Page 30 of Keepsake
I set my own cup down with a thump. “God, why? How did he know where to find me?” My ex-boyfriend was not on the very short list of people I felt like talking to these days.
The question seemed to make May guilty. “I may have mentioned on Facebook how happy I was to have you staying with me.”
“Oh.” I put my elbows on the table. “Facebook. It’s from the devil.”
Across from me, Zach put down his fork. “You know, that’s one thing cults got right.”
Everyone laughed, including me, and the moment of levity felt good. I’d needed that. “Well, I don’t want to talk to Gilman.”
“Maybe he’s just being nice,” May said quietly.
“I know that. It’sniceto hear he’s glad I’m not rotting in a shallow grave somewhere. But a year ago he dumped me, and that means I don’t have to talk to him if I don’t feel like it.”
“Sounds fair to me,” Griffin put in, draining his coffee.
May twirled a lock of her hair. “He sounded really worried, Lark. And so he said he might drop by next Friday.”
“What?” No wonder May looked guilty. “Nobody justdrops byVermont from Boston.”
“He’s going on a corporate golf retreat at Stowe.”
“I’m busy then,” I said quickly.
“Well…” May said slowly. “If you really don’t want to see him, you’ll have to return one of his calls.”
“I’m busy then, too,” I muttered.
“Sweetie, if I’d known who was calling, I would have let it go to the machine. But I saw the Boston number and I thought maybe it was your parents.”
I didn’t want to talk to them, either. But I held my tongue. “What’s on the agenda today?” I asked.
“Selling cider!” Audrey said. “You can help me pour for tourists. It’s a blast. I’ll train you to take over my job. Next Sunday is my last one before I go to France.”
Griff pouted into his coffee cup. “Don’t fall for any skinny Frenchmen.”
“I would never!” She put a hand in the center of his massive chest. “I like ’em big and grumpy.”
“Aw,” Griff growled. Then he put down his cup and reached for her, pulling Audrey into his lap and kissing her. She wrapped her arms around him and gave as good as she got.
“There they go again,” Kyle said, pushing his plate away. “You kids should probably just spend the morning in your bedroom anyway. Might as well have a cheerful boss for another ten days.”
Griff flipped off his cousin without letting go of his girl.
Then we all went outside to pick apples and charm tourists into buying cider.
8
Zach
It usually happened like this. Every second or third night.
I was asleep in my bunk when something began to tug at my consciousness. Since sleeping was one of my favorite activities, at first I tried to ignore it. I rolled onto my side and screwed my eyes shut tightly.
But then I heard it again—a bitten-off sob coming from the other room.
Lark.
My eyes snapped open in the dark just as she made another frightened sound.
