Page 50 of Wayward

Outside, I found Ada and Misha walking up the street toward me. She was carrying an ice-cream cone, and suddenly she stopped, crouched down, let Misha lick some of it, then stood back up, started licking it herself, and continued on. I was crazy about my new pet, but I was not about to share food with him. Not like that.

When she saw me, she waved, and Misha danced up to me, front paws up on my leg, yipping at me until I picked him up.

“Should he have ice cream?” I asked her.

“This is frozen yogurt,” she replied drolly. “I would never give him ice cream; it has far too much fat content.”

Of course it did.

“And now we need to run over to the deli,” she directed me. “This is so lovely. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I was in town. Starfish is now some kind of vegan diner, and the last time I was in town it was an apothecary that also sold lovely mugs. It’s just crazy.”

As we walked down the street, her holding my arm, she explained how when she first arrived, there was hardly anything in town but an abandoned lumber mill that had since been turned into a beautiful museum with a trolley that went up and down the side of the mountain. There were restaurants up there, a skating rink, and some charming art galleries.

“You know, initially, I was going to buy the Stabler Manor, but it was a bit dull for my taste. I prefer the Gothic style, as you can tell from looking at Douglas.”

“Douglas?”

“Yes, dear, the house. That’s its name. It means dark water in Gaelic.”

“Maybe we just call it Doug until it gets fixed up.”

That was apparently hysterical, and she laughed all the way down the street.

“You came from New York to Rune you said?” I asked her.

“Why yes. I got pregnant with my angel by a man who turned out to be simply a horror,” she explained, giving me a bittersweet smile. “You know, he even tried to tumble me down the stairs in my parents’ mansion after I told him about the baby.”

Instantly, I clutched her arm tight. The news she gave me was horrible no matter how unaffected she sounded. And I understood. To her, it was ancient history, but to me, it was all brand new. I had the need to protect her even from her past.

She patted my arm. “It’s all right, darling. My parents, of course, didn’t believe me. He was from a very good family, and they wanted to be rid of me. But Oscar did and he took care of it. Bygones I say.”

I had to wonder about her brother. For someone everyone liked, he sounded a bit scary. There was more to him than met the eye.

“Oh here we are,” Ada announced happily.

The deli—the Lumberyard—reminded me of Chicago, and I was instantly homesick when we walked in and the smells hit me. It was noisy and loud too, which I also liked. There was a step up that ran the length of glass cases so you could talk to the men in white aprons and hats behind the counter. I was surprised at how busy it was, the town was tiny, after all, but there were a lot of tourists, I could tell from the clothes and bewildered faces. I saw one of the men duck into the back, and suddenly a woman popped her head out and yelled Ada’s name.

Her name was Sadie Matal, Ada told me, and she had owned the deli for as long as Ada had known her.

“Oh, Maks,” Mrs. Matal said, smiling at me, “so glad Ada has a new caretaker. That house…heavens. Have you seen the bats?”

“No, ma’am, not yet.”

“I think you will need many men with the…the suits, because they shit up there, yes?” She looked at me hard like I should have been taking notes.

“I’m going to have the house inspected, hopefully tomorrow.”

“Good. Watch out for the snakes in the grass out front. Keep your baby out of there.”

She meant Misha.

“Now tell me, do you like pastrami?”

“I love pastrami.”

“Good, good. I knew you did.” She smiled and pinched my cheek. “Such a handsome boy. What is it you want delivered and what do you want to take with you? Just give me a list.”

I had no idea.