As much as I had dreaded being in the room with her, I was now strangely reluctant to leave. As I walked toward the door, her smooth voice called me once more.
“Ah, Tasmyn, one last thing. This Rafe Brooks. I would stay away from him, were I you. My advice only, of course, but I didn’t care for the way he looked at you.”
I gazed back at her over my shoulder, perplexed. “Yeah... thanks.”
When I was back outside, on the walkway, I was more confused than ever. Nothing was as I had expected it to be. How could I trust anything that Ms. Lacusta said? But without the benefit of hearing her mind, it was impossible to discern how much was true and how much was a façade.
And her last comment about Rafe troubled me, too. My senses—all of them—told me that he was annoying but harmless. I wondered if that, too, was a false reading on my part.
My world was suddenly much too complicated.
I made it to the lunchroom well ahead of my friends, bought my lunch and sat down at our empty table. People began to slowly filter into the room. I wasn’t trying to listen to anyone’s thoughts, nor was I concentrating on blocking completely, so a few slipped in here and there.
That was a killer class. I can’t believe I stayed awake... wow. That guy is incredibly hot. Too bad he’ll never look at me... lunch looks pretty awful today. Ugh...
And then I picked up a much more familiar sense as I heard Amber’s approach. Her relief was palpable.
Thank heavens, she’s here. Good. I can breathe again.
I looked over my shoulder and shot her a reassuring grin. Amber rolled her eyes and picked up a tray. A few moments later, she was sliding onto the bench next to me.
“Quick, tell me what happens before Cara and the juniors get here,” she said in an undertone.
I glanced around. No one was looking at us or paying any attention to our table. I leaned slightly toward Amber.
“It was... fine. Weird, but fine. She doesn’t want to teach me chemistry. She gave me a book to read. Oh, and get this. That Rafe guy, who came by the table yesterday? He wanted the chem. study. He tried to talk her into it. You should have seen it, Amber, it was crazy!”
Amber’s eyes widened only slightly. “Yeah, crazy is something I usually associate with her, so I’m not at all surprised. Rafe was actually there?”
I nodded. “Yes. He always seems to turn up when I least want him around.” I frowned. “Would I sound too paranoid if I wondered if it were more than just coincidence or bad timing on his part?”
Amber laughed without too much humor. “Any place else but King, maybe. He did say his family had always lived here. Do you really think something else is going on?”
I shook my head slowly. “I’m not sure. I hadn’t thought of it until just now. I haven’t heard anything odd in his head, just—annoying stuff, you know. But Ms. Lacusta told me I should stay away from him.”
Amber snorted derisively. “Well, from my somewhat jaded point of view, that’s practically a glowing recommendation. And if you haven’t heard anything out of the ordinary from him, I’d say it’s nothing to worry about. Why is he annoying?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just not interested, you know. Not the way he seems to be. He makes me uncomfortable.” I could feel my face heating, and I couldn’t quite meet Amber’s eyes.
Before she could comment, Cara dropped her tray on the table and sat down across from us. She was closely followed by the trio of junior girls who had taken up residence at the other end.
Cara immediately launched into a diatribe about her morning. If she noticed that she’d interrupted Amber and me, she gave no indication. Instead she maintained a steady stream of conversation, and we just tried to keep up with her.
I half expected Rafe to join us again, this time full of questions about Ms. Lacusta and the whole independent study mess. That would have been awkward, since Cara was totally in the dark about the situation. But I didn’t see Rafe at all during lunch or for the rest of the afternoon, to my utter relief.
On some days, I stopped at home before work to change clothes and check in with my mom. But today I had already planned to drive directly out to the nursery after school. I was eager to spend some time with Marly and Luke. It seemed like forever since we’d had a really good visit.
The nursery was quiet when I pulled through the main lot. Out of habit I continued up the dirt road and parked back at the Sawyers’ cabin. The late afternoon sun was still strong, but here among the trees, a welcome coolness countered the heat. I breathed deeply and felt the tension of the day melting away.
