by Kit Kyndall
“Gifts,” said Dalton. “We didn’t want to give them to you in front of others.”
Her mouth formed an O. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Of course we do,” said Lex, who removed a rectangular, nearly flat box from his jeans pocket and handed it to her.
She took it and untied the bow to open the box. Concert tickets for one of her favorite groups nestled there. Her eyes widened. “How did you know I love this group?”
“Duh, their biggest hit is your ringtone.” Lex grinned, “Plus, I love them too. There are two tickets, and I want to take you to the concert. My parents won’t care if I come visit you for a couple of days. I can take the family jet from N-Y-C to Portland. Will your mom let me stay?”
“I’m sure she will.” She nibbled on her lip before casting an uncertain glance at Dalton. His expression revealed nothing. With a smile, she put her arms around Lex and hugged him tightly before he lowered his head to kiss her. The kiss escalated until she was straining against him. They broke apart when Dalton cleared his throat.
She turned to him, seeing he held a small box in his palm. It was similar to the box holding the earrings Jonas had given her, and she wondered if he had bought something to match the rubies. When she opened it, she saw a silver chain. It shone, but something about it looked old.
He looked uncomfortable. “I retrieved a piece of the chain Malone destroyed…the one for your locket. I sent it to a jeweler, and they tracked down the manufacturer and style. It’s only a replica, since they couldn’t find the authentic version, but…” He let out a breathy sound when she threw herself against him. “I hope you like it.”
She rained kisses on his face before pressing her mouth to his. After a long kiss, she pulled back slightly. “I love it.” She leaned forward to kiss him again but saw him glance uncertainly at Lex. She read that as he didn’t want to get passionate with her in front of Lex, so she backed off instead. Her stomach rumbled, lending validity when she said, “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Chapter Four
Candace
She and Octavia went to Farley the weekend before the dance to find something to wear. Gabe was their driver, and though he spoke polite greetings to them, he didn’t try to engage either in conversation. He did glance at Octavia a few times, and he had a sappy expression on his face. Either her friend was oblivious, or she was obviously ignoring him. Either way, it was clear Gabe wasn’t going to get a response.
He dropped them off near Kathy’s, and they went inside. The place was packed, and the room she’d assumed was temporarily set up for Halloween costumes now had a selection of formals. It wasn’t as good as they’d have in the city, but they could surely find something.
Octavia moved closer to a tea-length blue dress with rhinestones along the sweetheart neckline. She also selected a green gown and a gold one as they browsed.
Candace wanted to feel festive and Christmasy, though it was technically called the holiday dance, so she gravitated to a rack of red dresses. Selecting three she liked best, she joined Octavia in the line waiting for the dressing room.
She grimaced when the door opened, and Malone stepped out. She thought about ducking back into the room with the dresses to pretend to look for more choices, but her stepsister saw her before she could.
Malone shoved through the several people waiting for their turn at a dressing room without even looking at them. When she stood in front of Candace, she sneered. “This must be amazing to someone like you. You can use my dad’s money to buy whatever you want. I bet you used to get your dresses from the thrift stores—if anyone ever bothered to invite you to a dance at your old school.”
Candace wanted to ignore Malone, and she tried to, but when Malone poked her in the shoulder, she poked back. “Get out of my face.”
“Why won’t you just disappear from my life? You don’t belong here.”
“…belong here,” Candace echoed with Malone, in a voice dripping with boredom. “As you keep saying. Why don’t you grow up and accept I didn’t ask for this situation either? Our parents fell in love and dragged us into this.”
“Your mother tricked Daddy. He’s old and lonely, and she’s a manipulative slut—”
“Bitch, stop insulting my mom.” Candace shoved her harder than she intended, knocking Malone into a group of girls in front of them. Amid protests from the girls, who kept Malone upright, Candace took another step forward.
“Enough,” said a stern female voice.
