“As long as I have you in an agreeable mood, I’m going to ask you something else.” He set down his fork on the tray and opened his bottle of water.
“You want to borrow my social studies notes?” she guessed, remembering how he’d sat next to her in first period this morning and tried to steal her notebook.
She took very neat notes. Occasionally she drew illustrations in the margins. Especially of the bloodier battles because…why not? Doodling helped her stay focused while the teacher talked.
“That, too.” He tapped his foot in a drum rhythm under the table. His knee brushed hers every now and then while he did it. “But mainly, I wanted to see if you’d go to this family reunion thing I have to work at this weekend.”
She knew he worked part-time at the local pizza shop. He’d talked about it being a decent gig on their date the other night.
“Why would I go to someone else’s family reunion?” She ate the quiche slowly, savoring it. Since she did most of the cooking at Pete’s place, she did not take it for granted when food was prepared for her. “Especially if you’re working?”
“I won’t have to work the whole time, and you can come at the end of my shift when I get to hang out. It’s going to be a big party—good music, tons of food and whatnot. They’re doing it at Lucky’s and some of it will be outside near the park.” Davis’s silent drum solo picked up speed, his knee rocking harder under the table.
Was he nervous?
She hoped not.
“I’d like that.” She had to spend time at the hospital for sure, but all the more reason to have someplace else to go after that. Seeing her father’s decline was going to be…
Her chest hurt just thinking about it.
“Really?” Her pretend boyfriend’s knee stopped shaking. “Awesome.”
Mia watched him out of the corner of her eye as he went back to devouring his quiche, his leg still beside hers.
Hehadbeen nervous. Knowing that gave her butterflies, but it also made her want to do something nice for him. She didn’t want to make him anxious or anything. Before she could think about that any more, her cell phone vibrated on the table nearby. She flipped it over to check the message, her heart in her throat in case it was the hospital or Gabriella with news about her dad.
She didn’t recognize the number the text came from.
But as soon as she read the words, she knew who sent them.
I found you.
Her former foster brother. The boy she’d fought off with a knife.
He was coming for her.
Chapter Fourteen
Something seemed offwith Mia.
Gabriella hated leaving her behind as she drove over to the Hasting family reunion. The girl had been quiet and withdrawn since midweek.
The road was quiet and the weather had cleared up beautifully for the event, which would now be mostly outdoors at Lucky’s Grocery, also known as Lucky’s Back Porch, a popular summer gathering spot for locals. Clayton had taken his motorcycle and left early that morning to help Sam set up for the foster gathering.
Gabriella had stayed behind while Mia slept in, hoping she could convince the girl to attend the event with her as Mia planned to put in an appearance eventually. But Mia had been adamant that Davis wouldn’t be finished working until dinnertime and she’d take Pete’s car over herself then. While Gabby didn’t love that plan, she also hated to impose martial law on a girl who had been mostly independent for so long. Besides, she’d be at the reunion herself to keep an eye on the couple and see how they interacted. Mia had given Gabriella no reason to doubt her. Gabby had thebenefit of being her confidante for too long to start imagining the worst of the girl now. So Gabby shook off her unrest and focused on the road ahead of her.
Warm sunlight slanted in through the passenger window of her rental car as she neared the town square that backed onto Main Street. Already, cars were lining the street, a sure sign she wasn’t the first to arrive at the Hasting family event. Hoping to enjoy the day for Clay’s sake most of all, Gabriella told herself that Mia was just upset about her father. Understandably so, given that Pete Yancy had been in and out of consciousness since entering the hospital, and more belligerent than usual the few times he’d been coherent. Twice, he’d thrown out visitors—his own offspring—who’d been kind enough to try and sit with him, accusing them of “gawking” and threatening to call security.
But Gabby couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to it than that. Mia had seemed to put her frustrations with Clay and Gabby behind her enough to have normal conversations, sparing them the extended silent treatment that could wreak havoc on a relationship.
Mia hadn’t been terribly chatty, either. And since midweek the girl had been jumpy and nervous. When Gabriella had asked her about it, she’d insisted she was fine. Normally, Gabby might have worried about the new boy in her life, but she’d met Davis Reed after school Wednesday and she’d liked him right away. Liked how Mia seemed with him—sweet and a little enamored.
What was she missing? And how was she supposed to pry it out of a girl who’d clammed up tighter than a hermetically sealed door when it came to her deepest thoughts?
Promising herself to keep a close eye on Mia this afternoon at the reunion, Gabriella parked her car close to Last Chance Vintage. She peered in through the shop window tosee if Erin Finley was there, wanting to thank her for giving Mia a chance to work off the clothing debt at the store, but Gabriella didn’t recognize the woman at the register so she hurried down the street toward Lucky’s.
On weekend summer nights, Lucky’s Grocery turned into an outdoor rib joint with live music and picnic tables dragged over from the town gazebo. Zach had told her the live music and dancing brought out people in droves, which was good for local businesses. All the vendors on the town square stayed open later and did more business because of it.
