“Modeling for me? ‘Course not. He’s helping me with the pride flag sculpture in the frontyard.”
Silas blinked, momentarily distracted. “Did you say… it’s a prideflag?”
“Sure,” she said easily. “Rainbow colored stripes, like trees growing up from the ground. What else would itbe?”
Si looked at me and shook his head indisbelief.
“Nothing,” he said, at the same time Jay Turner, one of Grandpa Hen’s cronies, yelled, “They thought it was a buncha dicks,Rena.”
Rena tilted her head to the side, then nodded. “I mean, I can see why you’d think that. If you’d never seen a dickbefore.”
Her words surprised a laugh out of me that made Grandpa scowl in mydirection.
“Listen to me, everyone,” Julian Ross said, standing up from his breakfast. He was cute, in a small, dark-haired,youthfulsort of way. “Daniel Michaelson didn’t have anything to do withthis.”
“We know, Julian,” Jamie said. “It’salright.”
“I wanna know how he knows that!” someoneyelled.
“Yeah, how do you know that, Doc Ross?” Kelleyasked.
Julian’s face burned. “I know, because…I know because… Daniel was with me the night Elliot Marks wentmissing.”
“What?” His brother Constantine stared up at him in disbelief. “Withyou?”
“Yeah,” Julian said. “We’re, um…together.”
“Since when?” Constantine demanded. “I didn’t even know he wasgay!”
“Maybe because it’s none of your business,” Julianretorted.
"Damn," Constantine said. “Mom is going tofreakout.”
Julian’s face burned hotter. “I’m… I’ve gotta go,” he stuttered, throwing money down on thetable.
“Julian!” Silas called. “Daniel’s not introuble!”
But Julian either didn’t hear him or didn’t care. He was already out the door, with Constantine jogging afterhim.
“Well, that was damn entertaining,” Grandpa Hen told Shane. “What’ve you got planned for anencore?”
Shane scowled out the door at Julian, looking almost petulant. “Why’d he have to go and do that?” Shanesaid.
“Do what?” Jamie asked. “Speak up? I noticed the way Julian and Daniel were looking at each other at the meeting the othernight.”
“Same here,” I said. “They had chemistry. I’m not surprised they’re together, and if he cares about the man, it just makes sense that he spokeup.”
“Does it?” Si said, so low that only I couldhear.
God.I felt my heart tear a little bitmore.
“I just wanted everyone to stop worrying,” Shane said, frowning. The poor guy looked lost and young, although I knew he had to be around thirty since he and Molly haddated.
“I know, Shane,” Silas said. “I appreciate that. But it’d be best if you didn’t spread any more of Karen’s stories, alright? It just works people into apanic.”
Shane frowned and nodded. “Sorry,Si.”
“Well, we have some news,” Frank said, leaning over to Silas. He laid his hand on Myrna’s and squeezed, looking at her affectionately. “We decided you were right, Silas. We’re giving up the fight against the eminent domain case. We’re going to stop fighting and focus on finding peaceinstead.”
