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“You guys must be cramped living in Grandma’s house,” I say as I sit next to Kaden on a barstool. “Where do you sleep?”
She winces at my question and I know I’ve already screwed up. I sound like a suspicious cop and not like a caring aunt. Lucy presses her lips into a firm line and pushes a menu at me.
“We all manage. What’ll you be having?”
Kaden orders enough food to feed an army, which makes Lucy glance at me with a questioning look. I nod to let her know it’s fine and then add in a cheeseburger, onion rings, and root beer for myself. She slips away to pass our order on to the cook and to make our drinks.
“You’re cool once you spend time with you,” Kaden assures me as he gives me the side-eye. “Lucy will come around.”
I relax at his words. I’m a terrible aunt, I know, but at least Kaden is learning that I’m at least trying to be a good one.
Lucy does return and is once again smiling. I let the siblings do all the talking in an attempt to keep from screwing up again. Questions pile up in my mind, but I refrain from asking every single one of them. Thankfully, once our food has been delivered much later, Kaden asks her what I want to know.
“Have you talked to Trevor?”
Lucy scowls as if her older brother is standing right in front of her. “No, but I’m surprised you haven’t.” She glances my way, but then the anger quickly turns to guilt. “I’m sorry. He’s just too much like Lenny for his own good.”
That makes my hackles rise.
Lenny is a piece of shit.
“Is he using?” Kaden asks, voice soft. “Is that why he’s been being a dick?”
“I’m guessing so.” Lucy frowns as she absently scrapes a glob of ketchup off the countertop with her thumbnail. “I was tired of them all. Grandma may not be perfect, but at least it’s peaceful at her house.”
Peaceful?
Growing up, my house was far from peaceful. Dad was a cruel drunk. Mom drank to put up with him. Together, mixed with their on-again, off-again long-time lover, Jim Beam, they’d nearly bring the house down with their fights.
Nothing was peaceful.
Dad still lived at home with Mom when I got out of there at eighteen. It was constant chaos even then. He eventually went to jail and his violent tendencies landed him a long, cushy sentence in a penitentiary upstate. He’s been serving time ever since and won’t be up for parole for another few years.
Is Mom happy now or does she miss the forever drama?
As curious as I am to know those answers, it’s not the most important thing at the moment. Right now, I’m more worried about Trevor.
“Should I visit Trevor?” I ask, hating that I’m back to cop mode. “If he’s using or even dealing, he’s setting himself up for trouble.”
“You would do that?” Lucy asks, hope brimming in her eyes. “I mean, he would hate me for wanting you to check on him, but I’m worried about him.”
She’s not pissed?
I glance at Kaden, who wears a matching expression. For once, I don’t have to be the bad cop. Maybe I can be the good one plus a good aunt too.
“Of course,” I promise. “Do you have any idea where he’s been staying or who his friends are?”
“He’s been hanging with some uppity kids. A couple of them work at Park Mountain Lodge. They party nonstop but spend time ‘working’ at the lodge when they need money.” Lucy sighs when a customer walks in. “Dinner rush is about to hit. Thank you, Aunt Sloane.”
“For what?”
“For caring.”
That’s something I’ll never stop doing with these kids. I will keep caring about them even when they don’t want me to. I have a feeling Trevor definitely doesn’t want me to.
Tough luck for him.
Dempsey
