He murmured a demurral. It didn’t matter. Veronica had made up her mind, and his denials were merely sweet and charming. Old-fashioned chivalry.
He tried to leave after that, but it was clear Veronica wanted to chat. He couldn’t be rude to her. However, if she insisted on instigating a conversation, there was no reason he couldn’t choose the topic.
“You’ve lived here all your life, correct?” Gabriel said.
It was a formality. All the elders had. They were as much a fixture of Cainsville as the gargoyles.
When Veronica nodded, he said, “Do you remember Glenys Carew?”
Her lips pursed, as if deep in thought. It was too deep a purse, too great an effort to pretend she needed to consider the question. When she said, “No, I don’t believe I do,” it was the answer he expected. Also, a lie. The fact of the lie didn’t bother him. Everyone lied. The important question was why, and that was always more difficult to answer.
“How about Daere Bowen?” he said.
“Daere.” She corrected his pronunciation to Day-ree. “Yes, I remember Daere.”
“Did you know she was Pamela Larsen’s mother?”
Veronica said nothing. She watched him, with a look he could feel in the pit of his gut. The look didn’t promise threat. Yet it was a warning nonetheless, and when he met her gaze, he felt a tug, as if she was pulling the question from his mind. His anxiety ebbed. There’s nothing wrong. Go back to bed. Watch over Olivia. This isn’t important.
“Yes, it is.”
When he heard himself say the words aloud, he stiffened, waiting for her to give him a look of confusion, of question. She blinked, then nodded, a smile playing at her lips, almost as if . . . pleased. She looked pleased.
“Olivia’s going to want answers,” he said.
“Yes, I suppose she will.”
That look vanished, but she continued watching him. Waiting. For him to ask the questions? He knew it would do no good. They needed more information first.
“Is she in danger here?” he asked.
Veronica looked surprised. “Danger?”
“Yes, is Olivia in danger? Here. In Cainsville.”
“No. Never.” Her tone was firm, fierce even. “Neither of you are.”
“It’s Olivia I’m concerned about.”
“I know.”
“I won’t allow anything to happen to her.”
She smiled. Warm. Pleased again. He felt as if he’d given something away, revealed too much. The anxiety buzzed in the pit of his stomach, and he wanted to pull back the words.
“Go inside, Gabriel,” she said. “Get some rest.”
He nodded, more curtly than he’d intended, and escaped.
As he stepped into the apartment, he heard a meow and an “Oh!” and found Olivia in the middle of the room, her hair falling in a halo of soft curls, eyes wide with sleepy confusion. She wore only an oversized shirt, feet bare, long legs bare. He jerked his gaze back to her face.
“Alarm,” she said, and lunged for it.
He made it first, entering the code before it went off.
“I thought you’d changed your mind and gone home,” she said. “I was just going to throw the bolt. Is everything okay?”
“I stepped out for some air. Did I wake you?”
She shook her head. “Something . . .”
He tensed. “You heard something?”
She waved off his concern. “No, no. You’re okay, then?”
“I am.”
“I’m sure that sofa isn’t very comfortable. That might be why you aren’t sleeping. If you’d like to leave . . .”
He searched her face for a sign that she wanted him gone. He knew he wouldn’t find one. Even when she was annoyed with him, she never seemed to really want him gone. Still, he looked. He probably always would, watching for that signal that he wasn’t wanted, and if he sensed that, he’d be out the door before she could say goodbye.
“I’m fine on the sofa,” he said.
A smile, sleepy but genuine. Happy that he was staying.
“Go on,” he said, waving toward her room.
Another smile as she retreated. “Good night, Gabriel. Sleep well.”
“I will.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
I served Gabriel breakfast the next day—Larry cooked it; I just served. Once Gabriel left, I stepped outside to call Ricky.
“What time do you start work tomorrow?” he asked.
“Ten. Gabriel has a morning appointment and doesn’t need me there until then.”
“Perfect. I have class at ten. How about an overnight trip to Wisconsin? We have a cabin up there. Monday nights are quiet, and the forecast is clear.”
“Sounds good. Are we riding up?”
“I figured you might want the car for this one. It’s almost two hours from Cainsville. A bit long for a bike if you’re not used to it. I imagine you were a little sore after the other day.”
“A little. But I don’t think it was the bike.”
He laughed.
“Either way, I’m not complaining,” I said.
“Are you sure? I could slow down.” He paused. “The bike, at least. I’m not sure about the rest.”
“I’m not even sure about the bike. You’re pretty damned unstoppable either way.”
“Mmm, maybe.”
“Bring the bike.”
—
I’ll admit that I’d wondered if the excitement of that first bike ride had been more about the fact that I hadn’t had sex in over a month. It wasn’t. The rush was still there, in every way, and we made it about twenty miles before pulling off on another empty road for another lust-fueled pit stop. After that, I changed out of my skirt and into my jeans and Ricky made me wear a helmet—he’d brought an extra this time—and we headed onto the highway for the rest of the trip.
Ricky had warned that the cabin was rustic. It was also a bone-jarring five miles down a dirt road that tapered to a trail no car could breach. While our destination wasn’t anything like the so-called cottages I’d visited growing up—million-dollar lakefront homes—it was surprisingly nice. A thousand or so square feet of log cabin with a massive deck. The deck did not overlook a lake, but there was a stream burbling past. And trees—lots and lots of trees—with no other dwellings in sight.
