On the Run (Whispering Key #2) - May Archer Page 0,35
Godfather, making us an offer we couldn’t refuse.
“I’m afraid we can’t today.” Beale pulled me more closely against him.
“I think around five thirty?” Big Rafe looked at Gloria, who nodded. “We’ll grill out.”
“I’ll grab brats,” Gage said. “Rafe can get beer.”
“We’re heading out to Menucha,” Beale said in clear and concise English. “Tracking snowy plovers.”
“I’ll make a butter cake,” Gloria offered. “And some potato salad.”
I frowned up at Beale, and he gave me a half-smile like this was something he expected, but I was kinda tired of this bullshit after only ten minutes.
Aunt Hagatha would probably tell me to follow Beale’s lead, especially after getting us into a mess earlier, but then again Aunt Hagatha had never stood by while her fake soul mate was ignored by his boisterous family members… and she wasn’t gonna start today. If he wasn’t going to stand up for himself, I’d do it.
“You all have fun!” I said brightly. “We won’t be there, but you can text Beale some pictures.”
Young Rafe frowned at Beale. “What? Why won’t you be there?”
“He just told you why.” I set my hand on my hip. “Weren’t you listening?”
Beale’s hand tightened on my hip again, but in a restraining sort of way this time. “I signed up to track plovers on Menucha for the Nature Center,” he repeated easily. “As I told you earlier today. And yesterday. And now.”
“Rafe! Rafe, lookie here.” A man who looked remarkably like Littlejohn Jennings rushed over with a newspaper and waved it in Young Rafe’s face triumphantly. “I told you! Didn’t I tell you?”
Rafe blinked down at the paper, attention caught.
“Well, for God’s sake, don’t make Trey go to Menucha with you.” Big Rafe leaned back in his seat and rolled his eyes at Beale. “He’ll be bored to tears. He can come hang out with us at the house. Go for a swim.”
I shot Beale a look that said, I would literally rather hang out with your murder cat, and his lips twitched.
“I don’t think—” he said.
But Gage interjected, “Dad, come on. Beale and Trey have been reunited for like ten nanoseconds. They wanna spend time together. And they can swim at Fenn’s place.”
Or not swim. Ideally not.
“Besides which,” I said solemnly, “I love plovers. Adore them! In fact, they’re my favorite type of um…”
“Bird?” Beale supplied. I figured everyone could hear the thread of laughter in his voice, too, but no one else seemed to notice.
“Yes! Yup. Bird. Also, I love being out in the… air? And, like… under the sky and whatnot? I’m basically Outdoorsy Barbie.”
Big Rafe started to object, but Gloria cut him off.
“Another time, then,” she said. “Rafe and Gage, maybe you boys can… Rafe, honey? You okay?”
Young Rafe stared down at the newspaper in his hand like he’d seen a ghost.
“See? It’s your brother-in-law!” Littlejohn’s doppelgänger jabbed a finger at the paper.
“I told you, he’s not my damn brother-in-law, Dale.” Rafe set the newspaper facedown on the table and covered it with his hand. “He can do whatever he likes with whomever he likes. It’s all media speculation, anyway.”
“What speculation?” Gage demanded, trying to grab the paper from under Rafe’s hand.
“What’s happening?” I whispered softly, so only Beale could hear. “What’s up with his brother-in-law?”
“Boys! Stop this instant!” Big Rafe yelled, as Rafe and Gage played tug-of-war with the paper like a pair of toddlers, knocking over a sugar canister.
Beale took the opportunity to quietly back away from the table and out the door. He let out a huge sigh when we reached the sidewalk.
“Not sure what’s going on exactly.” He rolled his eyes. “Probably not a big deal, but for Rafe, everything with Jay is a big deal.”
“M’kay, I’m gonna need you to spill all the tea,” I demanded as we got to the Jeep, proving that maybe Aunt Hagatha and I were more alike than I cared to admit. We both liked to be up in other people’s business.
“Well… up until a year and a bit ago, Rafe was married, right? He and Aimee started out as childhood friends, kinda—her family summered on the Key back when no one summered here, so we all became close. Aimee’s brother Jay was only a couple years younger than Rafe, so they’d go off adventuring, or sometimes Jay would try to teach Rafe guitar. Whatever they were doing, Gage would trail after them like a puppy. And meanwhile my mom taught Aimee and me about crystals and tarot cards and stuff.