I opened the back door of the shop and stuck my head inside. Belinda, the older woman who ran the shop in Lela’s absence, was standing behind the counter, flipping through some papers. When I called hello, she looked up and smiled.
“I’m just going to say hello to Marly, then I’ll be right in to get to work. Is she in the greenhouse?”
Belinda nodded. “I’m pretty sure. She’s working on some new hybrids, I think.”
I gave her a quick wave before going around the building to the line of glass-enclosed buildings that flanked the parking lot. Marly’s special space was in the center green house, and I found her there, next to a long wooden table.
I could hear her before she realized I was there. If I can make this work, we’ll have the hardiness of one plant married to the beauty of another. Perfect. All marriages should be that way... the strength of one complementing the weakness of the other. I have to remember to tell Luke that tonight...
I cleared my throat. I could gather where this line of thought was going, and I didn’t need to hear it.
“Tas! Sorry, I didn’t hear the door.”
“It’s okay. You were pretty involved in your work there.”
She rolled her eyes and peeled off her gloves. “Yes, you know me. I get an idea and that’s all I can think about. Or practically all.” She winked at me and motioned to a folding chair. “C’mon, join me for a bit. I need a break.”
I sat down, curling my legs up under me. Marly stooped in front of her mini-fridge and pulled out two glass bottles of her favorite iced green tea. She handed one to me and twisted the top from her own.
The air inside the greenhouse was warm and moist but not uncomfortably so. I drew in a deep breath and enjoyed the familiar scent of soil, fertilizer and growing things.
“So.” Marly swallowed a swig of her drink. “You’re more than half way through your first week of school. How’s it going?’
I hesitated only briefly. “It’s going. You know, senior year, all the teachers warning us about how much harder we’re going to have it next year in college. But I’m okay.”
Marly leaned against the table. “Are you sure? Michael filled us in on everything with Ms. Lacusta.”
That didn’t surprise me. “It’s taken care of,” I told her. “There’s no need to be concerned.”
She smiled, her eyes taking on the soft burnish I saw so often in her son’s, and I missed Michael with a deep hurt. “He is, though,” she said softly. “He worries about you, quite a bit. I half expected him to appear on our doorstep late Monday night. He was pretty upset.”
I dropped my head back and closed my eyes. “I tried to tell him that I could take care of myself. I don’t want him to-to worry.”
Marly laughed. “That’s what I told him. You’re stronger and more resilient than he thinks.” Her smile faded as she continued. “But you know, Tasmyn, he’s not wrong about Ms. Lacusta. Don’t forget I was there last fall when Amber told us her story. I heard about how involved that woman was in what went down last year. She’s trouble. Don’t underestimate her.”
I suppressed a sigh. “I won’t,” I promised, telling myself that I wasn’t really lying... I wouldn’t trust Ms. Lacusta for a minute. I stood up, draining the end of my tea. “Now I’d better get back to work before my boss fires me,” I teased.
Marly affected a stern expression. “You know it,” she replied with feelin
g. “She’s a mean one, your boss. Get moving. I’ll see you before you leave.”
The afternoon passed pleasantly and quickly. Belinda and I took advantage of the quiet to do some restocking and reorganizing, and I waited on the few customers who wandered through the shop. Belinda assured me that the lull in business was typical for this time of year.
“You know, we’re between seasons. The summer rush of all the people buying stuff for their gardens and yards is pretty much over, and no one’s thinking about holidays quite yet. It gives us a little time to catch our breath.”
I wrinkled my forehead and frowned. “Great for us—but doesn’t it hurt the nursery?”
Belinda chuckled. “Nah. Luke might not seem like he worries about much, but he’s a savvy businessman. This is the time of year that the landscaping end of the business is more active. He and the guys are working all over the county, cleaning up yards, getting things ready for the autumn.”
Since Belinda had worked for the Sawyers since the nursery had opened, I tended to believe her. It was certainly true that Luke wasn’t around as much as he was during the winter months.
