Chapter 23
Chapter 23 — The Morning After the Matriarch
Alex wakes the morning after his encounter with JJ to find the commune operating differently around him. Some women give him knowing looks; others grow quiet. JJ acts as if nothing happened, which unsettles him more than if she'd acknowledged it. Gene calls with a job offer for a deck rebuild that would take Alex into town for several days. Alex accepts. Before leaving, Eleanor intercepts him on the path and tells him her timeline has moved up. She gives him a date — two nights from then. Alex drives to town and works with Gene, who senses something has shifted in Alex and offers quiet advice about women who lead. Alex returns to the commune late to find Jessica waiting at his cabin with a medical concern and a confession she's been holding back.
Alex woke to light through the window and the sound of goats.
He lay still. The sheets were twisted. His body ached in places he'd forgotten about. His shoulders. His hips. The muscles along his lower back. JJ had been strong. She'd used him like timber. He'd let her.
The cabin smelled like cedar and sweat. He sat up. The room tilted. He put his feet on the floor. The wood was cold. He sat there. He thought about the night. The water. The steam. Her mouth. Her hands. The way she'd said his name. Not the way the others said it. Like she was filing a claim.
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