by Renee George
He sent me a surprise emoji and a laughing emoji. You're so sexy.
LOL. That's why the chastity belt. But just in case he thought I was serious or not interested, I added, Don't worry. I'll bring the keys.
The heart emoji made me smile so hard my cheeks hurt.
"Time for dinner!" Mom yelled.
Have to go. Talk soon.
Can't wait.
I put my phone away. Thanks to Cal, I was no longer in a funk.
"Dinner!" Mom yelled again.
I rolled my eyes and hopped out of bed. "Coming!" Cripes, what the heck was happening to me? I grabbed my phone again, and texted, On second thought, come now for dinner.
You sure your mom won't mind.
No. But I'm willing to chance it if you are.
Be there in a few.
I threw on a spring dress, a white one with pretty yellow flowers on it. I pulled my favorite denim jacket on and put on my cutest tan cowgirl boots, that hit low on the calf and had a slight heel to them. Plus, they were roomy enough to accommodate the bandage on my ankle. I hadn't told Mom or Dad about seeing the doc today, and I felt guilty, just not enough to come clean.
Michele poked her head in my bedroom. "Are you coming down or what?" Then she whistled. "Looking good, sis."
"Thanks. I have a dinner guest on the way."
"Your werewolf?"
"How do you--"
"It is the talk of the town. Besides, I'm the one who gave him your number."
"Oh, yeah, about that..."
She held up a hand. "You can thank me later." She laughed. "I think you're going to have to fight Mom though if you want to leave tonight. She's pretty freaked out about Luke getting killed and you being thrown in the thick of it. It's messing with her usual Zen."
Well, shoot. Mom had been edgy, but so had I, and that's probably why we'd clashed today. Me being in danger had put her on emergency lockdown, but it had made me want to live. Really live. "I'm twenty-four-years-old, Mishy. Mom is going to have to let go a little."
"And you should tell her that." She smiled as if her evil plan was coming together. "Tell her just like that."
"What are you up to?"
She shrugged then sighed. "I'm thinking about leaving Peculiar."
"Are you serious? Why? For what reason?"
"I've been seeing someone, and he wants me to move in with him. In Springfield."
My mouth dropped open as my adrenaline spiked. "You want to become an integrator?"
Michele laughed. "Don't say it like it's a dirty word, Kota." She shook her head. "Look. Springfield is only a few hours away. I have some money saved up to carry my half of the expenses until I can get a job." She frowned at me. "Don't look so forlorn, for Pete's sake. I'll come home so much you won't even miss me."
"Who? Does Mom and Dad know you're dating an integrator?"
"It's Brad Connors. He's going to college there, and when he graduates, he wants to stay in the city. And he wants me with him." She looked so jubilant. Did I really have the right to try and stomp all over her dreams? No. That was our parents' job. "If your happy, I'm happy for you. Brad always seemed like a nice guy."
"Thanks. I am, and he is."
"Speaking of integrators. Tell me what you know about drugs at Jackson Smart's parties."
She averted her gaze and was suddenly fidgety. "I don't know what you mean."
"You're usually a much better liar," I told her.
She smiled. "You threw me off guard with your supportive sister act."
I held out my hand to her. "It's not an act. I'll support whatever you decide."
She gave my fingers a grateful squeeze. "Luke and Ludlow were bringing in club drugs to the parties, not the integrators. Some of Brad's friends, though, were buying them and taking them back to Springfield to up-market sell them at night clubs and frat parties. Brad and I tried some of it once."
"Mishy!"
"I'm fine," she said. "And don't get mad at Brad. It was my idea."
Of course, it had been. "Was it ketamine?"
"It was cut with some ecstasy and GBH, but yes, I'd heard Ludlow bragging about the blend. It made me feel good, but I had some weird hallucinations and it freaked me out. Brad, too, so we never tried it again." She screwed her mouth up as her face grew serious. "Do you think that's what Luke used on Karina?"
"I'm not sure. He probably used straight ketamine. That's what was in my system when I woke up next to Luke's body this morning."
