first slow pang of fear uncoiled itself in Lisa's gut.
She spoke calmly, watching her sister for any reaction. "Allegra, that is not normal."
Allegra sighed, long suffering. "Lisa, you worry too much. You've been working too hard. By the way, I found your sunglasses."
"You did?" Lisa paused. She'd been looking for them for three days, and had finally bought a new pair. "Where were they?"
Allegra fixed her sister with a look of pity. "In the microwave."
"What were they doing there?"
Allegra just shook her head. "Don't know. But the frozen burrito was on the counter next to your keys."
All at once, Lisa felt like she had to sit down. Allegra clucked sympathetically as Lisa sank onto the perfectly made bed. Lisa repressed a shiver.
"The microwave?" she repeated in a small voice.
"What's been on your mind lately?" Allegra asked.
Was that concern, actual concern, in Allegra's voice? That seemed hard to believe. Lisa watched her sister pull on a pair of jeans, ironed and crisp, from a hanger in the closet. Al slipped on the jeans, then the shirt with movements smooth but so swift Lisa barely got another glimpse of the weird writing all over her body.
"You've been putting in awfully long hours on that children's garden thing," Allegra continued when Lisa didn't answer. "And spending nearly every night out with Terry. Let's face it, Lisa, you haven't been yourself lately."
No, she hadn't. "I guess I'm just tired."
Allegra snorted, smoothing the red material of her shirt over her perfect, flat stomach and turning sideways to look in the mirror. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, she sat next to Lisa and put her arm around her. "It's probably a good thing you're not going out tonight."
Terry wouldn't agree, but how did Allegra know Lisa had already called off her date with him? "What makes you think I'm not going out?"
Allegra shrugged. "You're not dressed for it."
Something about the answer rang false, but Lisa wasn't quite sure why. "What are you doing to do?"
"Go to Mom and Dad's," Allegra said. "They rented a bunch of movies. Kevin and Andrea are going out and dropping off the kids. I said I'd help. Besides, me and Troy have to finish our air hockey tournament."
"Sounds like a real party," Lisa said more stiffly than she meant. Nobody had invited her. Even her younger brother Troy was staying home to join in--a rare occasion for the teen who usually had high school sports practices or other activities to keep him occupied.
"It should be," Allegra said lightly. She smoothed the shirt again three times. She paused, then three times more. After another pause, she ran her fingers over the material as if to start another succession of smooths, but stopped herself. Her fingers hooked into claws, but they remained still. She turned to Lisa with a bright smile. "Like my shirt?"
"Is it new?" She'd never seen it before.
"No," Allegra said, suddenly turning away. "I've had it forever."
The lie was so blatant Lisa couldn't even comment. The beginnings of a headache tapped at her temples. "I think I'll just go to bed."
"You do that," Allegra said. "Sweet dreams."
The small, empty bedroom that connected Allegra's room to the front hallway was dark, even when Lisa flicked the light switch.
Another burnt-out bulb?
At least the room was bare and she wouldn't trip on anything. Lisa felt her way to the door on the opposite side and burst out into the light of the hallway. Her room, directly across from the spare room, had never looked so good.
At least one thing was good about all this freakiness. She'd stopped thinking about Deacon for awhile. Sweet dreams? Lisa thought after she'd showered and slipped between her cool linen sheets. She'd prefer no dreams at all.
* * * *
"You look tired." Deacon knew the way to win a woman's heart usually meant not telling her she looked tired. But Lisa did. Gray circles shadowed her sexy gray eyes, and her cheeks were pale.
She paused while flipping through the pad of designs they
She spoke calmly, watching her sister for any reaction. "Allegra, that is not normal."
Allegra sighed, long suffering. "Lisa, you worry too much. You've been working too hard. By the way, I found your sunglasses."
"You did?" Lisa paused. She'd been looking for them for three days, and had finally bought a new pair. "Where were they?"
Allegra fixed her sister with a look of pity. "In the microwave."
"What were they doing there?"
Allegra just shook her head. "Don't know. But the frozen burrito was on the counter next to your keys."
All at once, Lisa felt like she had to sit down. Allegra clucked sympathetically as Lisa sank onto the perfectly made bed. Lisa repressed a shiver.
"The microwave?" she repeated in a small voice.
"What's been on your mind lately?" Allegra asked.
Was that concern, actual concern, in Allegra's voice? That seemed hard to believe. Lisa watched her sister pull on a pair of jeans, ironed and crisp, from a hanger in the closet. Al slipped on the jeans, then the shirt with movements smooth but so swift Lisa barely got another glimpse of the weird writing all over her body.
"You've been putting in awfully long hours on that children's garden thing," Allegra continued when Lisa didn't answer. "And spending nearly every night out with Terry. Let's face it, Lisa, you haven't been yourself lately."
No, she hadn't. "I guess I'm just tired."
Allegra snorted, smoothing the red material of her shirt over her perfect, flat stomach and turning sideways to look in the mirror. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, she sat next to Lisa and put her arm around her. "It's probably a good thing you're not going out tonight."
Terry wouldn't agree, but how did Allegra know Lisa had already called off her date with him? "What makes you think I'm not going out?"
Allegra shrugged. "You're not dressed for it."
Something about the answer rang false, but Lisa wasn't quite sure why. "What are you doing to do?"
"Go to Mom and Dad's," Allegra said. "They rented a bunch of movies. Kevin and Andrea are going out and dropping off the kids. I said I'd help. Besides, me and Troy have to finish our air hockey tournament."
"Sounds like a real party," Lisa said more stiffly than she meant. Nobody had invited her. Even her younger brother Troy was staying home to join in--a rare occasion for the teen who usually had high school sports practices or other activities to keep him occupied.
"It should be," Allegra said lightly. She smoothed the shirt again three times. She paused, then three times more. After another pause, she ran her fingers over the material as if to start another succession of smooths, but stopped herself. Her fingers hooked into claws, but they remained still. She turned to Lisa with a bright smile. "Like my shirt?"
"Is it new?" She'd never seen it before.
"No," Allegra said, suddenly turning away. "I've had it forever."
The lie was so blatant Lisa couldn't even comment. The beginnings of a headache tapped at her temples. "I think I'll just go to bed."
"You do that," Allegra said. "Sweet dreams."
The small, empty bedroom that connected Allegra's room to the front hallway was dark, even when Lisa flicked the light switch.
Another burnt-out bulb?
At least the room was bare and she wouldn't trip on anything. Lisa felt her way to the door on the opposite side and burst out into the light of the hallway. Her room, directly across from the spare room, had never looked so good.
At least one thing was good about all this freakiness. She'd stopped thinking about Deacon for awhile. Sweet dreams? Lisa thought after she'd showered and slipped between her cool linen sheets. She'd prefer no dreams at all.
* * * *
"You look tired." Deacon knew the way to win a woman's heart usually meant not telling her she looked tired. But Lisa did. Gray circles shadowed her sexy gray eyes, and her cheeks were pale.
She paused while flipping through the pad of designs they
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