Candace turned to see Kathy herself standing in front of them, hands on her hips, and a scowl on her face. She immediately realized how badly she’d been behaving and took a step back. “Sorry.” The apology was directed to Kathy, not Malone.
Kathy glared at both of them before pointing to Malone. “Are you ready to check out?”
“Yes,” said Malone in a very polite tone.
“Then let’s do that. Afterward, please leave my store as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Malone with a hint of sullenness and a glare at Candace as she followed Kathy.
Candace spent the next few minutes cooling down as she waited her turn. Octavia looked like she might say something, but she closed her mouth instead. Maybe she sensed Candace was still angry and feeling guilty all at once. Candace knew her mother would disapprove of her physically engaging with Malone.
Once it was her turn, she chose the red and silver formal with the tulle skirt over the red velvet and the dark-red tube dress. The one she picked rustled when she moved, and it was fun and flirty. Plus, it fit her body well enough not to need any alterations. The flouncy, loose skirt made a pretty sight when she twirled around in it, which nearly made her crash into the wall of the cramped space.
After making her selection, she waited for Octavia, and they went to the checkout together. Candace braced herself for more chastisement from Kathy, but the other woman didn’t mention anything. She still felt compelled to apologize again. “I’m so sorry about the disruption, ma’am.”
Kathy surprised her with a small smile. “Some would say you were provoked, young lady. That doesn’t excuse fighting in public though.”
Candace nodded her agreement as she passed over Ashton’s black Amex and accepted the card and her dress a few seconds later. “Thanks. It won’t happen again.”
“Excellent.” Kathy checked out Octavia next, and the two of them left the store together with their dresses safely ensconced in dress bags that they held carefully.
Her phone chimed a couple of minutes later, and she swiped to unlock the screen.
Jonas: Look Up.
She looked up, mouth hanging open at the sight of Jonas and Gabe standing across the street. She waved, and the guys started walking toward them. Octavia grew tense, but she didn’t run away. Candace gave her a bracing smile as the guys reached them. After looking around to ensure no one, like Malone, was nearby, she moved forward to kiss Jonas quickly on the mouth before stepping back. “What are you doing here?”
“I used the pretext of needing a part for the tractor to escape Aunt Tillie and Uncle Fred for a bit.” He grinned. “Then I ran into Gabe, who told me you were in Farley, so I had to come looking.” He shot an uncertain look at Octavia. “Does she…?”
“I wouldn’t have kissed you if she didn’t.” She beamed at him. “Let’s get some pie. Sally makes the best peach pie.”
Jonas glanced at his watch. “I could spare a little time before I risk getting lectured by Ma.” His smile indicated the prospect didn’t scare him. “Gabe?”
Gabe looked at Octavia, who was studiously not looking at him. He seemed disappointed, and then he shook his head. “I have to get back to work, but thanks for the offer.”
Candace frowned as Gabe walked away, shoulders slumped. A glance at Octavia revealed she was relieved. Her cheeks now bore color again. They’d been bright pink in the frosty air moments before Gabe approached. Then the color had leached from her, so it was good to see it returning.
>
They went to the diner, and she made herself sit with Octavia when she wanted to press her body close to Jonas’s. There were too many people in the diner who might question Jonas being seen sitting too closely to one of the BriarEdge students. With her and Octavia on one side, the meeting was a lot less questionable.
Sally approached with menus that Jonas waved away. “We’ll just have three slices of peach pie, Sally. I’d also like a coffee.”
“Milk,” said Candace.
“Ice water, please,” said Octavia.
Sally took their orders and disappeared for a few minutes. She returned with a tray that bore their pies and drinks, distributing everything quickly. “You girls are from the academy, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Octavia, clearly not aware of the way Jonas and Candace both stiffened.
“What brings you to Farley today?” Her gaze touched on Jonas for a moment.
