Rory knocks on the door and I lift my hand in a short wave to the teenagers. The rest of the kids have gone back to playing.
The girl lifts her hand in response. She turns and murmurs something to the guy who simply nods at me. He focuses more on Rory, I notice.
The door opens and I turn back to face who I believe is Cattle Creek’s librarian.
“Rory!” She pulls Rory into a tight embrace. She steps back and puts her hands on Rory’s cheeks, looking up and down her.
“You nearly scared me to death,” she admonishes.
“Sorry, Lindsey,” Rory says, sounding guilty.
The librarian looks over Rory’s shoulder and sees Mason and I standing there.
“You better come in.” Lindsey steps aside, letting us walk into her house.
Mase and I follow Rory into the kitchen, Lindsey coming in behind us.
“So, is this a tea or tequila conversation, Rory?” Lindsey asks, leaning back against the counter so she can study me and my brother.
“No, I am not doing shots with you ever again, Lindsey.” Rory shakes her head.
She’s young, mid twenties maybe. She’s got long blonde hair and blue eyes with a sweet, honeyed voice.
Lindsey points at me suddenly. “Molecular Biology: Woes and Foes.”
I frown, wondering why that sounds familiar. Rory clues me in.
“Linds remembers people by the first book they borrow from the library,” she explains.
That was weeks ago. Huh.
“Seen my brother lately?” Lindsey asks Rory.
She nods, taking a seat at the counter. “Few days ago. Came to warn me to get out of town. Apparently Marcus has them coming after me,” Rory says so casually you’d think they were talking about the weather.
Wait. Did she just say her brother? A few days ago…
Her brother is Drake King?! Drake doesn’t have a sister—isn’tsupposedto have a sister. Yet, clearly he does.
“Yeah, I heard that too. I thought maybe you’d left already when your teachers told me you were homeschooling.” Lindsey seems to decide that this is a tea conversation because she fills the kettle.
“I saw Cal out the front. The girl looks…sweet?” Rory phrased it like a question.
Lindsey cracks a smile. “She is. She knows who we are so we’ll see what happens. She’s scared of me but apparently Rowan’s a teddy bear.”
Rory laughs, melodically. “No one thinks Rowan’s a teddy bear. Well, I do but he’s the most intimidating out of all your guys.”
“Right?!” Lindsey throws her hands up and they laugh.
When they settle down, Lindsey gestures to Mason and I. “Who’s the eye candy?”
“Sorry, we should have introduced ourselves. I’m Alec and that’s Mason. We’re Rory’s…” I trail off, not knowing what to say.
“They’re my boyfriends,” Rory says softly.
I look at her surprised. Mase just grins. He plants a kiss on her cheek and she blushes.
That’s the first time she’s called us that.
