Sage moved toward Peggy, laying a hand on her shoulder, which seemed to relax Peggy considerably. Rita recalled the way the wedding planner had calmed Belmont the night before after the bar brawl. Was Sage some kind of voodoo priestess? 揥e抮e already here,?Sage said, sending Belmont a shy glance. 揗ight as well give it a shot, right??
Everyone looked at Belmont, who nodded once, and that appeared to be the final word on the matter. Glen deflated in apparent relief and everyone sat back down, even a quietly outraged Aaron. Which left Rita and Jasper standing, facing one another. Were her own eyes devouring the sight of Jasper the way he appeared to be devouring the sight of her? She could feel the tormented way he looked at her down to her fingertips.
揅an we talk when this is over??Jasper asked.
After Rita tried not to break her neck nodding, they both sat down on the log, Jasper taking Glen抯 vacated spot.
揥e抮e going to start with each of us confessing something that抯 been weighing on our minds. No judgments. No commenting until the person is finished. Just absorb the honesty.?Glen scanned the group. 揥ould anyone like to go first??As expected, no one made a peep. 揘o? Fine, I抣l start.?
Aaron shifted on the log. 揟his should be interesting.?
Glen threw up his hands. 揗y business license is expired.?
揥ell isn抰 that just the confession of the decade? You never had a business license,?Jasper corrected, his jaw clenched. 揝omeone else take a turn, so we can get Rit梕veryone back to town. They抮e leaving soon as the sun抯 up.?
Rita wasn抰 given a chance to react to Jasper抯 flatly delivered statement, because Peggy stood in dramatic fashion, drawing everyone抯 eyes. 揑 killed my own hamster in fifth grade. It wasn抰 Gerard.?
揥ho抯 Gerard??Jasper wanted to know.
揜ita抯 weird ex-boyfriend.?Peggy抯 fingers tangled in her curls, twisting them with near violence. 揑t was an accident. I s-sat on him and then I hid the evidence.?
揟he evidence being Fluffy,?Aaron clarified, standing as Peggy sat back down. 揥ell, we抳e solved the hamster cold case. Seems to me we should end on a high note.?
There was only one voice that could shut down the bickering that ensued, and it cut through the arguing voices like a knife through butter. 揑抳e been looking for my father,?Belmont stated. That was it. He didn抰 elaborate. But the revelation had the effect of an icy-cold rainstorm catching them out in the open with no shelter. The siblings traded startled looks, clearly searching their emotionally stunted brains for the appropriate response and coming up empty.
They watched in a state of suspended animation as Sage slid her hand across the log, brushing just her pinky finger against Belmont抯， sending a shudder through his body. 揝ometimes when I plan a wedding for a truly awful couple, I卻ecretly hope the marriage doesn抰 work out,?Sage rushed out in a stage whisper, sagging in relief as if she抎 just unburdened herself of a murder confession.
Belmont smiled. Actually smiled. Which reminded Rita of the secret he抎 imparted. Trying to find his real father? He抎 never even mentioned having an interest. And how selfish and blind of them to assume his differing parentage wasn抰 an issue. Anxiety built in Rita抯 chest until it felt as though she抎 sprinted ten miles. Her throat started to burn with the need to speak, but what would she say?
Abruptly, Aaron stood and took a few steps out of the lit circle, before returning. 揇id you all really think I could take a month off work to come on this ridiculous trip? You just卋elieved me without question.?He ran a hand over his mouth. 揑 got fired. About a week before the restaurant burned down, Senator Boggs dismissed me from his staff.?A beat passed while that bombshell sank in among the group. 揑 fucked up. Did something I shouldn抰 have done. Iowa isn抰 about getting ahead, it抯 about getting somewhere. Anywhere. Or that抯 the end for me.?
Peggy dropped her face into her lap and started to sob. Giant, shoulder-shaking sobs that made Aaron roll his eyes before he dropped back down onto the log and jerked his sister up against his side.
揑t抯 going to work out,?Aaron muttered, as if trying to convince himself more than Peggy. 揑 won抰 be a failure.?
揧ou aren抰，？Peggy insisted, tearfully scrutinizing the unconfessed. 揥ho抯 up next??
Rita averted her gaze, staring directly into the flickering fire. It had taken so much courage for the four of them to be honest. She couldn抰 follow suit, could she? No. She didn抰 have it in her to just梔rop the shield. Her confession was so much worse. They would condemn her. Hell, she抎 already condemned herself, and that judgment was well deserved. They were on this trip because of a mutual love for their mother and the betrayal would be an arrow, piercing them all in this rare state of exposure.
When Jasper laid a hand on top of hers, Rita realized she抎 been holding her breath. But now the oxygen rushed in, as though it were being fed through their physical connection. Tears pressed behind her eyes like the cold, blunt end of a hammer. And she just梕xploded. 揑 burned down Wayfare.?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chasing after Rita into the desert had been a big mistake. Monumental.
He should have left things sour. Because now he抎 watched her in the flickering firelight. Watched her eyes shine with unshed tears as she listened to her siblings. Heard the note of relief when he抎 shown up. His plan simply to make amends for his half of this afternoon抯 blowup梟othing more, nothing less梥eemed like a fool抯 mission now. Two people didn抰 burn together梐s they抎 done梐nd simply cool off. No. The burn was there between them, brighter and more ravenous than ever.
Those facts occurred to Jasper before she confessed to burning down her mother抯 restaurant. So maybe he was crazy, as everyone used to say, because he toppled over, straight into love with Rita when she said the words, releasing them into the night like tiny torpedoes. With her gripping his hand, the wind blowing her hair in a constantly shifting dark halo around her face, she was the most incredible sight he抎 ever beheld. Perhaps because he抎 finally gotten to the bottom of her and finally understood. Oh, yes. I see where the pain comes from. I want it to be my pain, too. Want you to give me half, so we can bear it together.
揑 could have saved it,?Rita wheezed, prompting Jasper to tighten his hold. 揑 had the extinguisher in my hand.?She stared into the distance, as if remembering. 揑t was only in one corner of the kitchen卻omeone had left one of the burners on and it lit on a greasy apron someone had thrown over the expediting rack. I think匢 think? It would only have taken me spraying it down with foam. But I didn抰。 I just grabbed a whisk and I left. I let Mom抯 restaurant burn down.?
Her fear caused a change in Jasper. Made him want to lift a giant shield to keep her hidden while he defended her actions. And he would defend her. Without question. He had zero questions about Rita. Just the love expanding and strengthening and lifting all the parts of his insides that were myths until tonight.
Jasper moved diagonally on the log, bringing his side flush with Rita抯。 He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, and planted a lingering kiss in her hair. 揈verything is going to be okay now,?he murmured. 揃rave, beautiful Rita.?
She turned her face into Jasper抯， hiccupping against the side of his jaw. 揑f I was brave, I would have put out the fire. I wouldn抰 have been so scared to show up the next day for work that I let it burn to ashes.?
Aaron抯 voice sliced through the silence, making Rita flinch. 揥hy were you scared to go to work??