shower because of a gargoyle?!
“So much better than the old doctor, but then Dr. Lecter might have been preferable.”
“Hi, guys!”
Chris and Kylie spun to find themselves under a scrutinizing smile from Martha. Her face was nearly cracking under the pressure from the grin, but her eyes looked hard and accusatory.
Crud. He’d forgotten she was on her way here, and that she’d invited him to join her.
“Hello, Martha,” mumbled Kylie.
Martha had a clique of friends that were a lot like her – pretty, slim, well groomed and invariably in pearls. They ran the town fundraisers and events and book clubs and had all been born there. When Kylie arrived in town, more than one of the clique made it known that curvy Kylie with her Blondie and Queen t-shirts wasn’t what they were looking for in a friend or book club member. Course, Maggie had then pounced and declared Kylie belonged to her as a friend, but Chris imagined their rejection still rankled. Not that he thought Martha was actually mean to Kylie. Considering she was the Queen Bee, she was probably the nicest member of her clique.
Martha peered past them to the food. “My, my, you must be hungry.”
“Dinner party,” squeaked Kylie.
Martha raised a perfectly sculptured eyebrow. “With hamburgers? I must remember that the next time I’m planning an event.”
“The dinner was ruined, so we’re improvising,” said Chris smoothly.
“Really? A party up at the mansion?” Martha watched them closely.
Kylie fidgeted next to him, and he said, “Some of Kylie’s relatives are in town – distant relatives.”
“Yes,” agreed Kylie. “You know I’ve had a ton of different guardians over the years, and some of them are here to see me.”
“Oh, how nice,” murmured Martha, frowning at Chris, obviously wondering how he fit into the equation.
Chris inwardly groaned at the implications of what he was about to do, but at least it would allay the gossip about why he was always running up to the Hardcastle Mansion. He slipped his arm around Kylie’s waist and drew her closer to him. She stiffened as her body collided with his, but on realizing his intentions, she placed a hand on his chest and rubbed while nestling closer. Martha’s jaw almost hit the floor.
“They wanted to meet my new boyfriend,” said Kylie shyly.
“You’ve certainly kept this quiet,” Martha said to Chris.
He shrugged. “Small town – gossips.”
Given that Myrna from the library was watching them with beady eyes, it would be all over the small town in a matter of minutes now.
Martha looked at them uncertainly, unsure as to whether she had any right to be annoyed. Instead, she settled on subdued, and it was an odd look for her.
“Well, I won’t take up any more of your time. The Winter Wonderland Parade won’t organize itself.” She gave them a brittle smile and left.
Neither of them said anything until they had paid and all their food was in the car – the interior of which would need to be fumigated because it was going to smell like cheese for weeks.
Kylie let out a breath, and she smiled at Chris. “The whole town’s going to think we’re a couple.”
“Yep. I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be sorry. Got Martha off our backs. I’m just sorry that it’s going to stunt your love life.”
What love life? If anything it would give him some relief from the single population of Devil’s Hang. Some of them were a lot pushier than Martha and employed tactics from baking him pies to showing up at the police station in just a trench coat to try and lure him into a relationship. The trench coat thing had been from Valerie – one of Martha’s cliquey friends, and not a woman anyone should trust to stand behind them with a knife.
Kylie gave him a fearful look. “Also, don’t mention this to Luc. He’d understand eventually, but in the meantime, he might very well maim you.”
“You got
“So much better than the old doctor, but then Dr. Lecter might have been preferable.”
“Hi, guys!”
Chris and Kylie spun to find themselves under a scrutinizing smile from Martha. Her face was nearly cracking under the pressure from the grin, but her eyes looked hard and accusatory.
Crud. He’d forgotten she was on her way here, and that she’d invited him to join her.
“Hello, Martha,” mumbled Kylie.
Martha had a clique of friends that were a lot like her – pretty, slim, well groomed and invariably in pearls. They ran the town fundraisers and events and book clubs and had all been born there. When Kylie arrived in town, more than one of the clique made it known that curvy Kylie with her Blondie and Queen t-shirts wasn’t what they were looking for in a friend or book club member. Course, Maggie had then pounced and declared Kylie belonged to her as a friend, but Chris imagined their rejection still rankled. Not that he thought Martha was actually mean to Kylie. Considering she was the Queen Bee, she was probably the nicest member of her clique.
Martha peered past them to the food. “My, my, you must be hungry.”
“Dinner party,” squeaked Kylie.
Martha raised a perfectly sculptured eyebrow. “With hamburgers? I must remember that the next time I’m planning an event.”
“The dinner was ruined, so we’re improvising,” said Chris smoothly.
“Really? A party up at the mansion?” Martha watched them closely.
Kylie fidgeted next to him, and he said, “Some of Kylie’s relatives are in town – distant relatives.”
“Yes,” agreed Kylie. “You know I’ve had a ton of different guardians over the years, and some of them are here to see me.”
“Oh, how nice,” murmured Martha, frowning at Chris, obviously wondering how he fit into the equation.
Chris inwardly groaned at the implications of what he was about to do, but at least it would allay the gossip about why he was always running up to the Hardcastle Mansion. He slipped his arm around Kylie’s waist and drew her closer to him. She stiffened as her body collided with his, but on realizing his intentions, she placed a hand on his chest and rubbed while nestling closer. Martha’s jaw almost hit the floor.
“They wanted to meet my new boyfriend,” said Kylie shyly.
“You’ve certainly kept this quiet,” Martha said to Chris.
He shrugged. “Small town – gossips.”
Given that Myrna from the library was watching them with beady eyes, it would be all over the small town in a matter of minutes now.
Martha looked at them uncertainly, unsure as to whether she had any right to be annoyed. Instead, she settled on subdued, and it was an odd look for her.
“Well, I won’t take up any more of your time. The Winter Wonderland Parade won’t organize itself.” She gave them a brittle smile and left.
Neither of them said anything until they had paid and all their food was in the car – the interior of which would need to be fumigated because it was going to smell like cheese for weeks.
Kylie let out a breath, and she smiled at Chris. “The whole town’s going to think we’re a couple.”
“Yep. I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be sorry. Got Martha off our backs. I’m just sorry that it’s going to stunt your love life.”
What love life? If anything it would give him some relief from the single population of Devil’s Hang. Some of them were a lot pushier than Martha and employed tactics from baking him pies to showing up at the police station in just a trench coat to try and lure him into a relationship. The trench coat thing had been from Valerie – one of Martha’s cliquey friends, and not a woman anyone should trust to stand behind them with a knife.
Kylie gave him a fearful look. “Also, don’t mention this to Luc. He’d understand eventually, but in the meantime, he might very well maim you.”
“You got
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