Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,81

shirt.” There was a glimmer of what almost looked like grudging respect for Katelyn in her eyes. “Nice aim.”

“It’s okay, honey,” her grandfather assured Katelyn. He began to sit down, but Arial finally appeared with a roll of paper towels.

“Wait, Dr. McBride. Let me make sure there’s no wine on your chair,” she said.

“I’ll help you,” Katelyn murmured.

She bent down beside Arial, who glared at Katelyn, tore off a couple of paper towels with exaggerated care, and handed them to her. Arial’s hatred came off her in waves, and Katelyn did her best to ignore it.

“All better,” Arial said. “Have a seat, Dr. McBride.”

No, Grandpa, no. We need to get out of here, Katelyn tried to telegraph. But Arial gathered up the paper towels and walked out of the room again.

Mordecai sat down and Justin appeared with the uncorked bottle of Wolf Creek wine and a filled wine glass. Justin placed both before him with a flourish.

Katelyn opened her mouth to tell her grandfather that she wasn’t feeling well and needed to go. She’d just have to risk Mr. Fenner’s wrath by leaving without his say-so. But at just that moment, Mr. Fenner reappeared, his torn shirt replaced by a turtleneck sweater.

“Spilled,” he said briefly.

“Lots of that going around,” her grandfather joked.

“We have fresh rolls!” Jesse announced, bouncing on his heels as he carried in a wicker basket steaming with the fragrant odor of yeast and dough. “You eat them with butter! You can have honey!” He snickered. “We call people honey! But you don’t eat them!”

“Good joke, buddy,” Lucy said serenely. She smiled at Mr. Fenner as Jesse approached him with the basket. “Uncle Lee, fresh out of the oven?”

“Thank you, darlin’,” Mr. Fenner said, reaching in as Jesse beamed at him.

And just like that, the dinner in hell resumed.

15

They’d lived through dinner. Everything had gone well, considering, and as soon as the pecan pie had been served and eaten, Katelyn begged to leave. Her grandfather said, “Nice folks,” in the truck, and she managed a nod. Then he reached over and gave her hand a pat. “I’m thinking, though,” he said, “you might want to cross that one off your list. Seemed pretty taken.”

She nodded a second time. She never wanted to go to the Fenners again. Ever. But she knew that wouldn’t happen.

He paused and she steeled herself, dread filling her. There was a question coming, she could feel it. She could practically hear it.

“Have they ever told you yet where Cordelia has gone?”

She clenched her jaw, wishing that Justin or someone else had at least told her whatever lie they had told the principal at school. She shook her head slowly. “No one wants to talk about it. She told me a couple of times that she wanted to move out. She’s got an aunt or something in Colorado.” She felt ashamed at how easily the lies tripped off her tongue. “I know they had a big fight. Jesse told me.”

“I’m sure she’s okay, though?” he asked, his voice questioning.

“She hasn’t gotten in touch,” Katelyn said, struggling to figure out what to say, how to act, so as to shut down further questioning without herself seeming like she was behaving suspiciously. Finally she said, “I, um, thought she would . . .”

Mordecai nodded. “Kids don’t stick around here after they graduate. No future. Every once in a while someone can’t wait even that long. Just sad that you had to lose a friend that way. Maybe she’ll get back in touch after things calm down.”

“Yeah, I miss her,” she murmured.

“And maybe you’ll make some more friends at school,” he suggested.

She didn’t want to talk about it anymore, even though she was touched by his obvious concern. “There’s a girl in my art class who’s really nice. Paulette.”

“That’s good. Maybe you can have her over some time.”

Katelyn nodded. “Thanks.” And in the back of her mind she filed that away. Maybe someday when she needed an excuse for being out — like the next full moon — she could say she was staying over at Paulette’s. And now that her grandfather was convinced she should give up on Justin, he might not turn as blind an eye to her going over to the Fenners’ all the time.

When they got home they watched some television and then her grandfather finally headed to bed. Katelyn stayed up, reading more of In the Shadow of the Wolf and wishing again that it just had an index so she’d know she