He tried to leave after that, but it was clear Veronica wanted to chat. He couldn’t be rude to her. However, if she insisted on instigating a conversation, there was no reason he couldn’t choose the topic.
“You’ve lived here all your life, correct?” Gabriel said.
It was a formality. All the elders had. They were as much a fixture of Cainsville as the gargoyles.
When Veronica nodded, he said, “Do you remember Glenys Carew?”
Her lips pursed, as if deep in thought. It was too deep a purse, too great an effort to pretend she needed to consider the question. When she said, “No, I don’t believe I do,” it was the answer he expected. Also, a lie. The fact of the lie didn’t bother him. Everyone lied. The important question was why, and that was always more difficult to answer.
“How about Daere Bowen?” he said.
“Daere.” She corrected his pronunciation to Day-ree. “Yes, I remember Daere.”
“Did you know she was Pamela Larsen’s mother?”
Veronica said nothing. She watched him, with a look he could feel in the pit of his gut. The look didn’t promise threat. Yet it was a warning nonetheless, and when he met her gaze, he felt a tug, as if she was pulling the question from his mind. His anxiety ebbed. There’s nothing wrong. Go back to bed. Watch over Olivia. This isn’t important.
“Yes, it is.”
When he heard himself say the words aloud, he stiffened, waiting for her to give him a look of confusion, of question. She blinked, then nodded, a smile playing at her lips, almost as if . . . pleased. She looked pleased.
“Olivia’s going to want answers,” he said.
“Yes, I suppose she will.”
That look vanished, but she continued watching him. Waiting. For him to ask the questions? He knew it would do no good. They needed more information first.
“Is she in danger here?” he asked.
Veronica looked surprised. “Danger?”
“Yes, is Olivia in danger? Here. In Cainsville.”
“No. Never.” Her tone was firm, fierce even. “Neither of you are.”
“It’s Olivia I’m concerned about.”
“I know.”
“I won’t allow anything to happen to her.”
She smiled. Warm. Pleased again. He felt as if he’d given something away, revealed too much. The anxiety buzzed in the pit of his stomach, and he wanted to pull back the words.
“Go inside, Gabriel,” she said. “Get some rest.”
He nodded, more curtly than he’d intended, and escaped.
As he stepped into the apartment, he heard a meow and an “Oh!” and found Olivia in the middle of the room, her hair falling in a halo of soft curls, eyes wide with sleepy confusion. She wore only an oversized shirt, feet bare, long legs bare. He jerked his gaze back to her face.
“Alarm,” she said, and lunged for it.
He made it first, entering the code before it went off.
“I thought you’d changed your mind and gone home,” she said. “I was just going to throw the bolt. Is everything okay?”
“I stepped out for some air. Did I wake you?”
She shook her head. “Something . . .”
He tensed. “You heard something?”
She waved off his concern. “No, no. You’re okay, then?”
“I am.”
“I’m sure that sofa isn’t very comfortable. That might be why you aren’t sleeping. If you’d like to leave . . .”
He searched her face for a sign that she wanted him gone. He knew he wouldn’t find one. Even when she was annoyed with him, she never seemed to really want him gone. Still, he looked. He probably always would, watching for that signal that he wasn’t wanted, and if he sensed that, he’d be out the door before she could say goodbye.
“I’m fine on the sofa,” he said.
A smile, sleepy but genuine. Happy that he was staying.
“Go on,” he said, waving toward her room.
Another smile as she retreated. “Good night, Gabriel. Sleep well.”
“I will.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
I served Gabriel breakfast the next day—Larry cooked it; I just served. Once Gabriel left, I stepped outside to call Ricky.
“What time do you start work tomorrow?” he asked.
“Ten. Gabriel has a morning appointment and doesn’t need me there until then.”
“Perfect. I have class at ten. How about an overnight trip to Wisconsin? We have a cabin up there. Monday nights are quiet, and the forecast is clear.”
“Sounds good. Are we riding up?”
“I figured you might want the car for this one. It’s almost two hours from Cainsville. A bit long for a bike if you’re not used to it. I imagine you were a little sore after the other day.”
“A little. But I don’t think it was the bike.”
He laughed.
“Either way, I’m not complaining,” I said.
“Are you sure? I could slow down.” He paused. “The bike, at least. I’m not sure about the rest.”
“I’m not even sure about the bike. You’re pretty damned unstoppable either way.”
“Mmm, maybe.”
“Bring the bike.”
—
I’ll admit that I’d wondered if the excitement of that first bike ride had been more about the fact that I hadn’t had sex in over a month. It wasn’t. The rush was still there, in every way, and we made it about twenty miles before pulling off on another empty road for another lust-fueled pit stop. After that, I changed out of my skirt and into my jeans and Ricky made me wear a helmet—he’d brought an extra this time—and we headed onto the highway for the rest of the trip.
Ricky had warned that the cabin was rustic. It was also a bone-jarring five miles down a dirt road that tapered to a trail no car could breach. While our destination wasn’t anything like the so-called cottages I’d visited growing up—million-dollar lakefront homes—it was surprisingly nice. A thousand or so square feet of log cabin with a massive deck. The deck did not overlook a lake, but there was a stream burbling past. And trees—lots and lots of trees—with no other dwellings in sight.