"No!" She looked genuinely shocked. "And your guy?"
"Cal had it in his system, too. Doctor Smith said we'd been hit with enough to take down an elephant."
My sister rubbed her arms as if to ward off a shiver. "I didn't realize. You could have died. I didn't think--"
"Yeah, it's scary. Someone drugged us and moved us while we were unconscious from one side of town to the other. I'm pretty sure they used four-wheelers and stayed off-road."
"God, Kota. Why didn't you tell me this afternoon? I just thought... I mean, it's bad. Luke was dead, but I didn't--"
"It's okay." I let my sister off the hook. "You know me. It's hard to fall apart when keeping busy."
"That's Mom's motto."
"Yes, it is," Mom said from the door. "Now you girls get your butts down stairs for dinner."
"Coming," Michele said. "We'll be there in a minute." When mom was out of earshot, Michele whispered, "Luke has three four-wheelers, and all of his buddies, Ludlow, Jackson, Madison, and Veronica all have one."
"Thanks," I told her. "I can't believe your leaving just when I decide I might like you."
"Hah! Same." She paused for a moment then said, "Don't tell Mom about..."
I shook my head. "I won't. Promise."
Mom, Dad, and all my younger siblings, including Michele, sat down to a full buffet of food at the formal table in the dining room. Mom had made fried pork chops and gravy, with sides of mash potatoes, corn, green beans with bacon, complete with hot rolls.
"What's the occasion?" I asked.
"The occasion, is that we are all together, and we have our health, a roof over our head, clothes on our back, and the means to have a nice meal," my mom said. "Do we need any other reason?"
"Guess not," I murmured. I took my usual seat, glad there were still a place open for Cal. "Uhm, I hope you don't mind but I invited a friend over for dinner."
My dad looked up from his plate. "Who?"
I didn't even hesitate. "Cal Rivers." While I was uncertain about what would become of my relationship with Cal, I was completely certain that I wanted a relationship. Which meant, I was going to have to include my parents at some point. Granted, my timing could have been better.
"What do you know about him?" my dad asked.
"I know he's kind and protective, and I know he's crazy about me."
Michele guffawed. "Sounds about right to me. He's been after your twitchy tail for months."
"Michele," Mom admonished. To me, she said, "Does he know he's late for dinner?"
"I invited him after you called us down." It dawned on me that I was being rude to my mom in a way she definitely didn't deserve. "I'm sorry. I'll text him and tell him to pick me up after."
"You're going out tonight?" That threw her more than the surprise dinner guest announcement. "After everything that happened today?"
"The girl is an adult, Ruth," Dad said. But he gave me a wary stare. "You be careful, though. The town's thick with anti-lycanthrope sentiment right now."
"I'll be careful, Dad."
"Don't text him," Mom said. "He can eat with us. Emma, go get another place setting for Dakota's friend."
Emma sighed the sigh of the "put out," but got up to retrieve a plate and silverware from the kitchen.
Lisa looked like she was going to either punch someone or start crying. Thomas and Butch were trading quick jabs in the upper arm when Mom and Dad weren't looking, and Linus, well, Linus was quietly singing the mash potato song. In the past, I'd seen them all as burdens and
responsibilities. And, in a way, they always would be. But Linus and Lisa were out of diapers. Emma and Butch were both old enough to drive now, so they could take over some of the chauffeuring of the younger kids. Lisa and Linus were definitely old enough to start taking on more chores.
"I'm moving out," I announced. The whole room turned to me, all of them looking like the proverbial deer in the headlights.
Emma walked in and took one look around and said, "What?"
"Kota is moving out," Linus said unhappily.
Lisa started crying. "I didn't mean it," she said. "I..." She sniffed. "I d-d-didn't mean it. I don't hate you. Please don't move."
"Oh, Lisa." I got up and walked over to her and looped my arm around her. "You can tell me you hate me a thousand times, and I would never believe it. I know you love me. And I love you."
"Then why are you leaving?"
The boys were silent for once, along with the rest of the family, while they waited for me to answer.