About ten minutes before closing time, I was in the back room, moving merchandise around, when I heard the bell that signaled a customer had entered. Belinda and I exchanged looks, and I sighed.
“I’ll get it,” I told her, wiping dust from my hands as I went through the swinging doors. Almost instantly, a chill went up the back of my neck, and I felt as though I were suffocating. There was a heavy atmosphere of fear and some other indefinable emotion filling the store and a barrage of thoughts assaulted my inner ear.
HER! I forgot she might be here. Lord, protect me from all evil that seeks to do me harm... there’s something about this one. I know what Cara says, but she might not recognize the threat.
The Reverend Matt Pryce stood just inside the door, staring me down with drawn brows and a heavy frown.
I faltered, nearly undone by the troubling feelings that surrounded me as well as the direction that Rev. Pryce’s mind was taking. Our eyes met across the room, but after a moment, he looked away.
I forced myself to take a breath and move to the counter.
“Hi, Rev. Pryce. Can I help you with anything today?” My voice was falsely bright and cheery, and I knew he was picking up on my nerves.
“Yes.” He was gruff and still refused to meet my eyes. “I need to order stepping stones for the memorial garden at the church. Is there someone who can help me with that?”
“Of course. I can do that. We have samples on that shelf over there.” I motioned to the far side of the store. “And once you find something you like, I can write up the order for you.”
He turned around and moved to the display I had indicated. I sagged against the counter, trying to regain my equilibrium before I had to deal with him again. Silence hung between us, although I could hear Belinda in the storage room. Her thoughts were wholly consumed with organizing the summer silk flowers that we had just moved back there. I wished with all my might that she’d come up and save me, but the chances of that were pretty slim.
Finally, Rev. Pryce turned back toward me. “I think this simple round one with the inset pebbles will be best. It’s number A-20.”
I resumed my business-like air and grabbed the mouse next to the computer. I clicked the tab for the right order form. “Sure. Now do you know how many you need? Or if you have the measurements of the area, we can figure it out on here.”
His lips were mashed together, but he muttered, “We need fifteen. That’ll be fine. How soon will they be in?”
I entered the product number and quantity and let the computer do its job. The screen changed and I glanced back at the minister. “It’ll be about a week to ten days. Will that be all right? The shipments usually come in Wednesdays or Fridays.”
He nodded, still avoiding looking at me directly. “Fine,” he repeated. “Do I pay for it now, or do I need to leave a deposit of some sort?”
I shook my head. “No, that’s all right. It can wait until the order comes in.”
He huffed out a breath. “There’s our tax exempt status as well.” The door behind him opened, and Marly entered.
“Tasmyn, are you—oh! Rev. Pryce. I’m sorry, I didn’t know... ” her voice trailed off and she looked at me with mingled curiosity and concern.
I caught her eye and sent a silent pleading message. As smoothly as though she could hear my mind, she stepped forward.
“Did you find everything you need, Rev. Pryce?” Marly smiled at him, and I noted that he had no problem meeting her gaze.
“Uh... yes. We were just finishing up. I was asking about our tax exemption.”
“I can help you with that. We’re almost to closing time and Tasmyn needs to help Belinda in the back. Tas, I’ll see you in just a minute.” Her tone was firm, and I heard her thinking, Don’t leave yet. I want to talk to you before you go.
I nodded in answer to both statements and slipped into the back. Belinda was just hanging up her apron, and she was obviously feeling chatty. I tried to be polite and respond to her, but I was desperately trying to hear both Marly and Rev. Pryce’s conversation—and their minds. Of course, I thought in exasperation, when I want to hear people I can’t. I stifled a sigh of impatience.
Finally Belinda announced that she was leaving for the day.
“Okay,” I replied. “Marly’s out front, so I’ll just wait for her and make sure we’re locked up.” I waved to her as she went out the door.
I gave up all pretense of busy-work and perched on a stool, straining to hear anything at all.
“... and while we’ve definitely heard good things about your church, we just really aren’t church people.” And people like you are a good reason why. Do you think I didn’t see how you treated Tasmyn? And that I can’t see the judgment in your eyes even now?
