Why had he thought anything he gave her, even money, could make her happy? “What about Aunt Flora? Can’t she help out?” He didn’t bother to suggest Uncle Gabe, Dad, or Ed lend a hand; they’d be offended at the very thought.
“You’d think so.” The corners of Opal’s mouth tightened. “But no, all she does is criticize me. Mom did, too, but at least she was working at the pharmacy. But then she died, thanks to you, and Flora and Gabe moved in, and I thought they were going to help out, they said they would…”
To his horror, she burst into tears. Should he offer her a hug? But his family wasn’t the hugging sort, so he only sat awkwardly in his chair. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes!” She wiped her eyes. “Come home! Don’t you remember how things were before you left? We were all so happy.”
He didn’t remember anyone ever being happy in their home…but maybe he was wrong? Maybe he’d misunderstood something.
Either way, he’d been miserable. “Opal…maybe I can visit for a while, not now, but sometime. But I can’t come back.”
“You have to!” She clutched her napkin, as if she meant to tear the cloth in half. “You owe it to me, to us! You let Jake die, and Mom die, both of them! This is all your fault.”
“Like hell it is,” Alistair said from the doorway.
Alistair’s fingernails dug into his palms, and he ground his teeth as he shut the door behind him. He’d expected to come home to find Sam either relaxing or already in bed. Instead here was his damn sister sitting there with crocodile tears coming out of her eyes while she poured poison in Sam’s ear.
He stalked into the kitchen and to the table, grimly pleased when she shrank back in her chair. “Sammy,” she squeaked, “tell him to go away. This is family business.”
“Sam is my family.” He stopped behind Sam’s chair and put his hands on his shoulders. Sam’s muscles were tense as wires beneath his touch. “He’s my witch, and I’m his familiar. Anything you say to him, you can say to me.”
She blanched—Sam hadn’t told her. Alistair didn’t mind; the Cunninghams could think whatever they wanted so long as they did it back in Gatesville.
But she’d come here to his town, into his house. If she saw or heard something she didn’t like, then she’d brought it on herself.
“It’s okay,” Sam said, sounding so down Alistair wanted to throw Opal out the door and down the stairs himself. “I’ll fix everything, okay? I will. But you need to go home—without me.”
She shook her head. “They think I’m staying with Dolly for a week. I can’t leave yet.”
Alistair bristled. “Well, you sure as hell aren’t staying here.” He’d strangle her after a day.
“Just for tonight,” Sam put in hurriedly. Appeasing her. “Tomorrow, I’ll find you a hotel, or you can find one you like, either way I’ll pay for it. But it’s not safe for you here.”
Her eyes went to Alistair, and he wasn’t sure whether he should be offended or take on cheetah form and chase her off down the street.
“Not because of Alistair.” That brought the steel into Sam’s voice. Alistair appreciated it, but he wished Sam would save a little for himself. “The business I’m in isn’t, um…”
“I don’t want to know.” Disapproval dripped from Opal’s voice. “Just one more reason for you to come back, then.”
“Even if I could, Dad wouldn’t let me in the house.” Sam put both hands flat on the table. “I’m going to fix things, though. I swear.”
She eyed him uncertainly. “How?”
“Just trust me. Please.”
Opal snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She rose to her feet. “I’m exhausted from traveling. I’ll accept your offer of a hotel room, but don’t think you can get rid of me that easily.”
As soon as the bedroom door shut behind her, Sam sagged in his chair. Alistair immediately wrapped his arms around his shoulders, even though the back of the chair made the embrace awkward. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured into Sam’s hair. “I wish I’d been here when she showed up.”
“I know.”
“So what did she want? Why is she so determined to drag you back now?”
“She’s having trouble with our aunt and uncle. Eldon’s parents.”
The parents Eldon had run away from, then never spoken to again before his untimely death. “Tell me.”
Sam did, though Alistair suspected his scant few sentences weren’t the whole story. Even so, it was enough to make him seethe.
