She regretfully shook her head. “You’ve already got most of it. Only about . . .” She peered at the gates. “525 yards to go.”
“Give me a turn,” Jennie offered. “I have free hands now.” She had sheathed her sword and unslung her bow at the first sight of the patrol.
Mia gratefully relinquished her pack, which Jennie easily carried into town. As she’d dreaded, virtually the entire town had assembled at the gate. Ross ducked his head and hunched in on himself. The crowd made her nervous, too. Especially since they stared at both Summer and Ross, and since he was beside her, that meant that they also stared at Mia. She wished she hadn’t given Jennie her pack. Now she had nothing to hide behind.
Summer strode along, glaring at the crowd with a challenging lift to her chin, as if she hoped they would all pick a fight with her so she could beat them up.
“Where will your sister stay?” Jennie asked Ross.
Jack’s saloon, Mia hoped. With the Rileys. Anywhere but Dad’s house.
Ross turned to her, his dark eyes full of appeal. Her words felt pulled out of her by tweezers, but she couldn’t deny him anything he wanted that much. “We can ask Dad. About the second guest room.”
Ross had time to say, “Thanks, Mia,” before questions started peppering them from all sides.
Mia tugged her knapsack from Jennie. She didn’t need to go the surgery; Dad would never refuse to take in Ross’s long-lost sister.
“Good night,” she muttered, hoping Ross would come by later. Without Summer.
That reminded her of the promise she’d made to herself in the crystal forest. They had all gotten out alive, so she had to ask Ross if he wanted to have sex. It was her turn for a date with him, too. But she’d rather sew her lips shut than mention dates, much less anything else, in front of Summer.
Jennie turned her teacher smile on Summer. “I’ll see you at school in the morning.”
“School?” Summer yelped as if she’d been stung by a giant bee. “What? Why should I have to . . .”
Mia fled to her cottage, feeling like a coward at every footfall. She slammed the door, then feverishly unloaded her new engine parts and lined them up. Then she re-organized them. Once. Twice. Three times. Her fingers moved like a machine, her gaze fixed on the bed. Should she move the engine, as a hint? Should she not move the engine, in case Ross got the hint and fled before she could even ask?
Ross never showed up.
Chapter Ten: Ross
Ross might not know much about love, but the one thing he was sure of was that families loved each other. It didn’t seem to matter whether they were birth relatives, adopted, or related by marriage. Once they were family, as far as he could tell, the love just happened. Different families expressed it in different ways, but it was always there.
He’d seen the joking camaraderie between Mia and Dr. Lee, as much friends as father and daughter, and the fierce loyalty between Yuki Nakamura and his adoptive sister and mother, Meredith and Ms. Lowenstein. The Rileys were close and affectionate with each other, while the Preciados were cheerful and easy-going. Mr. Horst and Tommy were a lot alike, and the Vardams were close to one another. Even Mr. Preston seemed human when his son was around, and he obviously thought his wife and daughter were the most perfect beings to ever walk the Earth.
How had things gone so wrong between Ross and his sister?
His return to Las Anclas with Summer had been one of the most depressing days of his life, and that was saying a lot. He had no idea what he should have done instead, but it was obvious that everything he had done was wrong. Though Summer had cared enough about the idea of him to track him down, she didn’t seem to like him, let alone love him.
He’d hoped she was only shocked, as Jennie had suggested, and suspicious, as he’d been when he’d first come to Las Anclas. Maybe, like him, she’d loosen up once she saw that no one would harm her. But so far, she’d alternated bragging about unlikely feats with complaining about everything and insulting everyone.
She’d even been rude to Dr. Lee, who was not only the nicest and most patient man Ross had ever met, but had cooked her a great meal and offered her a free room in his own house.
It had been one of the best meals of Ross’s life—lobster dumplings, lobster in garlic-chili sauce, butter-poached lobster, bean shoots sautéed in sesame oil, and six different types of kimchi: cabbage, cucumber, squash, radish, chestnut, and apple. But it was hard to enjoy the food while Summer complained. Dr. Lee’s girlfriend Anna-Lucia dropped by to deliver a cake of layered custard and crisp sheets of pastry, but when she caught one of Summer’s furious glares, she politely declined Dr. Lee’s invitation to join them.
