in front of her and Kari. Addie liked her, and wondered if she was a necromancer as well. When Aster came into the room with an elderly lady, Addie tried to ignore them, but Kari introduced them to her.
“My, but you’re very pretty, aren’t you?” Addie blushed hotly when Connie spoke to her. “You must look like your grandmother, because you don’t look a thing like your parents.”
“You know them?” Connie nodded and said that she’d known them for some time. “I’ve not been home in a long time. I’m assuming that I’m no longer welcome in their home. I was never what you’d call a very gracious child.”
Connie and Aster laughed, along with Kari. Aster put her hand on Kari’s belly and told her that she was doing fine. Addie felt slightly dizzy when she realized what she was seeing. Aster didn’t just put her hand on her belly, but had reached inside it. The next thing she knew, her head was between her knees and someone was shouting at her.
From the boots, she figured it was a male. From the sound of the voices, she could hear now that there were more than one, and that it was Aster and Nick arguing. When Addie tried to lift her head up, he shoved it back down, and that was when she got pissed. Putting her fingers into her mouth, she did something that she’d not done in years. She whistled like it was her job.
Lifting her head now, she looked around the room. Aster and Kari were smiling, Connie was staring at her with some sort of awed look on her face, and Izzy was covering her mouth with her towel and laughing too.
“Now. First things first, you push my head down like that again, and you’d better have a damned good reason.” Her face flushed hotly again when she realized what she’d said. Nick only cocked a brow at her, but she decided to ignore him for now. “Secondly, I’d like to know when I can leave here. There are, from what I’ve been told, several people looking for me, and I’d very much like to avoid having them find me here. There are…you guys are not a part of this and I don’t want you hurt.”
“Your grandmother is on her way.” She looked at the man standing there…Billy, she thought his name was. “She’s a mite more like you than I would have thought. Bossy little thing too. Should have heard her arguing with that hotel—”
Everyone looked at Nick when he said Billy’s name. “Just the highlights for now, okay?”
Billy nodded and smiled at her. Nick was looking at her like she was some sort of bug on a peg board. Addie gave her full attention to Billy and the others.
“She’s coming. Put her house on the market and gave your parents the boot too. Only reason I know all that is ‘cause I’m on the good side of Mr. Harrison, her lawyer. Well, he’s not her lawyer anymore, but his son is. Good man, he was. We’ve been hanging out together for a while now. And he’s the one that helped me clear up my will for—” Nick cleared his throat. “Dang it, man, I’m getting there. Can’t a man have a little side trip on occasion? Well, she’s on her way. You want more information, then you ask me, darling.”
“Why is she putting her house on the market? Wait, because of Joel being killed there. I’d say that’s a smart thing to do.” She smiled at Billy. “You have things to tell me, no matter how many side trips you need to take, I’ll listen to you. Now, tell me about why she’s giving my parents their walking papers.”
Steele burst out laughing and sat beside her at the big kitchen table. Another woman came in, and after she was introduced to Beth, mother of Aster and Steele, and the rest of the people in the kitchen, they were asked to move to the dining room. Steele sat on one side of her and Nick the other. She felt like she was being crowded, closed in, and turned to Steele.
“I need to leave.” He didn’t say anything but looked at Nick. “This is my decision, last time I looked. I’m well past the age of asking for permission
“My, but you’re very pretty, aren’t you?” Addie blushed hotly when Connie spoke to her. “You must look like your grandmother, because you don’t look a thing like your parents.”
“You know them?” Connie nodded and said that she’d known them for some time. “I’ve not been home in a long time. I’m assuming that I’m no longer welcome in their home. I was never what you’d call a very gracious child.”
Connie and Aster laughed, along with Kari. Aster put her hand on Kari’s belly and told her that she was doing fine. Addie felt slightly dizzy when she realized what she was seeing. Aster didn’t just put her hand on her belly, but had reached inside it. The next thing she knew, her head was between her knees and someone was shouting at her.
From the boots, she figured it was a male. From the sound of the voices, she could hear now that there were more than one, and that it was Aster and Nick arguing. When Addie tried to lift her head up, he shoved it back down, and that was when she got pissed. Putting her fingers into her mouth, she did something that she’d not done in years. She whistled like it was her job.
Lifting her head now, she looked around the room. Aster and Kari were smiling, Connie was staring at her with some sort of awed look on her face, and Izzy was covering her mouth with her towel and laughing too.
“Now. First things first, you push my head down like that again, and you’d better have a damned good reason.” Her face flushed hotly again when she realized what she’d said. Nick only cocked a brow at her, but she decided to ignore him for now. “Secondly, I’d like to know when I can leave here. There are, from what I’ve been told, several people looking for me, and I’d very much like to avoid having them find me here. There are…you guys are not a part of this and I don’t want you hurt.”
“Your grandmother is on her way.” She looked at the man standing there…Billy, she thought his name was. “She’s a mite more like you than I would have thought. Bossy little thing too. Should have heard her arguing with that hotel—”
Everyone looked at Nick when he said Billy’s name. “Just the highlights for now, okay?”
Billy nodded and smiled at her. Nick was looking at her like she was some sort of bug on a peg board. Addie gave her full attention to Billy and the others.
“She’s coming. Put her house on the market and gave your parents the boot too. Only reason I know all that is ‘cause I’m on the good side of Mr. Harrison, her lawyer. Well, he’s not her lawyer anymore, but his son is. Good man, he was. We’ve been hanging out together for a while now. And he’s the one that helped me clear up my will for—” Nick cleared his throat. “Dang it, man, I’m getting there. Can’t a man have a little side trip on occasion? Well, she’s on her way. You want more information, then you ask me, darling.”
“Why is she putting her house on the market? Wait, because of Joel being killed there. I’d say that’s a smart thing to do.” She smiled at Billy. “You have things to tell me, no matter how many side trips you need to take, I’ll listen to you. Now, tell me about why she’s giving my parents their walking papers.”
Steele burst out laughing and sat beside her at the big kitchen table. Another woman came in, and after she was introduced to Beth, mother of Aster and Steele, and the rest of the people in the kitchen, they were asked to move to the dining room. Steele sat on one side of her and Nick the other. She felt like she was being crowded, closed in, and turned to Steele.
“I need to leave.” He didn’t say anything but looked at Nick. “This is my decision, last time I looked. I’m well past the age of asking for permission
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