“Dresses for the Christmas dance,” said Candace quickly. “I wanted to find something to match my boyfriend’s outfit.” She blurted that out, hoping to diffuse any assumption Sally might make. If Gabe had mentioned her visits to the Underell farm to anyone, it could lead to awkward rumors—rumors that might reach Headmaster Hastings’s ears and cause big trouble.
“That sounds like fun.” Sally’s expression grew misty. “I met Bill at a Christmas dance at the local Grange.” She seemed to have forgotten any suspicions she might harbor as she started humming the tune of a song Candace didn’t recognize while sort of waltzing toward Bill, who stood behind the grill. At the sound of the song his wife hummed, he hung up his spatula and swept her into his arms for a quick dance.
“That’s so romantic.” Octavia sighed heavily, her envious gaze following the older couple’s antics.
“It sure is.” Candace turned her attention to the pie, wanting to leave the diner before Sally continued what had seemed like the start of a subtle interrogation. Jonas was eating quickly, and he finished before she did.
He looked at his watch. “It was nice seeing you both, but I have to get back to the farm. I have relatives visiting.” His foot brushed against Candace’s under the table, though he didn’t touch her in any other way.
“Bye, Jonas.” She hoped her tone sounded friendly and not melancholy at only getting a short time with him. He waved, and she watched him leave before turning back to Octavia, who was mostly done with her pie, though she seemed lost in thought. She patiently waited until her friend had finished too before they paid the bill, grabbed their dress bags, and left the diner.
Once they were outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had been too risky having a date with Jonas in Farley, even if Octavia had been there, and they’d given no physical hint they were involved. She’d have to be more careful when visiting him in future.
They started walking down the main street, since Octavia wanted to look at the makeup selection in the small drugstore. As they did, Candace asked, “Are you scared of Gabe?”
Octavia blinked. “Who’s Gabe?”
“Jonas’s friend, and our driver this morning…and before Halloween.”
She shrugged. “Not him specifically.”
“Is it all men then?” She held her breath as she asked, judging by the way Octavia tensed that she shouldn’t have asked.
“I really don’t want to talk about it, okay?” Her words were harsh, but her shaky smile seemed to be conciliatory. “It’s not a fun discussion.”
“Sure, okay.” Candace was still curious, but she didn’t want to spoil their day.
When they entered the drugstore, she groaned at the sight of Malone with one of her piranhas. Steffie, was it? Or maybe Stuffing. Or Syphilis? She couldn’t remember and didn’t really care. Candace braced herself for another confrontation, but Malone settled for glaring at her across the store before she and Sulfurous left a few minutes later. Candace breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to fight with Malone again, especially since she couldn’t trust herself not to behave rashly if her stepsister started insulting Hannah.
Chapter Five
Dalton
Considering Malone had been treating him like a pariah, he was almost surprised when she demanded he help with decorating for the Christmas dance. Asking wasn’t the right word, since there was no asking from his sister. She just told him when to show up and gave no opportunity for him to refuse.
He might’ve done so anyway, deciding to ditch the whole thing, if he hadn’t heard from Candace that she was part of the decorating committee too, thanks to owing Isis. When she told him why she owed Isis, he’d struggled to hide his jealousy at the idea of her spending a few days alone with Kip in Boston.
Part of him had been tempted to reach out to Hannah or his dad and tell them who’d really invited her, and for what purpose, but he held back the impulse. Sure, it would disrupt things with Kip, but it would also ruin his chances with her. If Kip got fired, she’d probably never talk to him again.
It had been a blow to learn there was yet another man competing for her attention though. Dalton was still upset that she’d held back, and when she finally told him, she’d extracted multiple promises from him before she’d mentioned Kip’s name.
It all boiled down to she didn’t quite trust him yet. Dalton knew he’d given her reasons in the past not to trust, but he’d been trying really hard to prove himself to her. He wondered how long it would take before she finally believed that he wasn’t going to betray her or revert to his previous behavior.