“Well, Mrs. Sawyer, you know, that’s why we’re here, for folks who don’t think they’re church people. We would love to have you and your husband join us this Sunday. You’d be very welcome.” Give me the chance to show you the truth... maybe find out more about that girl. If she’s what I fear, it might not be too late for me to help her.
“Call me Marly, please. We appreciate the invitation. How is Cara, by the way? Is she enjoying her senior year so far?”
His hesitation in answering was barely discernable. “She’s well, thank you. Yes, hard to believe this is the last year. Time does fly, doesn’t it—well, you’d know that all too well, wouldn’t you? Now that two of yours have left the nest? I don’t know what we’ll do without Cara next year.” But I won’t be sorry to have her away from this place. A hotbed of temptation and evil.
“Yes, Michael’s at school now, too. It’s very quiet around our house. We’re so happy that Tasmyn is here as much as she is. She’s brought us a great deal of joy.” Did you get that, you nosy—
“I’m sure. Well, we’re encouraging Cara to expand her horizons this year. We’d like to see her make some more friends. We know the move was hard on her, coming down here in the middle of high school... there’s always the chance of a child getting pulled into the wrong crowd. That’s bad news.” And even worse if it’s true evil the child encounters. They’re not equipped to fight that sort of thing—not the way I am. I could help them, if they’d just reach out.
“I thought Cara hung out with Tasmyn and Amber at school. I can’t imagine a better pair of friends than those two.” Do you think I’m stupid? And do you really think I’d buy your narrow-minded bigotry?
“Sometimes parents can be deceived. Look at that poor Amber. She was involved with those girls who turned out to be not just bad influences—they were messing with demonic forces. And her parents didn’t know. We’ve had a lot of long talks about it, and to be frank, they’re a little concerned about Amber’s friendship with this Tasmyn. We aren’t certain about how deep in she was with the Massler girl, after all. Why was she out there that day? How do we know—“
/> “I’m going to stop you right there, Rev. Pryce.” Marly’s tone was pure cold steel. “Tasmyn is like a daughter to me. I know her very well, and I can assure you—and Amber’s parents, too, if they’re interested—that she is the kindest, most compassionate girl I’ve ever known. Amber and Cara are both blessed to call her a friend. And I’ll tell you something else.” Her voice dropped, and I had to strain to hear it. “If I hear anything about you spreading these lies, it will not go well with you. Do we understand each other?”
There was silence on the other side of the wall, although I could hear the low rumblings of Marly’s fury. And then I picked up the minister’s own passionate thoughts.
She’s been taken in. It’s worse than I feared. What kind of hold does this girl have over people? It makes me wonder if she’s the real ringleader and that Massler child was merely another player. If only they could all see the light...
“I have the best interests of our children at heart, Mrs—Marly,” Rev. Pryce answered her, with surprising gentleness. “You would be amazed at the things I’ve seen and experienced, and if I could, I would protect the young ones. I won’t say anything more, except—I would advise vigilance. Be watchful.” I heard a rustle of paper, and I could tell that he was taking a receipt. “Thank you for placing the order for me. You’ll let me know when the stones come in?”
Marly was still seething. “Yes, you’ll be notified.” There were heavy steps, and the doorbell tinkled once again.
I slipped through the swinging doors and came up behind Marly. She was leaning against the counter, her head resting on her hands. Without turning, she spoke.
“I’m guessing you heard all of that?”
I propped a hip against the counter, standing next to her. “Yes. I heard it all—and I do mean all.”
She looked up at me, a wry smile on her face. “Yeah, I’ll bet. Sorry. I may not have a foul mouth but my thoughts might be a different matter.”
I shook my head slightly. “I didn’t mean that. I meant him.”
Marly leaned over and draped an arm around my shoulders. “He’s unbelievable. I don’t understand how can he look at you and see anything less than what you are. The idea that you’d be involved in something—in anything wrong is just ludicrous.”
King Series Box Set Page 42
