He drops his fork with a clatter, leans back in his chair, and eyes me dangerously. I scoff and shake my head. He may be bigger than Momma, but I’ve seen that look a thousand times before and it doesn’t scare me anymore now than it does when she gives it to me.
“She left,” he replies curtly through grit teeth. “That’s all there is to it.”
I lean back in my chair, tuck a leg underneath myself, and cross my arms over my chest.
“You’re lying. Momma always gets irritated like that too when she’s lying. What happened, Huck? I won’t tell anyone; I promise.”
“I said she left,” he barks at me. “End of story.”
He picks up his fork again and then lets out a loud sigh as he pushes his chair back from the table and grabs his plate. Uncle Huck walks out of the room in a huff, and I can hear the loud clatter of the plate as he tosses it into the sink.
I chew the inside of my mouth thoughtfully. I know he’s lying to me, but why? What does he think I’d do if he told me the truth? Look at him differently? Hell, I’m still trying to see him as it is.
I drop my foot and pick up my fork, push around my meal, then sigh as I grab my plate and walk into the kitchen. He has his back to me again, hands placed firmly on the counter, his head dropped low.
“Sorry, Huck. I seem to have a knack for wearing out my welcome everywhere it seems,” I say softly as I empty the plate into the garbage can then place it gently in the sink. “If you have a phone, I can call Momma to come get me.”
“I need you to give me a minute please,” he says holding up a finger. “Go back to your room and I’ll come get you in a bit.”
Just like Momma,I think with a heavy sigh as I lower my head and retreat as I’m told to do.
---
Uncle Huck lied.
He didn’t come get me at all that day. In fact, he spent the next few days taking care to put distance between us. I would only really see him when I caught glimpses of him outside the window as he worked on the farm.
It’s on the third night of the next week that I decide I’ve had enough of the cold shoulder. I watched him go into the barn almost three hours ago and he hasn’t come out yet. The sun has long since gone down and I’m starting to get sick of the lonely feeling.
If I wanted to feel like a burden, I could have fought Momma tooth and nail to stay home.
I slip my feet into my slippers and decide to go and try to talk to him. I don’t know what it is about Aunt Brianna being gone that makes him so angry, but I don’t think it’s fair that he’s still taking it out on me for asking.
The night air is cool out in the country and I wrap my arms around myself as I glance up at the night sky. It’s really beautiful out here—there’s not a cloud in sight and the dark sky looks like it’s being lit up by the wishes of a thousand stars.
I smile slightly as I tear my eyes away from paradise above and turn my attention back to the barn that’s looming closer and closer.
Once I get just outside the door, I hesitate for a moment. If Uncle Huck is still mad at me, then maybe this isn’t the best idea. He’s not exactly reasonable from what I can tell, and I don’t know if he’ll hurt me to get his point across that he wants to be left alone, but I doubt it. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that could hurt anyone—not even a fly.
“Huck?” I call out, my voice cracking as I step nervously into the barn. “You in here?”
“Yeah,” comes the curt reply.
“Can I come in?” I ask timidly.
“You already are from the sound of it.”
I bite back a sigh and walk the rest of the way into the barn. I didn’t realize how big the damn thing was from outside, and I’m not sure where he’s hiding in here.
“Where are you?” I ask curiously.
“Turn around, Maddi.”
I jump at the sound of his voice suddenly being so close then let out a sigh when I see him leaning against the door.
“How’d you do that?” I inquire suspiciously.
“I was right over there when you came in,” he says nodding at an empty horse stall near the door.