“As if you’re crabby.” Alice smiled. “I don’t blame you. That dinner was ... brutal. She really doesn’t realize what she’s doing. In her mind, you’re throwing away something great and she can’t get behind that.”
“I’m not throwing it away. They threw me away.”
“I get that, but I don’t quite understand why after that first book.”
“You’re only as good as your most recent book My first book did well. My second book bombed. You don’t get a second chance after a bomb like that.”
“But ... I thought you were supposed to write three books for them. That’s what you said.”
“They cancelled the contract for the third book after losing so much money on the second.”
“How can they do that if you have a contract?”
“They just can.” I stared at the bush across the street for a long time, lost in thought. Finally, I shook my head and returned to the here and now. “It’s not my job to hold her hand through this. I’m doing the best I can. I can’t bolster her and myself at the same time.”
Alice pursed her lips and nodded. She was oddly pragmatic at times and she had that look about her now. “I think the true problem is that she’s worried about you and Hunter. If you two get together again, I don’t think anything will drag you apart. That means you’ll never have another shot at a hit book.”
A sudden rush of anger coursed through. “Really? Hunter again?”
“You spent the afternoon with him. People say you were together at Deadman’s Hill.”
I was stunned. “How can anyone know that? We were alone.”
“Ha!” Alice jabbed out her finger and did a hip-wiggling dance that made me want to kick her into a bush. “I knew it! When I couldn’t find you at the restaurant I figured you were off somewhere with Hunter. I played a hunch and said Deadman’s Hill because you guys used to hang out there.” She pumped her fist and looked to the sky. “I’ve still got it.”
I faltered, unsure how to proceed. “You were just guessing?” I asked.
She nodded and grinned. “Don’t worry about it. I promise not to tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”
Alice had a price when it came to information. I had no doubt she would dangle it over the head of anyone she thought would pay ... and right now the only person who might be interested was my mother. If she thought she was fooling me, she was sadly mistaken.
“Don’t tell my mother.” I was firm.
Alice adopted an air of innocence. “Would I do that?”
Oh, she would definitely do that. I knew she would be scampering inside to do just that the moment I left. The notion made me tired. “You know what? Do whatever you want. I’m exhausted. You think this is all a game, but it’s my life. You guys wonder why I was so anxious to get out of here. This is why. Stuff like this.”
Alice looked taken aback. “There’s no reason to be such a baby.”
“No? I just want five minutes of peace, Alice. I’ll never get that here.” I stormed around the front of the car and tugged on the door, my mind going to the afternoon in the woods with Hunter. I’d been at peace then — well, except for the way my lips wanted to throw a party whenever he was close — but that was the only time my mind had been quiet since I’d returned to Shadow Hills.
“I think you’re overreacting,” Alice said as I slid into the driver’s seat. “This is just the way family is. We’re all up in each other’s business.”
“I’m sick of it. I just want a little quiet ... and privacy ... and contentment. At my age, that shouldn’t be too much to ask.” I slammed the door before she could answer and brought the car to life.
What she had to add didn’t matter. She was right. This was the nature of family. It was also the main reason I’d run. I had no choice but to put up with it now, but what would be the ultimate price?
I SPENT THE NEXT TWO HOURS on the couch in my living room playing with the kitten. I’d spent a small fortune on items for him, and as I stared at my banking app, old reruns of Friends playing in the background, I knew I was in real trouble.
“You’re very cute, but expensive,” I said to the kitten as I scratched behind his ear.
For his part, he didn’t look bothered by the statement. He had a pink feather stuck in his fur from one of the toys and I had no doubt he’d been having a grand time playing while I was at the barbecue.
“I should’ve stayed home with you,” I muttered as the kitten kneaded his claws on my lap. He looked intelligent, as if he understood every word I said. “Or maybe I should just run now,” I murmured. “I could take off tonight, find a job somewhere in the state, and not tell anyone where I’m going. At least then it would be quiet.”
The kitten looked as if he was frowning.
“We both know I don’t have the guts to do that,” I offered. “I think we’re stuck here ... for a long while.”
The kitten went back to kneading.
“I guess it’s not so bad,” I murmured as I went back to stroking his soft head. My eyes drifted back to the television. I’d only had half an ear on the show since I sat down. It was mindless, not hard to keep up on, and I sank back into the flow of the episode.
A few minutes later, a soft scraping sound had me lifting my chin and glancing around. The cat was on my lap, staring at the kitchen. As far as I knew, there was nothing in the restaurant below me that could make that sound. The only equipment, the refrigerators and freezers, emitted a low hum.
I listened for a moment, but the sound didn’t repeat. I managed to push it out of my head and refocus on the television when it happened a second time. I hit the mute button on the remote and stared at the kitchen. I was almost certain that the noise had originated from the back balcony, and given the discussion Hunter and I had had this afternoon, the realization was enough to make my stomach clench.
I risked a glance at the kitten and found he was alert and staring in the direction of the sound. That indicated I wasn’t imagining the phenomenon. Sure, he was a cat, but he was a compelling witness as far as I was concerned.
My fingers shook as I closed out of the banking app and scrolled for Hunter’s name on my contact list. He’d insisted on programming his number into my phone earlier so I had someone to call in an emergency. That was looking fortuitous.
“Hello?” He sounded confused on the other end of the call.
“It’s me.” My mouth was dry.
“I figured that out when I saw your name pop up on the screen.” He waited a beat. “Do you need something?”
“Who is that?” a female voice asked in the background. She sounded agitated.
He was still with Monica. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told me it was barely ten. Of course he was still with her. They were probably spending the night together.
“Is something wrong?” he repeated, drawing my attention back to the call.
“I ... .” What was I supposed to say here? Sure, he’d told me to call if I was afraid or ran into trouble. That wasn’t fair to him, though. He had a life. I wasn’t his responsibility. I hadn’t been for a really long time.