‘It didn’t come in a grease-stained paper bag,’ I say, while Noah just looks up and glares.
Rita is unperturbed. ‘Noah, the only fast food in these parts is when we’re talking about how quickly it reaches the table.’
There’s a clank as Noah drops his fork against the ceramic plate.
I look at Rita. ‘He’ll get used to it.’
‘Lotta eggs come from this farm, Noah. Sometimes we hatch ’em. Got a fresh flock just hatched last week if you wanna see ’em.’
He gives her a look like he’s interested. Maybe Rita’ll teach him some manners.
‘I’d like to see them,’ Hollie says softly with a smile.
‘Well, of course,’ Rita says. ‘So, Hollie, how does a pretty girl from England end up in Canyon?’
From the look on her face, it’s plain as day to see she don’t like talking about this stuff.
‘Well, I… my parents got divorced when my mother ran off with a French wine expert. Dad was working as a legal advisor to the Mayor of London’s office. He met my stepmother when she came with an American delegation looking at revolutionising Canyon’s transport strategy. I was pleased, in a way, that he’d met someone new. I thought my father would have a long-distance relationship until I finished school, but she insisted on him relocating to Texas. Then my parents’ divorce got messy, and I was given a choice. Either spend my last two years of school in France, when I barely spoke a word of French, or finish my education in the American system. So, I chose to move to Canyon with my dad.’
‘Her stepmom is Evelyn Wallace,’ Noah tells Rita, and it pisses me off that he’s just blurted it out like that.
I see Hollie’s cheeks flush pink.
Rita’s expression darkens. ‘That must have been hard for you, sweetheart,’ she says in Hollie’s direction. I didn’t know that stuff about Hollie’s past.
‘Yes. Evelyn likes me about as much as I like her. We tolerate one another. She has a son who also hates me. But that’s fine, because I don’t like him either.’
‘Hollie was in AJ’s high school class,’ Noah then says to our aunt, and I swear this kid deserves a smack in the mouth.
Rita looks between us. ‘Oh, so you two knew each other?’
This time, it’s my cheeks that are burning up.
‘We knewofeach other,’ Hollie says.
‘They weren’t friends. AJ used to bully Hollie in high school,’ Noah says.
I look at the remainder of my food on the plate, drop my fork and sit back. ‘Noah,’ I snap. ‘Jeez.’
‘What? It’s true, ain’t it?’
‘Can you stop?’ I mutter. I can’t see Hollie’s expression because she keeps her head down. I grimace, raise my brow in Rita’s direction.
‘Who’s for dessert?’ Rita asks, breaking the tension. ‘AJ, you sure you won’t be staying over tonight?’
‘Nah. Thanks though. We need to get back on the road.’
‘What?’ Hollie snaps from the other side of the table. ‘You’re not serious. We only just got here.’
‘I got work tomorrow.’
Okay, now she’s pissed. She stabs a quarter boiled egg with her fork and shoves it into her mouth.
‘Told ya,’ Noah says to Hollie, and I hate this little bond they’ve developed in the car, just because she was generous enough to buy the little brat a few extra chicken nuggets. ‘Didn’t I say he’ll wanna turn around and drive straight back?’
Hollie says nothing. I figure she hates me, and I wish that didn’t bother me quite as much as it does.
Rita starts to clear plates. ‘Come on, pair of y’all shouldn’t drive tired. We got plenty of beds.’
