Page 82 of Marked By Moonlight

Claire arched a brow and licked the salty taste of ham off her fingers.

Her mother dipped her head, color flooding her cheeks as she dug a butter knife out of the drawer. “Your father and I have been playing with the idea of getting away.” Removing a plate from the cabinet, she glanced almost shyly at Claire. “Are you finished using the lake house?”

Claire nodded, frowning at both her parents. They seldom used the lake house.

“Good.” Her mother set a napkin next to her plate, giving it a cheerful little pat. “We’ll head up there this weekend, then.” Glancing at her husband, she suggested, “Maybe we can rent one of those paddleboats.”

Claire nearly choked on a bite of ham. Certainly her father would shoot that idea down. He would want to float in a paddleboat about as much as he wanted a root canal.

“Sure,” he murmured, giving Claire wide berth as he movedto the fridge, further astounding her when he got his very own beer.

Claire looked her father up and down incredulously.Who was this man?

“Miracle Whip or mayo?” Her mother held up both jars.

Blinking and wondering who these impostors were, Claire pointed to the jar of mayonnaise. “Give me the real stuff.”

Her mother lifted an eyebrow at her choice. No doubt thinking of all the calories. Claire usually chose the fat-free Miracle Whip.

“You’re all bones,” her mother clucked, slathering a generous amount of mayonnaise on the bread. “Oh,” her mother added as if suddenly remembering, “the reason I’ve been calling you up at the lake is because your friend Maggie contacted me.”

“Maggie?” Claire echoed.

“Yes, she said that the school’s been trying to get ahold of you because they’re using your room for summer school. She’s said it’s important you come clear out your things. She also said Jill Tanners was looking for you. Had some information on a kid you were worried about. A boy named Lenny?”

Claire drew a deep breath. “Lenny?”

Her mother nodded.

What information could the counselor possibly have? Whatever it was, it was worth investigating. And if she didn’t go, she risked losing all her teaching resources it had taken years to accumulate. If she didn’t fetch her things, it was as good as admitting she was dead. Claire wasn’t willing to do that. Not yet. If she were, she might as well drive back to Darius and offer herself to him. “The building’s already closed for the day. I’ll have to go tomorrow.”

Her mother handed her a large bag of potato chips and placed a fat ham sandwich before her. “So how is that boyfriend of yours?”

Avoiding her mother’s eyes, Claire grimaced and swiped herfinger along the edge of her sandwich where the mayonnaise threatened to spill out. Licking the creamy goodness off her finger, she said, “Gideon’s fine, Mom.”

Fine. Safe. As long as she ignored her heart and stayed far away from him.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Should you find yourself in the company of a strange dog, be sure to make no sudden movements.

—Man’s Best Friend: An Essential Guide to Dogs

Claire was bent over, rifling through her last box, still fuming over her conversation with Jill Tanners. The woman wanted to be the first to let Claire know that Lenny was dead. Presumably gang related. That was the story. She cursed beneath her breath. No one would ever know the truth. That Lenny had been a good kid, a victim.

“Claire!”

She glanced up and grimaced to see Cyril in her doorway, an expression of mild surprise on his otherwise bland face. “What are you doing here?”

“Packing up,” she replied, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice. What did it look like?

Stepping inside her classroom, he eyed the boxes. “The rumors are true, then? You’ve resigned?” he asked with a frown.

She smiled wryly. The teacher’s lounge really should be banned. The faculty gossiped worse than the students. “I haven’t resigned. They’re using my room for summer school.” She couldn’t helpwondering what other rumors circulated about her sudden leave of absence.

As if answering her wonderings, he said, “You didn’t elope and move to Europe?”

“Is that what everyone is saying?” She shook her head, lips stretching in a rueful grin. “Nothing as exciting as that, I’m afraid.”

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