“What the hell do you mean, you’re adopting her?” the voice shouts. “What happened to equality in the family and everyone getting a say?! I didn’t vote. You never gave me a chance to voicemyconcerns. What the hell are you two thinking?”
My father responds slowly, “I’m sorry you feel that way, Luke. I admit I’m a little surprised with your tone at the moment.”
“We knownothingabout her. What if she’s pretending to have amnesia? What if she’s working for the Resistance? How do you know we can trust her? What if the Resistance planted her in our home to kill all of us in our sleep? What if she?—”
“That’s enough!” My father booms, his voice loud, commanding, stern. “Where are these conspiracy theories coming from all of a sudden?” he asks. “You were on board when we talked about bringing her into our home. You were on board when your mother wanted to redecorate the room for her.”
“There’s a difference between letting her stay with us and adopting her,” the voice growls.
“I want to know right now where this is coming from!” my father prompts. “Luke, you better think long and hard about how you answer me.”
“I don’t want her in our family. I will never accept her as a sister.”
I heard enough. I pull away from the office threshold and race out the back door. With no idea where to escape, I want to run and find Anders. But I don’t want to cause anyone to take a stand over a conversation I shouldn’t have overheard in the first place.
I decide to head toward the barn. I find Queenie’s stall, wrap my arms around her neck, and cry. Queenie nuzzles me with her nose.
I would never hurt anyone. Why does he think I would?
“Hey, Little One. What’s with all of this?” A large, warm hand strokes my back.
I turn and bury my face in Duck’s buttoned Western shirt. Too many words circle my brain, so I use my mind-link to recapture the conversation I just witnessed.
“I see,” he says. Queenie nibbles at my ear when I don’t pay her attention. “Luke’s a good boy. I’m sure once he gets to know you, he will feel bad about his reaction. This family doesn’t have a good history with trusting newcomers. I’m sure he’s just looking out for his parents and brothers. It’s hard because he’s so far away. You’ll see.”
I shake my head.He sounded so angry.
“Let me tell you a story, then, about Charlie and Sixes. When Charlie was born, he was the only boy in the entire house. Luke hadn’t come along yet, and the four eldest girls had the run of the house. When Charlie arrived, the girls loved him. Everyone doted on him, like he was the prince.”
Duck chuckles. I smirk, thinking of a young Charlie.
“He charmed all the girls to do his bidding and got away with the devilish things, I tell you. When Tater announced another baby was on the way, Charlie was initially on board. He nuzzled his mama’s belly every chance he got. He talked into her belly and told the baby he couldn’t wait to meet her. But, when the baby came, things changed. Everyone’s attention focused on Sixes, instead of him. He received scoldings when he acted out or disturbed the baby. He got jealous. He once stole Sixes right out of her crib and buried her in a stack of hay. Another time, he gave her to one of the dairy workers and told him to take the baby home.”
I giggle, picturing a toddler Charlie giving away Sixes.
“Eventually, he accepted his new baby sister. When she got older, he grew into an overly protective big brother, and the two have been thick as thieves ever since. My point is that once Luke gets to know you, he’ll get over his insecurities, too, and I can see him becoming another overly protective brother. Just wait and see.”
I smile up at Duck.
“Feeling a little better?”
I nod and lean in to give Duck a hug.
“Good. Now let’s get you back inside. A growing girl like you needs her rest.”
Shoot, I can’t remember if he likes strawberries or blueberries. Maybe I can make both. It’s been weeks since I eavesdropped on the call Luke and my father. Luke is coming home this evening. I’m really nervous. I already know he’s not a fan of mine. I want to make a good impression.
So, I decide to make him dinner—well, everyone dinner. This week marks six months since I was rescued. I use both Luke’s homecoming and my anniversary with the family as anopportunity to say thank you. I also hope Luke will see that I love his family and would never deliberately hurt them.
I gnaw on my lip. I’ll ask Dad. Shutting off the stove so I don’t burn anything, I walk toward my father’s office. I review my notes on the way. He likes roast beef and roasted potatoes, not mashed. Soup is okay. He doesn’t really have a preference.
I crash into a hard wall and fall backward to the floor. Wincing, I look up to find Charlie standing in the hall. He glares and doesn’t offer to help me stand. Okay, then. I’ve never seen this expression on Charlie’s face before. He folds his arms in front of his chest.
I pick myself up and rub my tailbone. “Sorry, Charlie. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” I adjust my glasses and tap the bill of my hat, both of which went askew in my tumble.
“I guess we have a thief in the house,” he spits.
His tone sends shivers up my spine. I squint. The arms folded over his chest are even. Charlie’s right arm is slightly bigger than his left. This guy has a grim set to his lips, and dimples indent his right cheek. This isn’t Charlie, but holy shit, it could be his twin. I step back and swallow. This is Luke.
