Watch for the Dead (Relatively Dead Book 4) by Sheila Connolly Page B

grew older. And, of course, it would most likely mean that she took after Ned rather than Leslie, who was much more of a people person, one of those who liked giving orders and getting things done. Good or bad? Abby thought that it would be helpful to get Ellie together with Ned’s mother, Sarah, and then get Sarah’s take on how Ellie compared to Ned at that age. Sarah and Ellie hadn’t met yet, but Sarah knew that Ellie was Ned’s child. She was guessing that he’d been something of a loner himself. Introspective. Observant. Methodical?
    How would Ellie react if she learned that George wasn’t her biological father? Abby had almost slipped and said “real father” to herself, and that wasn’t fair. Parenthood was about a lot more than biology, and George had always been there for Ellie. From what little she had seen of them together, Abby thought they had a good relationship. But then it got complicated: did Ellie feel something unusual when she was with Ned? Socially she wasn’t ready to jump to the conclusions that adults might, but surely there was some unspoken awareness? Even as she was thinking this, Abby watched the pair as Ellie slipped on some wet seaweed and Ned put out a hand to steady her. At that moment of contact, they froze for a millisecond, looking at each other, and Abby could almost see a spark fly between them. Oh, dear .
    Well, she wasn’t about to tackle that question now, not without clearing it with Leslie. And Leslie was busy with George at the moment, and no way was Abby going to add to her problems. She and Ned and Ellie were going to have a brief happy vacation, playing in the sun, dabbling their toes in the water, eating whatever they wanted to, and getting to know each other better—without asking or answering any awkward questions. Well, personal ones, anyway.
    Ned’s energy started flagging by mid-afternoon, so Abby dropped him off at the house and then she and Ellie went back to Falmouth to pick up more groceries. “What do you want for dinner tonight?” Abby asked.
    “I dunno. Daddy makes sausages on the grill sometimes, with buns and stuff.”
    “Well, that’s easy. We should hurry up, because today’s Friday, and from what I’ve heard, half of Boston decides they have to be on the Cape for the weekend, and half of those will be buying groceries. It means a lot of traffic. You have enough books to keep you busy?”
    “Yeah. There are more in the house, right?”
    “Probably.”
    “Is Ned your boyfriend?”
    Where had that come from? “Yes.”
    “Are you going to marry him?”
    “We haven’t talked about it. Maybe. Why?”
    “Mommy said she knew Ned a long time ago, and they almost got married.”
    “Yes, Ned told me that. They’re still friends.”
    “I like him. He doesn’t treat me like a dumb kid.”
    “Do other people?”
    “Sometimes.”
    “Well, they shouldn’t. We should all pay attention and not jump to conclusions about the people we meet. And children aren’t stupid, just less experienced. You can’t just lump them all into one big pile labeled ‘Children.’”
    Ellie gave a snort of laughter. “Could we make two piles, one for ‘Smart’ and one for ‘Stupid’?”
    How could she avoid sounding like a preachy teacher? She’d often felt the same way when she was a kid. “Just don’t tell the stupid ones that they’re stupid, okay? Let them figure it out on their own.”
    “What if they don’t ever?”
    “Then don’t hang out with them. But be kind.”
    “Yeah, right,” Ellie muttered, and Abby wondered if she was having problems at school. It was hard, the way she remembered it, always knowing the right answer before most of the class. It sure didn’t make you popular.
    “Okay, we’re getting food. Don’t forget we need stuff for breakfast too.” And cat food, she reminded herself.
    “Maple syrup!” Ellie crowed, and they dove into the market.
    An hour later they were back at the house. Abby unpacked the groceries and