Evelyn Henderson stepping through.
“Oh, good,” she said. “We’re all here.”
CHAPTER 9
C allie cringed at the look in her mother’s eyes. She knew that look. That look was bad.
“What are you doing here, Mother?”
“I’ve come to meet you for lunch, of course. I told you last night I want to try that little sandwich shop we passed the other day.”
Why couldn’t her mother be forgetful, like other people her age?
“You did, but I didn’t realize you meant today,” Callie said.
Evelyn propped a hand on her hip. “Well, I’m leaving tomorrow morning. When else did you think I meant?”
Of course. The old why haven’t you learned to read my mind yet? thing. Another shortcoming on Callie’s part.
“Then we’ll go,” she said, knowing it was easier to comply than to argue. And she did need to eat. “Is Henri coming with us?”
“Your cousin is out gallivanting around the island somewhere.” Her mother’s nose lifted an inch higher in the air. “She wanted to explore before we leave tomorrow.” Lowering her voice, Evelyn added, “I told her not to rush back.”
This meant lunch alone with her mother. Callie felt a severe headache coming on.
Sam had remained silent throughout this exchange, a choice for which Callie gave him extra points. He had to be aware that drawing any attention to himself could be dangerous. Evelyn already saw him as prey. Something she could toy with, like a cat with a cute, helpless little bunny.
Not that Callie would ever describe Sam as helpless, but her mother was a professional huntress and could make the bravest of adversaries run for their lives.
If only Callie had the option. To run as far away from her mother as possible. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a corner on Earth where Evelyn wouldn’t track her down. As evidenced by her very presence on this speck of an island.
“Fine,” Callie said. “I have a couple things to wrap up here, and then I’ll be over to get you.” She shuffled her mother onto the porch. “I won’t be long. I promise.”
“But what about Sam?” her mother asked.
Callie froze. “What about him?”
“He has to come with us.”
“Why does he have to come with us?”
“Because I’m leaving tomorrow.” Evelyn rolled her eyes before adding, “Sometimes I wonder if you ever listen to me.”
Callie heard every word her mother ever said. She just never understood them.
“Mother,” she started, resisting the urge to inform her matriarch that she was nuts, “Sam is not required to entertain you while you’re here. I’m sure he has more important things to do.”
Ignoring her daughter’s perfectly sane response, the blonde menace marched up to Sam. “You’re going to lunch with us, aren’t you, Sam?”
After a brief hesitation, during which his eyes flew to Callie, then back to his attacker, Sam said, “Yes, ma’am.”
“As I said.” Evelyn turned away to prance down the porch steps.
Callie looked at Sam and mouthed, “Why did you do that?” to which Sam mouthed back, “What could I do?” with a shrug of his wide shoulders.
“Don’t dally,” Evelyn chirped from the parking lot. “I’m assuming Sam drove over here. He can drive us to lunch. Which vehicle is yours, Sam?”
“The red Murano,” he answered, though the only other vehicles in the parking lot were an old, rusty blue pickup and a dented silver Civic. It wasn’t as if assigning ownership to the vehicles required possession of a genius IQ.
“You don’t have to do this,” Callie whispered after Sam pulled the door shut behind them and the pair walked together toward his car.
“It’s one lunch,” he said. “How bad could it be?”
He might as well have asked how hot could a raging volcano be? How cold could January in the Arctic be? How bad could an eternity in hell be?
Evelyn was climbing into the passenger seat as Callie whispered, “Imagine having your wisdom teeth pulled with no anesthesia.” When Sam’s brows rose, she
“Oh, good,” she said. “We’re all here.”
CHAPTER 9
C allie cringed at the look in her mother’s eyes. She knew that look. That look was bad.
“What are you doing here, Mother?”
“I’ve come to meet you for lunch, of course. I told you last night I want to try that little sandwich shop we passed the other day.”
Why couldn’t her mother be forgetful, like other people her age?
“You did, but I didn’t realize you meant today,” Callie said.
Evelyn propped a hand on her hip. “Well, I’m leaving tomorrow morning. When else did you think I meant?”
Of course. The old why haven’t you learned to read my mind yet? thing. Another shortcoming on Callie’s part.
“Then we’ll go,” she said, knowing it was easier to comply than to argue. And she did need to eat. “Is Henri coming with us?”
“Your cousin is out gallivanting around the island somewhere.” Her mother’s nose lifted an inch higher in the air. “She wanted to explore before we leave tomorrow.” Lowering her voice, Evelyn added, “I told her not to rush back.”
This meant lunch alone with her mother. Callie felt a severe headache coming on.
Sam had remained silent throughout this exchange, a choice for which Callie gave him extra points. He had to be aware that drawing any attention to himself could be dangerous. Evelyn already saw him as prey. Something she could toy with, like a cat with a cute, helpless little bunny.
Not that Callie would ever describe Sam as helpless, but her mother was a professional huntress and could make the bravest of adversaries run for their lives.
If only Callie had the option. To run as far away from her mother as possible. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a corner on Earth where Evelyn wouldn’t track her down. As evidenced by her very presence on this speck of an island.
“Fine,” Callie said. “I have a couple things to wrap up here, and then I’ll be over to get you.” She shuffled her mother onto the porch. “I won’t be long. I promise.”
“But what about Sam?” her mother asked.
Callie froze. “What about him?”
“He has to come with us.”
“Why does he have to come with us?”
“Because I’m leaving tomorrow.” Evelyn rolled her eyes before adding, “Sometimes I wonder if you ever listen to me.”
Callie heard every word her mother ever said. She just never understood them.
“Mother,” she started, resisting the urge to inform her matriarch that she was nuts, “Sam is not required to entertain you while you’re here. I’m sure he has more important things to do.”
Ignoring her daughter’s perfectly sane response, the blonde menace marched up to Sam. “You’re going to lunch with us, aren’t you, Sam?”
After a brief hesitation, during which his eyes flew to Callie, then back to his attacker, Sam said, “Yes, ma’am.”
“As I said.” Evelyn turned away to prance down the porch steps.
Callie looked at Sam and mouthed, “Why did you do that?” to which Sam mouthed back, “What could I do?” with a shrug of his wide shoulders.
“Don’t dally,” Evelyn chirped from the parking lot. “I’m assuming Sam drove over here. He can drive us to lunch. Which vehicle is yours, Sam?”
“The red Murano,” he answered, though the only other vehicles in the parking lot were an old, rusty blue pickup and a dented silver Civic. It wasn’t as if assigning ownership to the vehicles required possession of a genius IQ.
“You don’t have to do this,” Callie whispered after Sam pulled the door shut behind them and the pair walked together toward his car.
“It’s one lunch,” he said. “How bad could it be?”
He might as well have asked how hot could a raging volcano be? How cold could January in the Arctic be? How bad could an eternity in hell be?
Evelyn was climbing into the passenger seat as Callie whispered, “Imagine having your wisdom teeth pulled with no anesthesia.” When Sam’s brows rose, she
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