Page 45

“I hate it here.”

“You and Gabriel have that in common. Wanna tell me why you ran away?”

“No.”

“Wanna go home?”

“No.”

“Then are you angry?”

“Yes.”

“I have an idea for you.”

“When you said a five-year-old was gonna come dig a hole, I didn’t expect her to get so far in.” Mollie stood next to me, arms crossed. “Should I be worried about this turning into a pond?”

I sighed. “Maybe. I can fill it and find a new place for her to go.”

“Why are you having her dig a hole again?”

“It’s a good way to get out anger.”

“She must be very angry then.”

I blew out a breath. Mollie was right. Agnes was very angry.

I had no idea what was going on, nor should I.

But I was curious nonetheless.

Agnes poked her head out of the hole. “When do I get to the gold? I want to be rich!”

“I don’t know!” I called back. “Keep digging.”

“Wow,” Mollie said. “She’s precocious.”

“I love it when you use big words that I don’t know.”

“Ahead. Very ahead,” Mollie explained. “Eric was too, but Jasmine isn’t. Although, I’d even say this one is ahead of Eric. The other girl too, if I go off of what I saw the day they moved here.”

I crossed my arms. I wondered if they were acting out because they were bored. Clearly, this one could focus on a task that interested her, even if it was simply digging a massive hole.

I could’ve stared at Agnes and thought about it all day, but I shook off my thoughts. Gabriel didn’t deserve me solving his problems. Instead, I pulled out my phone and messaged Atticus.

Jade

I have your grandkid. Tell Gabriel I’m at Bennie Grove.

Atticus responded with a thumbs-up.

Thirty minutes later, Gabriel’s car was racing onto the farm.

“That’s him,” Mollie said.

“I know.”

“So, how do we play this? Do you want me to glare?”