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Back A Flicker of Light
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Katie Powner
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

Amber chuckled. “I suppose so.” She gave Hunter another tiny lick and turned on her mushy mommy voice. “We just won’t tell that mean old WIC lady, will we, buddy?” He babbled in response. Amber looked over at Bea. “She’s not really mean. Just intrusive and opinionated.”

It was Bea’s turn to chuckle. The waitress appeared again with a plate in each hand.

She plunked them down on the table. “Two deluxe cheeseburgers with extra fries. You girls need anything else?”

“No, thank you,” Bea said. “We’re good.”

There weren’t many other people in the diner, so the waitress shuffled behind the counter to restock napkin dispensers.

Amber squeezed a giant pile of ketchup onto her plate. “Anyway, I was telling you about Hunter’s dad.”

Bea cringed. Hot coffee, she shouldn’t have brought that up. “You don’t have to.”

Amber exchanged the ketchup bottle for the mustard and squeezed another pile. “No, it’s fine. I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it around town.”

Bea pulled the onions from her burger. “Everyone’s too busy talking about me, I guess.”

“You’re right.” Amber’s eyes twinkled, and she leaned forward like they were sharing a secret. “Thanks for taking the heat off me.”

“Glad I could help.”

“Do you remember Axel Scott? He was a couple years ahead of us in school.”

Bea nodded. “The guy with the mohawk?”

Amber blushed. “Yes. We got together after I graduated. I moved in with him and everything. He was working at the auto shop, but he always talked about getting out of here. Leaving Moose Creek in the dust and all that. I guess when he found out about Hunter, he couldn’t stand the thought of being tied to this place. He was gone before I could say, ‘Get me some pickles and ice cream.’”

“Just like that?”

Amber raised one shoulder. “Just like that. I live with my mom now. She still works at the school, so I watch Hunter during the day and pick up a few hours at the gas station in the evenings.”

“You didn’t want to go to college?”

“I did.” Amber swirled a spoon through her milk shake and looked Bea over with an assessing gaze before answering. “But a baby changes everything.”

EIGHTEEN

ch-fig

I lean my head out of the bathroom into the hall and call to Rand, “You forgot to flush last night.”

The distinct sound of his walk—thump, slide, thump, slide—draws closer until he appears around the corner. “What’re you talking about?”

“Someone peed in this toilet.” I point over my shoulder. “And it certainly wasn’t me.”

He watches me for three blinks, a variety of thoughts moving across his face like the flickering light of a campfire. I don’t recognize any of them, his thoughts. I can’t read them.