"It's time. I have some savings put away for first and last month's rent. I love all of you, but if I stay, things won't change for me. I need my own life. I need you all to rely on me just a little less."
"That werewolf put these ideas in your head," Thomas muttered angrily.
"Dude." I narrowed my gaze on my brother. "Not cool. First of all, Cal is a lycanthrope, and secondly, he hasn't put any ideas in my head." Well, not the kind of ideas my brother was thinking of anyhow. "I didn't realize just how much I was living my life for you all."
My mother opened her mouth to protest, but I stopped her.
"It's not your fault," I said, addressing her and Dad. "I was always ready to help. Eager even. I was the oldest girl, and I saw how tired Mom was, all the time, with some many of us. I wanted to make her life easier. I wanted it to be easier for both of you, and it made me happy to do it. After a while, though, it had become routine. You both began to expect that I would take up the slack, and I never gave you any reason to think that's not the way I wanted it."
My dad cleared his throat. "It would be unfair for us to let you take all the blame here. You have been the biggest blessing, and if you need to move to have your own life, then you have my blessing."
"Ed!" my mom protested. She paused and took a deep breath. "You don't have to move out. I can expect less from you with you living right here at home. You need breathing room, I'll give it to you."
"It wouldn't work like that, though, would it. Linus would need a lift to practice, Lisa medicine, and we would fall back into the same old habits. And I'm not saying don't ever call me to help out. I'm a part of this family, and I always will be. I just need a little...distance."
"If you want to take a break from the garage," my dad said, "I'll manage. I can hire someone to take your place until one of these knuckleheads take an interest in the shop."
"Don't you dare," I told him. I smoothed down my dress and went to my father. I put my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I love cars. I love trucks. I love getting my fingers knuckle deep in bearing grease. Being a mechanic, running the shop with you, that's the only job I ever want, and there is no way I'm going to let any of these knuckleheads take that away from me."
Dad laughed and patted my arm. "Good, because there's not another mechanic around who has your level of skill." The amount of pride in his voice filled me with warmth.
I went to Mom and put my hand on her shoulders. "It's not like I'm moving away from Peculiar to run off with some integrator."
"Heaven forbid," my mom said.
Michele goggled at me. Gotcha, I thought as I gave her a wink.
The doorbell rang, bringing my confession to an end. "I still have to find a place, so it's not like I'm moving out tonight," I told them as I headed to the door. "But I am going out tonight after dinner."
"Fine," Mom said, "but hurry up and let your guest in before the food gets cold."
Chapter Seventeen
Cal whistled when we got into his truck. "Man, you were not exaggerating about your mom's pie. I could die a happy man if that was my last meal."
"As you told her a half-dozen times," I said.
He grinned at me. "Too much?"
"Just enough."
"By the way, is your family always that quiet during dinner?"
I hadn't told Cal about my straight talk with my family, yet. "I think they were all just enjoying good company." I leaned over and gave him a kiss. "I know I was."
Cal started the truck, but before he could put it in gear, something slapped against the window. I stared out, only seeing my reflection in the glass at first, then nearly jumping out of my skin as Lisa's face came into view.
I lowered the window. "You almost made me pee myself!"
"Bobby and I went to check out the fainting goats last night," she blurted. Her hands were shaking as she steadied herself on the door. She had her backpack over her shoulder.
My first impulse was to chastise her for going back to Robyn Smith's farm after she'd been told not to, but something bad must have happened to have her so distraught. The time for recrimination would be later.
I opened the truck door and pulled her inside. She was a little too old to be on my lap, but she climbed up on me anyhow. "Go on, Lisa," I said, keeping my voice soft and soothing. "Tell me what happened."
"The Smith place is next to the Dwyer farm. Bobby and I were going to see if we could get the goats to fall over, but we heard a noise like pig grunting. We saw Bobby's brother Ludlow, carrying something large over his shoulder. Luke was with him. Bobby thought it would be funny if we scared them. Just a little prank is all."
"What time was this?"
