the holidays.” He glanced over at Gus. “Does she know?”

“Yeah. It’s been a crappy couple days. That’s why I didn’t want to leave her alone today. Thanks for letting her come in. I—”

“Shh, don’t worry about it,” Charlie said, putting a large, warm hand on Adam’s shoulder.

A customer approached and Adam rang him up while Charlie inquired after his family.

“Do you know why?” Charlie asked when they’d left.

Adam shook his head.

“He just said he couldn’t do it. He thought he could, but he was wrong. And he asked me to leave him alone.”

“Huh.”

He looked contemplative.

“Huh, what?”

“Well, I know I’m not exactly in the know here, but that sounds like someone who’s scared.”

“Scared of what?”

Charlie shook his head, expression serious.

“I don’t know.”

* * *

At 3:00 p.m., Charlie flipped the sign on the door to Closed and told them all to get out of there. Gus made them all wait another five minutes until she’d perfectly sorted the last nail into its proper container, then collapsed dramatically on the floor, sniffing her metallic fingertips and making Vanna White-esque arm gestures to show off her work.

“Good job,” Charlie said. “Come back in ten years and I’ll give you a job.”

Gus nodded seriously and Adam smiled.

As they trouped out into the parking lot, Charlie pressed an envelope into Adam’s hand.

“Merry Christmas,” he said.

Adam’s face must’ve expressed his panic at not having anything for Charlie, because the big man chuckled and said, “Holiday bonus. You deserve it.”

Then he loped off to his truck, calling, “Have a good one,” behind him.

Adam peeked into the envelope and saw a check for five hundred dollars.

“Holy shit,” Adam murmured.

“What’s that?” Gus asked, skipping up to him.

“Oh, um, Charlie gave me a holiday bonus.”

“Like, money?”

“Yeah.” Adam chucked her under the chin, smiling. “Like, money.”

The snow had stopped falling and it was a beautiful, clear day despite the cold.

“Hey, you wanna go visit River at the cat shelter?”

“Yeah!”

Gus ran to the car and Adam shot River a quick text, and got their enthusiastic response immediately.

On the way, they stopped at Peach’s Diner, which had been in Garnet Run as long as Adam could remember, and picked up a pie.

The Dirt Road Cat Shelter looked cheery, with purple, white, and yellow lights in every window.

“Love the color scheme,” Adam said.

“Thanks.” River smiled. “Rye let me do the decorations.”

“River, River, can I do one?”

Gus was standing at the front desk, where crayon drawings of cats who’d been adopted were taped.

“Sure, Bug.”

River sat Gus on the chair and set her up with paper and crayons. Adam unboxed the apple pie and they ate it with spoons right from the tin.

Adam had told River about Wes via text that morning in explaining why he was taking Gus to work with him, and Adam could tell River had a million questions.

“You okay here for a minute, sweetie?” Adam said. “I wanna cuddle some cats.”

Gus nodded, totally focused on her drawing, and Adam and River went into the large cat playroom.

Adam felt instantly calmed by the cats snoozing on perches and curled up in corners around the room. Two played with something that looked like a felt Pop-Tart on the floor, rolling around together and coming to rest in a single floof of fur and paws, looking up at River.

“Hi, Dancer, hi, Prancer,” River said. “Just temporary names,” they muttered. “So what the hell happened with Wes?”

River picked up either Dancer or Prancer, cuddling the tabby cat to their chest where it settled and began to purr loudly.

“Uggh.” Adam scrubbed his hands over his face. “That’s what’s killing me. I don’t know.”

“He seemed pretty tense when he showed up the other day. When all the people were taking pictures. I was too.” River kissed the cat between its ears. “He gave me his hoodie when I went to leave, so I could cover my face.”

Somehow, despite all its abuse, Adam’s heart still soared. That was so kind. So like Wes.

“He did?”

“Yeah. He seemed... I don’t know. Spooked, maybe? Is he in witness protection or something?”

“I wish,” Adam muttered. Then, realizing how horrible that was, said. “God, no, I don’t wish that. I just meant that I wish he had a good reason for breaking up with me.”

“What would be a good reason?” River asked curiously.

“I dunno. Like, we fought all the time, or I cheated on him, or, or, or I stole all his money or something.”

River looked doubtful.

“You would never do those things.”

“I know, I just mean a real reason.”

River bit their lip.

“Those just sound like easy reasons. Clear reasons. But I think sometimes it’s more likely that the reasons are complicated...subtle.”

River’s eyes had taken on a faraway look and Adam wondered if they’d been dating someone.