Page 16 of Rise of the Melody
Don’t think about it yet.
I laid my head back and closed my eyes. What I imagined were a stark set of light, blue-green eyes above a sneering mouth and I jolted upright. That guy. The zing of heat I’d felt. The way he’d pulled chemicals out of my whole mess of hair. I felt a jolt of foolishness and fear now, knowing he’d known what I was, and I’d been unaware. That strange, yet benign conversation felt so sinister now. I shivered and held CooShee tighter.
* * *
“Letty.”Aunt Lorna’s soft voice woke me and I stretched, looking out at the thick greenery. “Nearly there.” CooShee stretched in the aisle, sticking his big booty up into the air. Literal downward dog.
Nervousness clenched my belly, and Aunt Lorna gave me a reassuring smile, though it was tinged with trepidation, too. Was this really happening? It hadn’t fully hit me yet or else I’d be feeling way worse. Part of me still didn’t think any of this was real.
We stepped off the train into much cooler air than we’d left behind. Aunt Lorna peered around through the people.
“Bryant said he’d send someone to pick us up and take us to the ferry….” Her eyes widened and she froze. “Oh, gods.”
I craned my neck to see a handsome middle-aged man in a sheriff’s hat and tan uniform coming toward us. He had a layer of scruff and watery gray eyes. The look on his face when he caught sight of Aunt Lorna could only be described as wistful. It was only for a second, but I saw it.
Aunt Lorna dropped her eyes and reached up to push her hair behind her ear.
“You know him?” I whispered.
“Tell you later.” She raised her chin and gave a stoic smile. “Ronald. What a surprise.”
“Lorna…wow.” He stood there and just stared at her. “Been a long time. What, thirteen years?”
“Thirteen,” she verified. “You’re Sherriff?”
“Oh, yeah.” He touched his hat. “Quite a step up from mopping floors at the diner.”
“Both are respectable,” she said in a soft voice. Judging by their eye-contact and fidgeting, these two had definitely hooked up in the past. I couldn’t wait to get Aunt Lorna alone to spill that tea. In all my life I’d never known her to date or have a significant other.
CooShee, who’d been sitting still at my side, stood and moved forward, giving Ronald a sniff in his chest.
“Damn!” He stuck his hands up and chuckled. “That’s a big dog.”
“Yes, he’s attached himself to Letty. As long as you’re not a threat to her, you should be okay.” She winked, which made him blush, which made her blush, which made me smile like a jackal.
“I’m Letty,” I said, holding out a hand. “Lorna’s niece. Nice to meet you, Ronald.”
He looked me over and took my hand in a strong handshake, giving me a smile.
“Great to see you again, Letty. You were just a tiny thing when I saw you last.”
“Should she call you Sheriff Sterling?” Aunt Lorna asked.
“Nah. Ron is fine when I’m off the clock. You ready to go?” He glanced at our luggage. “This is all you have?”
“That’s it,” she said.
He grabbed the largest ones and we followed him toward the parking lot. “Is the rest coming in a moving van?”
Aunt Lorna laughed. “Heavens, no. We don’t plan to stay long.”
His brows creased. “I thought you were moving back.”
Say what?
Aunt Lorna’s face paled. “Is that what Bryant told you?”
He thought hard and shrugged. “I thought that’s what he alluded to, but maybe it was just wishful thinking.” His face closed off after he said that and I raised my eyebrows at my aunt, who flicked a hand at me to hush. We got to his sedan and he fit everything into the big trunk. Two of the cats and CooShee were with me in the back, and Aunt Lorna held two cat carriers in the front. We looked like a clown car headed for the zoo. We’d fed the cats before we got off the train, but they were all meowing, ready for their freedom.