How could Summer clean her plate, and shovel in a second helping, without ever saying anything nice? Ross tried to prompt her by complimenting each dish and repeatedly thanking Dr. Lee, but she never followed his lead. He wasn’t surprised that Mia never showed up, though she could undoubtedly smell the food from her cottage. She could probably hear Summer from her cottage, too.
By the time she went to bed in the room next to Ross’s, slamming the door behind her, his head was splitting. Dr. Lee silently offered him a hefty dose of willow bark elixir.
“Ross . . .” Dr. Lee began.
The last thing Ross wanted was advice or sympathy. He couldn’t stand the thought of talking to anyone about his sister, even Dr. Lee.
“Thanks.” Ross gulped down the elixir and fled to his room.
He lay in bed and looked up at the stars through his skylight, but they didn’t calm him.
She’s my sister, he kept thinking. I should love her no matter how she acts. Dee brought home a pit mouth, but it didn’t make Jennie love her any less.
But it was another thought that kept him awake all night, no matter how hard he tried to push it away.
She’s the only family I’ll ever have. And she hates me.
The next morning, Ross waited for Summer’s stomping footsteps coming down the stairs before he emerged from his room. Dr. Lee had either given up or decided that she might prefer simpler food, because he served only plain scrambled eggs. Summer ate just as much and just as rudely, then announced that she wasn’t going to school and no one could make her.
Dr. Lee spoke in a polite but firm tone that Ross had never heard before, one which made disobedience unthinkable. “Ross, take your sister to school.”
Ross moved immediately. To his surprise, Summer did as well. They were halfway to the schoolhouse before she started criticizing the buildings, the gardens, and the entire concept of school. But before she could carry out her threat of jumping over the wall, they spotted Becky, Brisa, Sujata, Meredith, and Kerry walking together. Summer fell silent and followed them.
Ross remembered how awkward he’d felt on his first day, and sympathized. But Jennie would put his sister at ease, like she’d done for him—if Summer gave her the chance.
Once they reached the schoolyard, Summer crossed her skinny arms across her chest. “You don’t have to walk me inside. I’m not a toddler.” She strode forward, head held high, and never looked back.
Ross gave up. She obviously didn’t want him around. At least Jennie would keep her from getting into too much trouble.
He retreated to Mia’s cottage, hoping to spend some time with someone who’d actually be happy to see him. But she didn’t answer his knock, and when he peeked in the window, he saw her fast asleep on the floor with a wrench lying across her open hand.
Despite his disappointment, Ross had to smile. That sight was so Mia. He longed to go cuddle up beside her, but he had work to do. And he figured he’d better be around in case Summer did decide to flee the schoolhouse.
He occupied himself with his day’s jobs, half-expecting to see his sister stomping by on her way out of town. But the morning passed quietly.
At noon, he returned to the surgery. Dr. Lee had lunch waiting for him. This time he’d cooked with Ross’s tastes in mind. All the kimchi was back on the table, along with
barley tea, noodles in black bean sauce with chunks of lobster, a salad of dandelion greens in oil and vinegar, and almond cake for dessert.
Ross cheered up as he attacked the food, not forgetting to tell Dr. Lee how delicious it was. Dr. Lee explained that there had been so much lobster that Jack had preserved everything he couldn’t serve fresh, drying some and storing some submerged in jars of oil.
“The dumpling filling last night was from the oil-preserved lobster,” Dr. Lee said. “This lobster was dried, then reconstituted by soaking it in water. Do you have a preference?”
“They’re both delicious. I like this sauce better than the dumpling sauce, though.”
“Good. Once you’re done, you can take a lunch box to Summer.”
“So . . . she’s still here?” Ross asked cautiously. He didn’t want to admit that he half-hoped that if she stormed out of the school, she’d keep right on going.
“Give her time,” Dr. Lee advised, as if he’d known what Ross was thinking. “I suspect that she’s had as rough a life as you had. People don’t get that angry without a good reason. Try not to take it personally. Remember, when Summer first saw you, she thought she was coming to your rescue.”