Knowing Candace was going to be there with Malone, he decided it was prudent to be around in case they needed a referee, so that was how he found himself stapling tinsel to the stage erected for a local group Malone had hired to perform. Local being subjective, since they were based out of Portland, but Dalton was surprised she’d gone that low-key.
A couple of years ago, she’d had an A-list group perform, and Dalton knew their dad’s donation to the school had paid for that. It practically guaranteed Malone the title of prom queen that year despite being a freshman, because she’d been so popular. Maybe she was resting on her laurels now, certain she’d receive the accolade a third year without trying as hard.
He briefly imagined how grumpy she’d be if she lost. He chuckled aloud at the thought but bit off the laugh when he snagged his thumb on one of the staples that had gone in improperly. Cursing and wiping the blood on his pants, he extracted the staple and put a new one in its place.
He was aware of Candace’s arrival before he even saw her. The hair stood up on the back of his neck, and he could just sense she was in the room. He looked up, meeting her gaze as she, Octavia, and Isis entered the gym.
Malone marched over to them. “It’s about time. You’re late.”
“Not really,” said Isis in a mild tone. “I told you I had to stay after class to work on a project before I could get started, but I’ve brought some volunteers with me to make up for it.”
Malone sneered at Candace and Octavia, putting Dalton on red alert. He expected his sister to be horrible, so it was a pleasant surprise when all she did was sniff at them. “I’m sure we can find something for them to do too.”
It didn’t take her long before she had the three of them assigned various tasks. Dalton was annoyed that Malone had given Candace the duty of putting paper lanterns around the ceiling lights, which meant she had to climb up the ladder. At first, he kept a close eye on it to make sure his sister didn’t accidentally knock against the ladder and send Candace falling to the hard gymnasium floor. Once Malone moved on, focusing on other tasks, Dalton slowly returned his attention to the tinsel and was finishing up when he heard a cry.
He looked up in time to see a chubby first-year boy running past. He’d knocked into the ladder, and Candace was crashing toward the floor. Dalton rushed to catch her, but he didn’t arrive in time, and she landed heavily on her hands, crying out and cradling her left arm to her chest.
“I’m so sorry. I was trying to get the snowflakes for M
alone.” The boy looked like he was on the verge of tears as he knelt near Candace.
Less-than-gently, Dalton pushed him aside so he could take his place, lifting Candace into his arms. “I’m going to take you to the clinic. Are you okay?”
Her laugh sounded a little shaky, and there were tears in her eyes. “I’ve been better, but at least I won’t have to do the rest of the lanterns.”
He let out a laugh that was forced and sounded more like a damp sob for a moment. He was worried she was seriously injured, especially with how she was holding her wrist, so he moved faster. He wasn’t used to carrying someone else, and he’d never tell her, but it was a bit of a strain, though she wasn’t excessively heavy. It was just awkward and different.
He was thankful when Octavia opened the door for him, and she quickly followed behind them. She seemed as worried as Dalton, but at least she wasn’t panicking. He would’ve pegged Octavia as the panicking type, if he’d ever thought about it, so it was nice that she was holding it together.
They reached the building housing the science labs, along with the office of the nurse practitioner on staff. The school had a modern clinic, so Dalton wasn’t concerned about her getting good care. He was just worried about her being injured.
Oslo Verth, the nurse practitioner, was sitting at his desk reading when they came in. He looked up, immediately putting down his tablet and gesturing for them to come into Exam Room One. “What happened?”
“An idiot freshman knocked her off a ladder, and she landed hard on her hands.” There was a growl in Dalton’s tone, and he couldn’t help feeling protective and possessive. Oslo reached out to examine Candace’s wrist, making her cry out, and Dalton snapped, “Take it easy. Do we need a real doctor?”
“Dalton, calm down,” said Candace in a soothing voice, though she was obviously in pain.
Oslo responded mildly as well. “I can do just about everything a doctor can, young man. I know you’re worried but let me take a look and do my job.”
