Page 31 of Last Seen
They hit the doors, which zoom apart with a pneumatic hiss. Kater pulls her still-wet hair into a bun. “Listen, I hate to run, I want to talk more, but I’m totally late for my shift. You should come out with us tonight. Just some folks from town. No pressure.”
“I don’t know if I’d be great company, Kater. There’s a lot going on.”
“It’s Marchburg, Halley. How much could possibly be going on?” She winks, and it eases the tension.
Halley laughs. “True. All right. I’ll try. Where should I meet you?”
“Taco Joe’s. We’re getting some beers and tacos.”
“We?”
“You, me, Aaron, a few other people from town. You should know most everyone.”
“Are you trying to set me up? Because I really do have a husband.”
“You’re not wearing a ring ... so ... maybe?” Kater’s pretty face shines when she smiles. “I gotta run. See you at seven.”
A night out sounds fun if she could let herself get loose. A few other people from town—Halley didn’t go to the high school in Jasper like the rest of this crowd. She wonders if she really will know people, but it doesn’t matter. She needs food; it will be nice not to have to cook. And she has to admit she’s curious about how Aaron has turned out. They’dhad a couple of near misses, but he was four years older and a little bit of a player. Cute. Lacrosse captain, lifeguard at the pool. Always had a girlfriend but wasn’t ever in trouble. Wholesome. She often wondered about him when she left but was always too embarrassed to ask. He helped teach her to drive in the pool parking lot the summer before she got her license. Kissed her softly by the lifeguard stand under the fireworks.
Getting together with friends feels like a betrayal of her mother’s ghost. She is consumed with the need to see this right, to find her sister and confront her, find out why she’s taken away the one thing Halley can’t ever replace. Her anger is bubbling below the surface, and she’s trying hard to keep it in check.
Her sister is probably dead, and that’s the second slap-in-the-face injustice of all this. But she has to know. Has to find out more. Has to find out why.
Her dad’s got color in his face today, and they’ve helped him bathe—his skin is pink from a fresh shave, and his hair is damp, curling around his ears.
And there is a woman in his room, standing by his bed, holding his hand. He is gazing at her with a goofy smile. She is not a nurse.
“Um . . . hello?”
They startle and drop their hands. The woman turns, and Halley recognizes her former English teacher at Goode. “Mrs. Patterson?” she asks, incredulous. Her dad clears his throat.
“Halley. Hi,” she says with a blushing smile. She is pretty, with cornflower blue eyes and blond ringlets framing her heart-shaped face, her hair pulled high on her head. She’s wearing a blue button-down, the same color as her eyes, and khaki slacks. There is a glint from her left hand, and Halley’s jaw drops.
“Something you want to tell me, Dad?” Halley asks archly. She can’t decide whether to be happy or furious.
“Halley. You rushed off the phone and came down here before I had a chance to say anything. I ... I didn’t ... I wanted to tell you in person. Anne and I have been seeing each other for a while now, and ...” He is sputtering, and Halley squares her shoulders and decides to be pissed later.
“You’re allowed to have a girlfriend. And a wife. Mrs. Patterson—”
“Anne. Please,” she adds softly.
“You and Anne make a lovely couple.”
She isn’t kidding; she actually means it. The idea that her dad hasn’t been alone this whole time brings her a surprising amount of joy—and relief. He won’t be alone if she leaves to investigate Cat’s disappearance.
Now that is a selfish thought, Halley James.
Her dad also blows out a relieved breath. “I didn’t think you’d mind. Anne’s been, well, we’ve been timing her visits so I could break this to you gently, and you caught us off guard. With everything that’s happening, it felt like a lot to pile on.”
“Seriously, Dad, Anne, this is great. I’m very happy for you. When’s the wedding?”
“Oh, we don’t know. Especially now.” Anne gestures toward his leg. “Quentin was hoping we’d do it this summer sometime, but I’d like him to be comfortable and healed. We don’t need anything big. We just didn’t want you to be shocked or dismayed.”
“I am far from dismayed. This is the happiest news. I’m thrilled for you both. Congratulations.”
Anne opens her arms for a hug, and Halley gladly steps into them. The emotions coursing through her are positive ones, for the most part. Her mom’s been gone for a long time. This joy is overdue. Halley admires the ring, a stately, classic round affair in a Tiffany setting, then gives her dad a hug, too. This is a good thing; she knows it deep in her soul.
“If it’s okay with you, Anne could move into the house now and help me get back on my feet.”