“That’s true,” Ross said. “But she didn’t know who I was. She just thought Mia and Jennie were attacking me.”
“So she protects people she thinks need help, even if they’re strangers.” With a smile, Dr. Lee asked, “Does that sound like anyone you know?”
“Sure,” Ross said, wondering what Dr. Lee was getting at. “You. Jennie. Mia. Sheriff Crow. Mr.—”
Dr. Lee stopped him with a laugh. “I meant you, Ross. Anyway, she obviously has a good heart beneath the bravado. Remember how long it took you to adjust to Las Anclas, and how you felt when you first came here. She may have some similar feelings, but shows them—or covers them up—differently.”
“Thanks.”
Ross relaxed and enjoyed his almond cake. Dr. Lee’s suggestion made a lot of sense. Maybe Summer was scared, just as he’d been, but expressed it by yelling and complaining instead of running and hiding. He could sympathize with the fear, and that made him less annoyed by the rest.
As he headed for the schoolhouse, he wondered how Summer’s first day had gone, and if she knew how to read. If she didn’t, maybe he could coach her. Mia’s coaching had helped him a lot.
Before he even reached the schoolyard, he heard a hubbub of angry voices, with Summer’s rising above them all. His heart sank.
“You don’t talk like that to my friends!” Meredith shouted.
“I’ll say whatever I like to whoever I like!” Summer yelled. “Especially when it’s true. None of you know anything about real dancing. You’re just hopping around to a beat.”
“Then show us some real dancing,” Sujata said coolly.
“No way!” Summer snapped. “You wouldn’t know it if you saw it.”
“Chicken,” Meredith taunted. “I bet you don’t even know how to dance.”
As Ross reached the schoolyard, he spotted the girls under the big oak tree. Meredith, Summer, and Sujata faced off in a triangle.
To Ross’s alarm, Summer’s fist flashed out at Meredith with her full Changed speed. Meredith yelped and fell, then kicked from where she lay, hitting Summer’s knee with a perfect side thrust kick. Summer pitched forward and landed on top of her.
As Ross dropped the lunch box and bolted for them, the girls began rolling around, grappling and punching. Sujata grabbed Meredith’s arm just as Ross reached down for Summer.
An elbow smacked him in the nose, sending a lightning bolt of pain through his head. He gritted his teeth, then caught Summer’s wrists and twisted them behind her back. Then he yanked the struggling girl to her feet and held her tight, keeping her away from Meredith. Sujata had Meredith in a similar hold.
Jennie arrived at a run, followed by half the school. “What’s going on here?”
“She made fun of me.” Summer writhed in Ross’s arms. Her Changed agility made her slippery as a snake, and he nearly lost his grip on her. He barely managed to keep hold of her as she kicked out at Meredith.
“She’s been making fun of everyone the whole day,” Meredith shot back, struggling against Sujata’s grip.
“Meredith,” Jennie said. “She’s only fourteen.”
“I can fight anyone, any age!” Summer shouted. “And I can beat them, too.”
Meredith rolled her eyes, then subsided, looking embarrassed. “You’re right, Jennie. From now on, I’ll just ignore her.”
Sujata let go and Meredith walked away, brushing dust off her clothes and bright red curls.
Then Jennie turned to Summer. “Fourteen is much too old to behave like this. Up until last summer, thirteen-year-olds went on patrol in Las Anclas.”
“I killed my first man at thirteen,” Summer retorted. She tossed her hair back.
Ross caught a lock right in the mouth and spat it out. He let go of one of Summer’s hands and spun her around. “I was twelve. And it’s nothing to brag about.”
Jennie put a hand on each of their shoulders. Ross relaxed at her touch, but Summer jerked away.
“We know you’re tough, Summer,” Jennie said. “But so is everybody else here. If you want to prove it, save it for training. But that’s not what you’re here to learn.” She glanced behind Ross. “Your brother brought you lunch.”
