(Ridge)
I found Dane in the main room later that evening.
He was at the table with a beer in front of him. Not drinking it. Just sitting there looking at the wall the way a man sat when he had something on his mind and hadn't figured out what to do with it yet.
I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.
He looked up. "Ridge."
"Dane."
We sat there for a second. Neither of us saying anything. That was one of the things about Dane. He never filled silence just to fill it. He waited for whatever was coming and didn't rush it.
"I'm taking Mira away for a while," I said. "A week. Maybe a little more."
He nodded. "Where?"
"North. Somewhere quiet. She needs to get out of Crosswell for a bit. Away from all of it."
"Makes sense." He turned his beer on the table. "When?"
"Soon. A
