Eunice laughed, but it wasn’t full of mirth. It was more along the lines ofoh—the blind has finally seen the light!
“We see what we want, but sometimes, life shows us the truth when we’re open to see it. God knows your mother had her eyes on your feet since Maja claimed they were worth gold, but there’s more to the story. There’s a mother’s love to consider, underneath the surface, no matter how subtle it is.”
“I don’t think subtle is the word I’d use,” I scoffed into my cup before I took a tentative sip.Perfect.
“Perhaps not, but subtle enough that you didn’t catch it?” Eunice took her cup from the counter and sat across from me.
“Touché.” I took a deep drink. With the warm tea and the cake aroma infiltrating the air, I almost felt as though I could float.
“Rebel, that’s what I should’ve nicknamed you.” Eunice smiled into her own cup. Sweat beaded along her upper lip from the heat. “Enough of all that. Let’s go back to the start. Mothers. You’re still flushed.”
“So are you,” I shot back.
She threw her head back and laughed. “If it is for me, it will be a miracle, by God! I’d make one of those fake magazines—you know the ones. ‘Woman gives birth to alien baby.’ I went to Area 51 once and was the never the same. I know how old I look, but I’m only thirty-nine. Burgie might divorce me for lying about my age!”
We both laughed at this, imagining Eunice breaking the news to Burgess that she was with child, and after she had experiencedthechange. And probably because of the wild time she once had at Area 51.
Eunice’s shoulders shook. “He wouldn’t even have to move. His back would go out from the sheer shock of it!”
We laughed until our tea became tepid. Still, Eunice was curious about the flush on my face. It had nothing to do with pregnancy, but everything to do with how to get that way. Brando had left me high and dry, and though Eunice had refocused my attention some, I wanted him more than air.
Despite the spicy, sweet tea, the taste of him was still on my tongue. It took every ounce of my restraint not to go looking for him—to see him full of emotion and sweat. Going for a run encompassed a lot of ground for Brando.
A run, pushups, sit-ups, crunches, sitting tucks, pushing around the big tires my father had out back for that very purpose, and whatever else he felt he needed to do to blow off steam. He might even go in search of weights. If a pool had been accessible, he’d be doing laps faster than the eye could keep up.
Brando had blown any record that any of the places he had ever belonged to set. His accomplishments were still proudly displayed on the walls of the local high school—his face was on every corner. I don’t think he even tried half of the time.
The anticipation of him putting all of that on me… I shivered.
Eunice leaned over and touched her wrist to my head. “No fever,” she sighed.
Was it a sin or just insane to be jealous of the air? It was humid out, and I knew he’d be covered in moisture and dripping like a sieve. God, I could taste the salt on his skin, the male tang of anger, and the deeper, spicier scent of possession. I swallowed the tea down hard, only wanting the taste of him in my mouth.
The doorbell rang and I shot up, as quickly as a puppet whose strings had been yanked. “I’ll get it!”
My father’s two Dobermans—Sampson and Delilah—were hustling to get down the steps, letting out monstrouswoofs!toward the offending doors. They were beautiful creatures, and sometimes at night one or the other slept in our room, but with Jet taking offense, we had to put them out most nights.
“Upstairs!” I pointed. Both of them stopped on a dime, their sharp ears on alert, their powerful black- and rust-colored bodies tensed and ready. We had to send them into my father’s office or risk causing someone on the other side of the door to have a heart attack. “Go! Back up!”
Delilah whined. Sampson shook his head, not able to flap his stiff ears. Then Jet moseyed out from someplace, a look of accomplishment already on her face. She sat next to me, and seemingly on purpose, lifted one paw, putting it to her mouth, and slowly,veryslowly, licked her claws. Her dainty pink tongue made the sharp points glisten in reflection to a beam of light shooting through the glass.
My father gave them a command in German and they hustled back up the stairs, more than likely telling each other that the only reason they left was for the treats.Sure. I looked down at Jet. I wouldn’t trifle with her either. The dead fish left her with a sense of unfinished business; she was in search of a live one—or two.
With the two monsters silenced, I could hear mumbling coming from the other side of the door and almost groaned. My hand went straight to the cross around my neck.
“Sheriff,” I said, opening the door wide. “Brandon.”
The sheriff had been mumbling and almost looked shaken, so unlike the man whose last name matched his reputation. His face went from anger to complete calm and then back to anger in the span of a few seconds.
He wasn’t expecting me. He had been expecting a certain man to answer his call, but when he realized it was only me, he didn’t attempt to hide his frustration.
I almost rolled my eyes at this age-old male game of who can hide more behind their countenance. The calmest of the bunch, even under the most harrowing circumstances, was declared the winner. I always felt the craziest of the bunch should win—one of those berserker screamers—but what did I know?
Brandon stared at me, an envelope twitching between his fingers. Judging by his reaction to it, it almost seemed hot. Not stolen but scalding.
“Where’s your husband?” Brandon asked without preamble.
I waved a hand, gesturing toward the back of the house. “Out for a run.”