He felt Summer stiffen at the word “brother.” Like Dr. Lee had suggested, Ross tried not to take her reaction personally. But it still felt like a slap in the face. He released her and retrieved her lunch box, using the time his back was turned to try to keep his feelings off his face.
To his relief, Summer only had eyes for the lunch box, not him. She snatched and opened it, not even bothering to sit down first. Ross had seen Dr. Lee’s packed lunches before, and he could tell that it had once been beautifully arranged. But not any longer. The little container of sauce for the noodles had come open and mixed with the salad dressing. Noodles, chunks of lobster, kimchi, and seaweed had all mixed together, topped with crumbs that had once been a piece of almond cake.
Summer reached in and grabbed a handful. With her mouth full, she said, “Not bad.” Then she noisily sucked in a hanging noodle.
Ross had no idea if she was trying to annoy and disgust him, Jennie, or anyone who happened to be watching, which was half the schoolyard, but he’d had it. He yanked the box from her hands. “Eat it at the table. After you clean up.”
He turned his back on her and headed for the nearest table, hot and tense with anger, embarrassment, and the knowledge that everyone was watching him to see if his sister would obey him. His chest was so tight, he could hardly breathe. He hated to be caught in some attention-attracting scene, and Summer couldn’t seem to do anything but make them. He half-hoped that she’d leave. For all he knew, if she followed him it would only be to throw the lunch in his face.
Summer caught up with him. “Gimme my lunch. I’m starved.”
Ross searched her face for something that would make him feel like she was family rather than just knowing it. But all he saw was an angry girl radiating dislike of him. “You know how to use utensils—I saw you last night. Were you trying to embarrass me? Why?”
“Of course I know how,” she fired back. “The fork was covered in sauce.”
Ross didn’t believe for a second that she cared. But rather than argue, he led her to a bench. “Go wash your hands. I’ll try to put it back together. Dr. Lee’s food deserves to be eaten right.”
Summer opened her mouth, then hesitated. Ross had the feeling she’d had second thoughts about whatever she’d been about to say. “Yeah. It is pretty good.”
She gave him a half-smile—the first he’d seen from her—then leaped into the air. Ross watched her float halfway across the schoolyard to a chorus of gasps and exclamations, land, and then leap to the hand pump. But even more than the incredible grace of her Change power, it was her smile that caught his attention. Was it his mo
ther’s smile? His father’s?
Ross wiped off the fork, then used it to try to reconstruct the lunch. There was a soft thud as Summer landed behind him. He looked up. The entire population of the schoolhouse was following her. Ross couldn’t help trying to press himself into the bench.
She leaped again, and landed sitting beside him with her legs folded beneath her. It was the most amazing move he’d seen from her yet.
“You’re really good with your power,” he said.
Summer gave him that half-smile again, then took the fork and announced, “Yum. I haven’t eaten like this for years.”
Ross did his best to ignore the fascinated onlookers and focus only on his sister’s face. It was odd how familiar she looked when he’d never seen her until the day before. She must look like his parents, but he couldn’t remember their faces. She didn’t look like him . . . except maybe for her eyes. He’d seen those same dark eyes looking back at him in the mirror.
Becky’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts. “Where did you come from, Summer?”
Summer leaned back, folded her hands behind her head, and raised her voice so the entire schoolyard could hear. “I’ve been traveling all over the desert. Making my own way. Hunting. Fighting.”
She stuffed her mouth with noodles as the crowd whispered.
“Fighting what?” Will Preston asked. “Bandits?”
Summer’s hands twitched as if she wanted to clench them into fists. But her voice was relaxed as she said, “If it has a weapon, I’ve fought it. Or teeth. Or claws. Or poison. Once I got attacked by a sand tiger, but I jumped on its back and strangled it with my bare hands.”
Ross dared to glance up at the crowd. All the little kids and some teenagers looked impressed, though others seemed skeptical. But though they’d seen Summer leap, her struggle with Meredith had lasted only seconds. Ross had seen her fight Jennie. He could easily believe she’d strangled a sand tiger.
“We don’t have sand tigers here,” Rico said.
“But we’ve learned about them in school,” Hattie Salazar piped up.
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