Page 47 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“What did Billy tell you?”Resigned, Nick sat.
“Nothing.I knew she was here.Em told me,” Gracie said.“So what’s the deal?You and her, I mean.”
“No deal.She’s got some stuff going on, and I’m helping her.”
“We know she was attacked on the street after her book signing.Then her house was broken into, and now she’s here with you,” his mother said.She was polishing his toaster.
Bernice Atherton was a clean freak.She loved nothing better than going into her kids’ homes and cleaning.When she left, there was usually home baking on a counter.However, you made sure there was nothing lying around that could incriminate you, or she’d make a big deal if required.She’d once found an overdue traffic violation, and his life had been hell for weeks.
“Sam said you went to college together, but you weren’t very nice to her,” his father said.“We raised you better than that, Nicky.”
“I hadn’t matured yet,” Nick protested.“Cut me a break.”
“And you have now?”Gracie made a scoffing sound.
He lunged out of his chair her way, and she squealed.Job done.
“Pinhead.”Swearing was not allowed in front of the Atherton matriarch.
“Is there more going on here, Nicky?”his father asked.“Billy wouldn’t elaborate.”
“Any chance you can just leave?”Nick said even as he knew the words were futile.
Three sets of eyes looked at him.
“This is dangerous.”
“I heard that from Em,” Gracie said.
“All I can tell you is some guy has been hassling Poppy for a while now.She thought he’d stopped, turns out he hasn’t, and his prints were all over her house after the break in,” Nick said.“Billy is looking into it, but this could get ugly, because he’s obsessed with her.He may also know she’s here, and we don’t want you guys involved.”
“You’re a ‘we’ now?”His mother had moved on to polishing the front of his refrigerator.
“Mom,” Nick said.
“Don’t you ‘Mom’ me in that tone, Nicholas Atherton.”She pointed her cloth at him.
“I like her,” his father said.
“Me too,” Gracie added.
“You just met her, and for five minutes, tops,” Nick gritted out.
“You wouldn’t have her here in your house if you didn’t like her too,” Gracie said.
Slapping his coffee back on the table only resulted in it sloshing through the hole in the lid and landing on his hand.His mother tsked and bustled over with her cloth.Nick pushed back his chair.
“I’m checking on Poppy.”
“Good.I’ll make breakfast.Come back down soon so you can eat it while it’s hot,” his mother said.
Trying to have a rational discussion with his family was impossible, so he left before he started yelling.Taking the stairs up, he knocked.
“I’ll be down in a minute” came the reply.
“Open the door, Poppy.”
“I’m all good, Nick, and won’t be long.”
