“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I say, not wanting to get into that whole arranging herself for Marshall situation.
“And Skyla, how was cheerleading practice?” Dr. Oliver continues, throwing himself on the conversational grenade Emma just lobbed at the table.
“Educational,” I say carefully. “We’re all very...spiritedabout the upcoming ski trip.”
“Oh, how exciting!” Emma cries out as if I had just extended an invite for her to hit the slopes with us. “Will you be going on that trip?” She hikes a brow my way, suddenly fearing for her son’s baseball bat. “It sounds like such a wonderful opportunity to bond with the other cheerleaders.”
The way she saysbondmakes it clear she’s picturing me in a full body cast.
“Actually, I’m not going,” I say. “I have a dark feeling about it.”
Gage looks up from his plate for the first time. “You’re not going?”
Wow, he speaks. And here I thought he’d taken a vow of silence along with his vow to date Satan’s teenage intern.
“Nope. Staying home,” I say. “It feels much safer that way.” For all involved.
“Safer?” Emma laughs, the sound like wind chimes in a hurricane. “Skyla, it’s a school-supervised trip to a resort. What could possibly be dangerous about that?”
“You’d be surprised,” I mutter. One razor sharp ski comes to mind.
Gage is still staring at me with an expression I can’t quite read. “Since when do you turn down opportunities for adventure?”
Since adventure started involving Chloe Bishop’s tongue down your throat, I want to say but don’t.
“Since I developed common sense,” I say instead, letting my eyes linger on his lips a beat too long, then immediately regret it. Nothing says,I’m being mature about this, like mentally undressing him at the dinner table while his parents and my husband watch from the sidelines.
“Common sense is so underrated,” Emma says with a touch too much satisfaction. “I’m sure Logan appreciates having someone who thinks things through instead of just rushing headfirst into every situation like they did with some people.”
“Emma,” Logan says, shaking his head her way.
Like I’ve ever thought anything through.
“What?” she balks, feigning shock. “I’m just saying that maturity is attractive. Some people take longer to develop it than others.”
Gage’s jaw clenches. “Are we talking about anyone in particular?”
“Oh, not at all,” Emma says with fake innocence. “Just making general observations about personal growth.”
“Right,” Gage says with a frown. “General observations.”
I’m so lost, I’m not sure if I’m being insulted or praised at this point. Or maybe she was talking about Gage? No wonder he’s so incensed.
Dr. Oliver clears his throat. “So, Gage, how is school going? Any interesting classes this semester?”
He casts a side glance my way. “Mr. Dudley’s Algebra 2 class has been enlightening,” he’s quick to say, and I nearly choke on my macaroni.
“Oh,” Emma muses. “Mr. Dudley does seem to have quite the effect on his students. Especially the female ones.”
“He’s a very engaging teacher,” I manage to say the words with a straight face.
“I’m sure he is,” Emma replies with a knowing look. “Though I hope you’re not getting too distracted by his teaching methods.”
Logan taps his foot against mine under the table, probably to keep me from saying something that will start another faction war right here in the kitchen.
“Dudley is harmless,” Gage says, and there’s something in his tone that makes me shoot him a sharp look. Everyone knows that Marshall is anything but. The man is a danger in designer suits, and every supervising spirit from here to eternity knows it. “He just likes to think he’s God’s gift to women,” Gage continues.
I wince because he sort of is.
