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The moment the front door closes, blessed silence fills the house. Avery turns towards the stairs.
“Where are you going?”
“Nap. So tired. Too many people. More tonight.”
I watch her go, irritated with myself for feeling slighted.
“Meow.”
I look down at Meredith, who is watching me, apparently worried I’m upset. Which is a stupid thought because she’s a cat.
Still, I lean down and scratch her behind her ears. “Your mistress is going to bed. You might want to get in on that.”
Meredith rubs against my legs, then stalks upstairs. I have no time to nap because my grandmother has already called twice. With a sigh, I head off to grab everything I need for tonight. One thing I know about my grandmother is that you do not keep her waiting. She controls everything, and it’s best to just go along.
ChapterTwenty
Jon
Iroll my shoulders and try to count backward from ten. It’s been hours since I arrived at my grandmother’s house, and I’m ready to escape. The truth is, I was ready to leave as soon as I arrived. The idea of being in a room with tons of people makes my skin crawl. I find gatherings like this wasteful of my time. It’s one of the reasons I think I get so bored with the women I date. They tend to like the type of events my grandmother throws. Granted, there are probably no party drugs here, but it is Juniper, so you never know.
I nod to the mayor and his wife. In one way or another, he has always been a fixture in Juniper. He taught science, was the principal of the high school, and he was on the city council. His wife is a pediatrician, semi-retired.
“Hey, Howard,” Ford Gold says.
I glance over at Becca Gold’s brother—stepbrother—although the three brothers are more like blood brothers to Becca.
“Hey.”
“Hiding out in the alcove?”
I cut him a look as he drinks his whiskey.
“Maybe. You?’
“Same. I tried to hide in the library, and your grandmother caught me.”
The oldest of the Gold siblings, he has always been the quietest and most serious. He’s taking over the family’s ranch, from what I understand. Other than the Howards, the Golds are the largest landowners in the area.
“Yeah, she warned me off too. What are you doing here?”
“My folks are out of town on their anniversary trip. Mom said I had to come.”
Mom. Millie Gold is his stepmother, but she has always been their mom. It’s odd to me to be that close to stepsiblings, but they are not horrible people like mine.
“And I assume you’re stuck here because of your grandmother.”
I nod, but before I can say anything else, Becca steps up next to him. She’s dressed all in pink from head to toe. And when I say head, I mean she’s colored the tips of her blonde hair pink, and they are a riot of curls down her back. Her dress looks as if it was made from cotton candy, molding to her curvy figure. Her makeup is light. It almost feels as if I’m looking at a fairy.
“Good evening, Jon.”
I smile. “Hey, Becca.”
She is the sweetest woman, and I have no idea how she is friends with Everly. I guess opposites attract.
She settles her gaze on her brother. “Ford, you must come with me.”
“Why?”