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. About ten-thirty maybe. Mom had tucked me in at nine, and I snuck out a little after."
Lord, sneaking out at fourteen. This child was going to be wilder than Michele. "Then what happened."
"There's some cow stalls on the Dwyer place near where they were standing, so we snuck inside and climbed the walls. And when they drew closer, we jumped out and screamed. Ludlow dropped what he was holding.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
"It was Ronnie Talbert." Lisa closed her eyes tight and shook her head as if trying to shake the memory. "Ronnie, was, she... she wasn't dressed. I could hear her crying, and her voice was slurred."
Cal made a sharp, chuffing sound, but he didn't interject himself into the conversation. I appreciated his ability to not interfere and let me handle it.
Lisa continued, "Ludlow started yelling at Bobby and me, and Luke was yelling at him. Ronnie staggered to her feet, and Luke hit her, right in the face." Lisa put her hand over her mouth as a sob escaped her. "I started yelling at Luke to leave her alone. He jumped at me, but Ludlow stopped Luke from grabbing me. He dropped a packet of white powder and pills." Lisa dug into her backpack and pulled out a small snack-sized sandwich baggy. She handed it to me. "Then Luke and Ludlow were fighting, and Ronnie was staggering toward the fence. Bobby took me by the arm and we ran. He made me swear not to tell. He doesn't want his brother in trouble. But...Ronnie. I don't know if she's okay. And Luke's dead. Is this my fault?"
"No," I told her. "This is not your fault. I wish you'd have told me sooner, or anyone sooner, though. Those drugs might be the lead the police need to find out who killed Luke."
"I'm glad he's dead," Lisa said. While I shared the sentiment, her conviction made me sad.
"He can't hurt anyone anymore."
"I'm worried he did something bad to Ronnie." Lisa wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I shouldn't have left her out there. I was scared. I thought Luke was going to kill me and Bobby."
Ludlow stepping in didn't make him a good guy, though, I was thankful Lisa had come out of the night safe. Ludlow must have thought he was home free when Lisa didn't come forward. And Ronnie, well, Luke hitting her explained the bruising. I didn't even want to think about what those two guys would have done to her if Lisa and Bobby hadn't shown up. I'd seen the pictures, so I knew
it hadn't been the first time they'd made her a victim. I could almost forgive her my swollen ankle and nose.
"I'll take care of this." I put the packet in my purse. "You get back inside before mom starts worrying, and no sneaking out tonight."
Her lip began to quiver. "Bobby is going to hate me."
"This is the kind of secret that can't be kept. When someone is in danger, you have to let someone know."
We drove without speaking for several minutes as we traveled to Taylor's house. Just yesterday, my life had seemed simple. Uncomplicated. Not anymore. I wondered if Ronnie knew the full extent of what had happened to her. What Luke and Ludlow had done and what they planned to do again. Cal held my hand, waiting for me to process what Lisa had told me.
"I'm going to have to tell Mom," I said, breaking the silence between us. "About Lisa, I mean."
"You should," Cal said. "I think she might be suffering from the effects of PTSD. She's going to need someone she can talk to, maybe even outside of the family."
"Like a therapist."
Cal put his blinker light on and turned down Taylor's street. "It helped me after I was shot."
"You saw a counselor?"
"Yeah," he said. "I needed support. I'd never killed anyone before. Not even when I was in Afghanistan. I would defend myself again if I had to, but I still sometimes see O'Brien when I close my eyes. I hope I never have to do it again."
I stared at Cal. His candid retelling of his shooting and resultant killing of a man, and the emotional cost he'd paid, touched me. "I think you might be the bravest, most honest man I've ever met."
"Life's too short to beat around the truth. Nearly dying taught me that lesson."
"I think I understand, at least a little. When I fully realized how vulnerable I'd been last night, what could have happened to me, it had energized me. It made me look at myself and decide what I want to focus on in the future. It made me rethink what I want out of life."
He glanced at me. "And what did you figure out?"
"I am only looking forward from now on." I pivoted my gaze to Cal. "I know what I want, and it's right in front of me."