“Me either,” Kordie added. “Why wasn’t I invited?”
“Yeah,” Keith threw in for good measure, and Rory’s nerves eased a fraction.
“I knew you’d try to talk me out of it.” She nudged Sera with her elbow. “She’s crazier than I am.”
“That place was awful,” Sera complained with a shudder. “But I’ll go back if we need to.”
Rory smirked at the others as if to say,See?
“Are your parents okay with me being here?” Rory asked, looking at their front door. “Not everyone is fond of serial killers. Or did you tell them I’m the cousin named Lo?” She glared when Lauren smirked.
Keith waved her off. “They know you saved people. Besides, they wouldn’t have agreed to put you on the list otherwise.”
“Did you tell them why we’re here?” Lauren asked, narrowing her eyes at Keith, making him step back.
“No. That’s where they draw the line. They’re very protective of other members of their community.”
They all nodded and ambled up the porch steps and into the house.
Keith’s mother hugged Kordie tightly, looking at her like she was the best thing to exist, and Rory smiled. It was hard not to like her, and anyone would be lucky to have her as a potential daughter-in-law.
She and Keith hadn’t been dating long, but they were such good friends that Rory knew they wouldn’t risk ruining their friendship unless they were serious about one another.
Dume shook Keith’s father’s hand and exchanged a few words while Sera introduced herself to Rina, Keith’s mother. Rina bustled around the group to stand in front of Rory and placed her hands on her shoulders.
“Don’t be nervous, honey.” She glanced at Clark, her husband. “We know your heart was in the right place, no matter how unsavory your methods were.”
Rory’s stomach tumbled. “Thank you. I don’t plan on hangingpeople from hooks anymore.” More people were accepting of her than she expected, but the more people that found out she was back, the more uneasy she felt.
Telling Keith’s parents was necessary, but after the way Fiona treated her at the market, she couldn’t let anyone else know unless she had to.
Clark released a loud belly laugh. “You’re all right, young lady. Now,” he said, looking at Keith. “Your mother and I worked all afternoon in the kitchen. Come eat willingly, or I’ll force-feed you.”
Keith clapped his dad on the back and looked over his shoulder. “I went through a stage where I refused to eat at the table. He’ll never let me live it down.”
After dinner,they sat around chatting about random things. Even Lauren joined in, telling stories about Sam that kept everyone laughing.
Finally, Rory cleared her throat. “Do either of you know Max and Tammy Story?” She struggled to keep her voice steady.
Rina grinned widely. “Everyone knows Max and Tammy. If they didn’t before, Max breaking that Cleary boy’s legs did the trick.”
Rory choked on her water and glanced at the others. Lauren neglected to tell her what landed Max in Vincula.
“He had it coming,” Clark grumbled. “That boy was making fun of Tammy’s limp. Now he has one to match.”
Sera stood and began gathering plates, and Dume got up to help.
“They are friends of my mother’s,” Rory lied through her teeth. “I wanted to deliver the news of her worsening condition personally, but I’ve never been to their home before. They always came to ours, but they haven’t been in quite some time. My mother is not well, and I would hate for them to hear secondhand.”
She prayed they bought it. Everyone knewMuninsrarely left the compound, and it was doubtful they’d heard of her mother’s incarceration.
Rina placed her hand on her chest. “Oh, honey. Is she sick?”
“No. She’s aSibyl.” Not a lie. Her conditionwasworsening.
Rina leaned forward and patted her arm. “I’m sorry to hear that. Let me jot down their address for you.”
Rina grabbed the paper with Max’s address on the counter and handed it to Rory. “Tell Max and Tammy we said hello.”
