Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“I understand,” Mattie said, nodding. “That was…quite a scene with the powdered sugar,” she added dryly.
“A scene? The girl completely lost her shit!” Shonda was grinning a little as she said it. “Throwing powdered sugar everywhere, like that. You know that’s all everybody in Christmasville is going to be talking about tomorrow at the Yule Ball. Are you going?”
“Oh…I don’t know,” Mattie hedged. Actually, she had a very nice dress for the ball, but she wasn’t sure how Grath would feel about going.
“You should come. Maybe you’ll get that ring you’ve been looking for, hmm?” Shonda said, grinning at her.
“Maybe…” Mattie said, smiling back, though she was sure that wasn’t going to happen. “Are you going?” she asked.
“I might be.” Shonda gave her a smile. “You’ll have to come yourself to find out. See you there?”
“Maybe,” Mattie said again. “Just in case, let’s exchange numbers.”
She pulled out her cell phone, which was deep in her jeans pocket, as usual, and the two women exchanged numbers. Then she gave Shonda one last hug and went back to her family, who were almost completely finished with the cleanup.
She wondered if she ought to tell Grath what she’d just found out—that Luke Hartsford had hurt another victim. But that would only make the big Hybrid angry all over again and he would want to go and kill Luke—which would cause a mess not only for Mattie’s family, but for Shonda’s folks too. No, it was probably better to keep this to herself, she decided as she pitched in to clear away the last of the mess.
But even after the powdered sugar had all been wiped away, a cloying sweetness still hung in the air, like a memory of the past that wouldn’t completely fade…
TWENTY-FOUR
GRATH
Lunch was delicious—they went to a cozy little eating establishment and had something the humans called “sandwiches,” which were rolls of crusty bread filled with thin slices of meat and various condiments. Grath ate five of them and decided they were one of the best human foods he’d tasted yet.
He was keeping an eye on Madeline as he ate, though. Something wasn’t quite right with her—he could tell. Despite the way she laughed and joked with her family as they praised her victory at the Bake-off, the joy didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Hey, little girl—you all right?” he murmured in her ear during a lull in the conversation.
“Huh? Oh, of course. I feel fine—great!” She gave him a bright smile that looked forced to Grath.
“Don’t lie to me—something’s going on,” he muttered, frowning. “Was it whatever you and the female from table eight were talking about, while the rest of us cleaned up all that fucking powdered sugar?”
“What?” Madeline’s eyes widened and a guilty look crossed her face, but she quickly shook her head. “No, we were just…just talking about high school stuff. She was in the year behind me, remember?”
Grath did remember but he didn’t quite buy the idea that Madeline was fine. Still he couldn’t force her to talk, so he finally just nodded and let the subject drop. She would tell him when she was ready.
After lunch—which Madeline’s brother-in-law had eaten with them, having finished his work early for that day—Madeline’s mother declared it was time for “last minute Christmas shopping!”
“Girls and guys split up,” she insisted, as she took Madeline by the arm. “Everyone is allowed to buy one present for whoever they choose. But it has to be something you can get right here in Christmasville.”
Grath agreed with this idea. Since this particular holiday here on Earth seemed to involve giving gifts to loved ones, friends, and family, this would be a good way for him to learn more about it. Also, it was considered polite in his own culture to give host gifts when staying in another person’s domicile.
He had plenty of Earth currency—Commander Sylvan having made sure he was amply financially supplied—but he had no idea what to buy. When he confided this problem to Madeline’s brother-in-law, Ethan, the other male clapped him on the back and said,
“Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. I’ve been in the family long enough to know exactly what everyone likes.”
“You two go do what you want,” Madeline’s father told them. “I’ve already got something for everyone but you.” He pointed at Grath. “And I can’t shop in front of you, so I’m going to pick you up something on my way home and then go take a nice nap before it’s time to trim the tree tonight.”
“Oh, you don’t have to get me a gift!” Grath said quickly. “You are my host and I am staying in your domicile. If anything, I should get a gift for you.”
“The greatest gift you can give me is to make my daughter happy.” Madeline’s father squeezed Grath’s arm briefly. “I’ve heard you Kindred are good guys and you put the happiness of your women first.”