Parlor Tricks

Chapter 33

Hank's hands stayed busy with the truck while his mind lingered on his next steps, which were drawing him closer and closer to Peter and tempering his pull to Josie. His conjecture was not enough to put the ghosts to bed; he needed proof; he needed to hear it from Peter. His mind analyzed all the paths of the conversation, none of which ended well. Peter had been maintaining this facade for far too long to let it shatter.

The air at the house was solemn as he hung his hat. Hank was confident that Josie was two steps ahead of him, as usual. He lingered in the hallway as she spun like a top around the kitchen, finishing dinner and, as quickly as she had been turning, she stopped. Her knuckles went white as she clutched the edge of the sink.

"Hank," her voice was weak.

"Hello," his voice came coarser than she deserved.

She lifted a hand to the rosemary plant, letting it glide between her fingers, splaying the aroma, breathing it in heavily before twisting around to lean against the sink. Her hands still clung behind her for stability. Hank fought the urge to move to her, to prop her up with his own stock. He knew it would be unwelcome, as her eyes stayed downcast.

"You're still unsettled."

"I'm sorry," his voice broke at the admission.

"The problem with learning to take is learning to stop always comes far too late. It's always one more step until your last." She spun away from him, plucking up two plates as she moved.

Hank took the last plate and followed her in silence. There was nothing he could say, as an apology was all he had to offer. Her unwillingness to accept his words was not unexpected. He stayed quiet through dinner, as though she had stolen his tongue with her rejection. Hank didn't fault her or miss his voice. He pushed bites of pork and vegetables around his plate as Clara and Josie expertly volleyed the surrounding conversation in a dizzying manner.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Clara announced as she pushed her plate away. She lifted from her seat, placing a kiss on Hank's temple, and murmured in a low voice, "find your voice." He gave her hand a tender squeeze before she pulled it from his shoulder.

Josie was already in the kitchen with the first batch of dishes before Hank had even risen from the table. He gathered the remaining plates and followed her tread. She didn't lift her gaze from the task at hand as she washed, not even as she passed the dishes to him to dry. The tight choke developed in Hank's throat as his mind swirled at where to begin.

"Josie," his voice broke as he started. Her hands stuttered on their work for a split second, but otherwise, she did not respond. "I need to know. I need to know if it's speculation or fact. And I need to know why."

"You won't get that." She let the plate slip from her hands as she spoke, causing it to shatter in the sink. She gazed down at it for a moment with surprise at the physicality of her outburst. Just as she was about to reach in to pick up the pieces, Hank pulled her away.

"Leave it; I don't want you to cut yourself." As he tugged her, she slipped deeper into his arms. Hank noted she didn't recoil as he had feared, but she also did not willingly melt to him as she had so many times before.

A laugh with a tinge of insanity slipped from her lips, causing the breeze of her breath to sweep across his neck. "You're worried about me getting hurt."

"Always." He tried to meet her eyes, but she kept them deliberately downcast. "Josie, I need this for you. Peter has been..."

"Don't," Josie spoke with a harshness Hank didn't know she could conjure. He flinched at the sharpness. Josie detangled herself from him, "don't pretend this is for me."

"Josie, Peter has been looking for you to leave since you arrived."

"Hank, he's an old man."

"That just means he has less to lose."

"Less to lose than who; you?"

"Yes." It seemed incredulous that he had to acknowledge it.

Josie sighed as though she were resolving her defeat. "You know the safest way to avoid a burn?" Hank's mind couldn't wrap around her riddles, not when he felt her slipping from him. "Stay away from the flame." She turned on her heel and headed out to the garden.

Hank knew better than to follow. As much as he wanted to explain, his proximity would only agitate her further. He settled into the sitting room and flipped through the completed pages of the photo book. Page after page, photo after photo of lost feelings of love documented with care. Each image was more clear of Clara's and Henry's devotion.

"They argued often," Josie was hovering in the doorway. "Clara was telling me they would disagree on ridiculous things." She met his gaze now. "They had quite a row about paprika one Christmas. Your father wasn't a fan of the spice."

"I'm sorry." Hank felt more like a broken record than a contributing conversationalist.

"I know," she perched on the edge of her chair as though she may take flight at any moment.

"I don't mean to upset you."

"I know," her eyes flickered to the photo book splayed across the table. "I know you see what you are doing as a path to safety, but it's a dangerous path."

"I know, but..." Hank held his tongue. He sat back, "I would like to talk through it all, but I'm afraid you'll get upset." Josie gaped back as though he had slapped her. "Josie..."

"I'm sorry, Hank."

"Why are you sorry?" He felt himself leaning forward in his chair, drawn to her.

"I haven't been listening." She pushed off from her chair and crashed into him, landing awkwardly on his lap. He grasped at her to ensure she didn't tumble. "I know that offering your thoughts is not..."

"My strong-suit," his mouth twisted to a crooked smile, revealing one dimple that Josie quickly let a thumb dip into as she cupped his face.

"I was going to say your nature."

"I want to; I think about all the things I want to say to you, tell you. But then when I see you..." Hank's mouth snapped shut on his words, causing his lips to purse in a tight line as though he had bitten a sour lemon. Josie held her gaze. "When I see you, I fall into a trance. You have a natural grace that's like watching a river flow; soothing and beautiful. It's hard to focus on much else."

Josie pulled herself up. "Kind words will get you everywhere." Hank dropped his face in embarrassment as Josie tugged on his hand. "Let's go to bed so I can hear what you have been mulling amidst my distractions."