Page 26 of Spindrift

“Ican grab it.” She took it from Stevie hastily, needing an excuse to look awayfrom Morgan. When she returned from depositing it on the porch, she foundMorgan and Stevie exchanging heated whispers.

“Iseverything okay?”

“Peachy.What are you doing this weekend?”

Morganshot Stevie a glare.

“Probablystill cleaning.”

“Doyou want an alternative?” Stevie asked.

“Thatdepends on the alternative,” said Emilia.

“We’rethrowing a small birthday party for our friend Angie this Saturday. Beer,steaks—or mushrooms if you’re vegetarian or vegan—and a few people from theclinic. Morgan doesn’t think you want to hang out with a bunch of vet medpeople, but that’s only because she’s boring as fuck. The rest of us are cool.”

Aparty. Emilia wished Nell would leave off romping with Kraken and sit besideher for moral support. How could she explain to the women in front of her thatthe offer both warmed and terrified her? She wasn’t ready to be surrounded byher own world.I came here to get away,she thought, but Stevie’s smileand Morgan’s reddened cheeks were hardly threatening.

“Iwould love to,” she said before she could change her mind.

“Awesome.Morgan will text you the address.”

“Whatcan I bring?”

“Nothing,”Morgan said before Stevie could speak. “Ange isn’t a huge birthday person. It’snot really a party. Just bring yourself and Nell, if she doesn’t mind a housefull of dogs.”

“Anda demon cat,” Stevie added.

“Oh?”

“James.You’ll see what I mean.” Stevie pulled up her sleeve to reveal several longthin white scars.

“I’lltake that as a warning.”

“Doyou like steak?” asked Morgan. “I can put something else on the grill for you.”

Shehad a vivid image of Morgan (wo)manning a grill in a tight black tank top.“Steak sounds great.”

“Speakingof steak,” Stevie began.

“Don’t,”said Morgan.

“Itwould be a mis-steak not to try one of Morgan’s.”

Shecouldn’t help laughing at the terrible joke.

“Andon that note, we’ve got to hit the road. See you around.” Morgan flashed her asmile and steered a snickering Stevie to the truck. “Kraken, come.”

Emiliawatched the truck pull out and bit her lip to keep from smiling as she sawMorgan punch Stevie in the shoulder. It would be nice to have a friend likeStevie. She’d never been good at friendships. The turnover rate at work was toohigh, and she’d allowed herself to rely on Hannah’s friends for the past fewyears. Some of them still kept in touch, but things were different now, and shehad never experienced anything like the familiarity between Morgan and Stevie.

“Youdon’t count,” she said to Nell, who had collapsed at her feet to pant.

Aparty. She hadn’t been to a party in . . . how long? She wracked her brain.Something thrown by one of Hannah’s people probably, with loud music and theoccasional line of cocaine. Too many people had always overwhelmed her, and nowmore so than ever. Could she trust Morgan and Stevie that this was a low-keyaffair? Could she trust herself around Morgan? Her shoulder still tingled whereit had felt Morgan’s gaze.

Definitelynot.

Chapter Six

Sandingtook longer than anticipated and was also infinitely more physically demanding.The soreness in Emilia’s arms from the work, combined with the effort of movingfurniture and cleaning did, however, have an upside: she was too exhausted tothink about unanswered emails or her long list of recent failures, leaving heralone with her grief. She felt it fiercely, in bursts that took her breath awayand left her sobbing on the floor, and she felt it in the quiet moments betweenNell’s sleeping breaths. At night she sat on the porch with her father’s ashesand her dog and listened to the early summer rain falling on the tin roof.

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