“You want to help load this stuff, Mikey?”
The boy wiped his mouth and came to help. She saw the dark shadows under his eyes that told her he’d had trouble sleeping.
“You okay?”
He nodded, but didn’t speak, so she didn’t press him further.
“I have the clothes loaded, honey.”
Brad Gelderman walked in from out back as Hope headed that way. The man exuded confidence. Big, like his brother, this Gelderman had a tougher edge.He is like a warrior,Hope thought. He’d look good through her lens.
“How you doing, Hope?”
“Good, thank you.”
“Heard what you did to that idiot Jay. Nice work. I especially liked the scum-sucking limp dick comment.”
Hope blushed. “It seemed to fit the moment.”
“And the knee thing is a very effective way to drop a man, Hope. Good going there too.”
She snorted.
“If he hassles you, just call one of us, we’ll work him over for you.”
He smiled in that nice way he had, but she thought that maybe like his friends, he would teach Jay a lesson or two.
Soon they were loaded up, and she and Mikey were on the back. It was exhilarating having the wind in your hair as the beautiful scenery flew by.
“I reckon one day I’d want to leave like you did, Hope. Now Nana’s gone, I’ve been thinking of going to Columbia to study.”
“What are you thinking of studying?”
“I want to be a doctor.”
“I heard Columbia’s one of the top universities for medicine.”
He nodded, his face serious. “Me and Nana looked it up, and she wanted me to go there.”
“Here’s the thing, Mikey. You leave this place, but you don’t… not really, if that makes sense. I thought I’d go and forget about it. Small town, who needed that, right? I wanted the big city, and bright lights. But this place….” Hope looked around her. Took in the lake of clear blue water, shimmering like glass, and the trees. “You don’t leave, not really. It’s in your blood.”
“I love this place. I didn’t always, but I do now.”
“What do you like about living here?”
“The people,” he said instantly. “I can walk out my door and see someone, and usually it’s someone who has my back.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Before Nana died, she was old and unable to leave the house for ages. I had to care for her, because Connor’s okay, I guess, but he spends most of his time sucking face with his girl. Mom’s always traveling, and the others don’t live in Howling. I would be lonely here if I didn’t know everyone, and they know me. These people care about me. I only have to ask and they’d help if I needed it. Plus, I got Branna, Jake, and Rose, and the others.”
Wise words for a boy of fourteen, she thought. Why had Hope never seen Howling that way? Why had she hated living here? Not exactly hated, but resented. Coming back this time, it was different, she realized. She understood now. Understood the magic of this place.
“If you need help with anything, I’m here too, okay?”
“Thanks,” he said in a gruff voice.
And that was another thing. The few times Hope had been back to Howling, she’d kept to herself. This time that hadn’t happened. It was Newman, of course. He’d dragged her into his web of friends.
