The Forest of Sleepers (Nowhere Book 2)

e i g h t : c o m p a n y

It had been seven days since Wyatt's return to Nowhere.

Seven days of caring for a woman Wyatt knew nothing about.

It wasn't hard in the sense of there being a lot of work to be done. It was hard in the sense that Wyatt didn't know what to do with her. His own mother.

Wyatt was a man of action. A man of rights and wrongs and dos and don'ts.

Logic told him that Evelyn was taken care of. She had three square meals a day, a fresh set of clothes to wear, and plenty of books, radio, and television to fill her time.

But Wyatt sensed her disconnect whenever he was concerned. She knew him, or rather she used to know him. But she didn't anymore.

And even though her mind was drifting, Wyatt knew that her maternal instincts were still intact. She wanted to know Wyatt.

This was where logic met its end and turned into emotion, which was a skill Wyatt hadn't mastered.

He'd never been good at being known.

These were all of his thoughts that ran through his head as he sprayed fertilizer on the roses. He'd read that it was best to do it before sunrise, so the sky was just now turning baby blue.

The greenhouse was Wyatt's oasis. Even when Hal was alive, he'd spent most of his time amongst the tomatoes, roses, and dirt.

Marigold kept politely asking Wyatt when he was coming back to school in the way girls do when they don't want to be direct but also want an answer. Most days, she would ask, "You need a ride?" but sometimes it would be "I can bring your homework to you."

For the first time in Wyatt's life, school wasn't his priority. It was a curious feeling to suddenly be faced with choices.

All his life, Wyatt Best had been the mascot of good grades, respectable friends, and a promising academic career.

School was life and life was school. Brambleby Academy was all there was, is, and ever would be.

But now? Now Wyatt had other priorities. He had a mother to take care of. He had his own produce farm to grow. Money to make. A job to work.

He was smack in the middle of adulthood before he even knew it had begun. And what would he go to school for now anyway? To get a job? He already had one at the Penny's for the time being. To make a career? Everything he'd need for that was sitting in this greenhouse.

All of the data was lined up in place, but for once, Wyatt was finding it hard to accept.

He drew his shoulders back and stretched.

The sky purpled up above and Wyatt put away his tools before going back into the farmhouse.

He washed the grime off of his hands and turned off the water when he heard voices upstairs.

He straightened and craned his ear to listen.

His mother was one of the speakers, but he couldn't identify the other. It was too quiet.

Had one of the Penny's come to visit?

There was a pit growing in Wyatt's stomach as he cautiously made his way up the stairs.

"Mother?" he called.

There was no answer, but there was a scent.

It was faint, very faint, but it made chills trace down Wyatt's spine. For a second, he couldn't move.