Page 38 of Never Fall Again

Bronwyn didn’t answer, and her gaze locked on Mo, who, to Cal’s intense shock, was smiling.

And then Mo spoke. “The part where no one knew.”

“That part was true,” Cal said. “We didn’t tell anyone.”

Mo and Bronwyn grimaced in unison.

“You told Beep?” Cal was walking a tightrope. This was the closest Mo and Bronwyn had come to having a conversation since Mo had moved back. Which meant it was the closest they’d come in years.

“Of course I told her. I wasn’t foolish enough to go off without anyone knowing what we were doing. I figured if we didn’t get back, she could let it slip. I didn’t expect them to realize we were missing right away.”

“Did you tell?” Landry asked Bronwyn.

“I never told. And now you’re in the circle of trust, and you can’t tell either.”

Mo’s lips twitched. “Welcome, Landry. You’ll never escape, but it’s not so bad.”

Eliza chose that moment to burst into the room. She froze when she saw Mo. “What happened to your face?”

“Eliza!” Landry’s horrified response was almost drowned out by Cal’s, Mo’s, and Bronwyn’s laughter.

Mo patted his face. “What do you think?”

Eliza considered him. “I think you look like you now.”

“Out of the mouths of babes.” Bronwyn mouthed the words to Cal.

Eliza wasn’t done. “Did it hurt?”

“No. But I may let a little of the beard grow back. Maybe a little bit like Cal does in the winter.”

Eliza turned to Cal. “You don’t have hair on your face.”

“Not now.” He rubbed his jaw. “But it gets cold up here. Having a beard keeps my face warm when I’m working outside.”

Eliza studied him. “I’m not sure I would want you to have a beard.”

Cal knelt beside her. “Tell you what. When winter rolls around, you can tell me if you like the beard or not.”

“Will you shave it off if I don’t like it?”

“Yes.”

Landry gasped behind him. “Cal. You don’t—”

“Okay.” Satisfied, Eliza leaned against his arm. “Mom and Ms. Bronwyn have to leave for a while. But Abby said I can stay with her.”

“What’d your mom say?”

“She said I could stay if I wanted to.”

There was some hesitation in Eliza’s words that Cal didn’t understand. “Do you want to stay?”

Eliza scrunched up her face. “Areyoustaying?”

Her words, and her intent, nearly knocked the wind out of him. But he managed to keep his voice light. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here until bedtime.”

“Good.” Eliza gave a quick little nod. “Then I’m staying too.”