Despite the shadow of danger that hung over her—the knowledge that someone had deliberately cut her fuel line—Grace found the next few days surprisingly calm. Peaceful, even.
People around Longtooth softened toward her in small ways. Several locals stopped by her table in The Spruce’s dining room to apologize for teasing her about running out of gas, their voices tinged with sheepishness. Even Harry, who was incapable of admitting fault, seemed to offer his own gruff version of an apology when he launched into a rant about how “nobody could trust anybody these days.” Grace took that as close to contrition as she would ever get from him.
On Tuesday, Wade handed her a brown-paper package containing her replacement phone, and she spent that night reloading all her apps, her fingers moving i
