Page 140 of Driftwood Daffodil 3

I shivered off a shutter and refocused on my original purpose for coming down here, food. Which, unlike these two, I liked.

Atlee and Gio could do what they wanted, I was going to eat. And lucky for me there was a platter of fresh baked muffins waiting for me to devour.

Pulling away from Gio, I plopped my ass down on one of the island stools, and began stuffing my face. I wasn’t graceful, or proper, I literally stuffed my face. Dainty bites were for people who weren’t hungry. And I hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday.

Crumbs fell around me on the island, I accidently ate a piece of wrapper, and both Atlee and Gio stared at me with this bewildered look on their faces. But I didn’t care, because these muffins were delicious.

“I wish you ate like that at dinner last night.” Atlee wagged his finger at me. “I do love a girl with a good appetite.”

Gio slapped his arm.

“What?” Atlee shrugged. “It’s oddly hot.”

Oddly hot. Now that was a nickname I could get behind.

Gio shot him a dirty look then went and got me a glass of milk.

“Slow down,” he slid the glass over to me. “Before you choke.”

“Don’t tell me to slow down,” I mumbled out through a mouthful of muffin.

Maybe he should’ve fed me last night. Besides, who was he to talk about choking? Gio had his hands on my neck at least once a day. There was one thing that made me choke though.

“Novalee Nadine Ford!”

The sound of that angry female voice.

My entire body went rigid as I stopped chewing and slowly turned towards the kitchen entrance.

Maw Maw?

No, that couldn’t be her. She didn’t know I was here.

“I know you’re here, Little Girl.”

Only Maw Maw would have that kind of eerie telepathic power. The woman always seemed to know what I was thinking. Which meant she was here. And she knew I was. There was only one thing to do. Hide.

Gio and Atlee looked out in the hall then back at me.

“I’m not here.” I said and jumped down to duck behind the island.

I was too late.

Maw Maw charged in the room just as I was dropping to the floor. “Don’t you hide from me.”

Crap. So much for plan A. If only I had a plan B.

“Novalee.”

That was her warning call.

With a sigh, I popped back up, smiled, and waved at her. “Hey, Maw Maw.”

Dear god, please tell me she didn’t have her slippers.

One of the guys I’d seen around the house came running in after her.

“Sorry Sir,” he said to Gio. “I tried to stop her but she hit me with a shoe.”

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