Page 38 of Call Off the Dark

Helen glanced over at Tyler. He was reading the labels on the cider. “Let’s wait for Tyler.”

“He won’t want to. He thinks I drink too much.”

“Do you?”

Leo grinned and pushed his floppy hair out of his eyes. “Of course. I just turned twenty-one. Now I can do it legally though.”

When Tyler returned, both Helen and Leo were laughing.

Tyler smiled. “Did I miss something good?”

“Leo wants to do shots.”

Leo shot Helen a look: That was supposed to be a secret.

Tyler groaned.

Leo gave her another look: See? And she shrugged.

Tyler saw the exchange and said, “Are you seriously already conspiring with her? You just met her.”

“I’m a fast mover,” Leo said.

“We’re aware,” Tyler said dryly.

“I had to make my move while you were over there. It was my in.”

Tyler turned to Helen, and she could tell he was trying not to smile. “He made his move on you?”

“I wasn’t aware it was a move.”

Tyler turned back to Leo. “It sounds like it didn’t work out too well.”

“Too soon to tell. First you lay the groundwork. Then you sit back and wait.”

Tyler looked at Helen again. This time, she could tell he was checking to see if she found his brother’s jokes funny or distasteful. Did he need to stop this? She smiled at him to let him know everything was good. She could tell Leo wasn’t serious. This was his version of bonding.

She turned to Leo. “What is your success rate with Tyler’s girlfriends?”

He paused, as if momentarily surprised that she was so game. And then he answered, “One hundred percent.”

“One hundred percent what?”

“One hundred percent failure.”

All three of them laughed.

Helen said, “Just as I suspected.”

“Fine. Let’s do shots,” Tyler said.

So the three of them tucked themselves behind the oak, because even though Evelyn apparently drank too much wine according to Gary, she thought hard alcohol was unacceptable. They didn’t have a shot glass, so each took a swig directly from the metal flask, and it burned going down. The whole time the three of them talked and passed the flask, Tyler kept looking at Helen, his eyes lighting up with every sideways glance and easy grin.

When Leo lifted the flask to take another swig, Tyler reached out and took it from him. “Pace yourself, man. Gracie’s not even here yet.”

“Yeah, okay.” Leo lowered his eyes, and Helen realized he was embarrassed. Behind his bravado, anxiety was hiding.

They were still behind the tree when Gracie arrived a few minutes later. Helen looked out and saw two young women talking to Gary by the smoky barbecue. From photos, she recognized Gracie as the one with the platinum blond bob.