Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [65]
“Oh.” The longer Beth watched him—the way his shoulders drooped, the way he cautiously stared at her, the tentative voice he used to speak with her—the faster her anger began to slip away. Unwilling to deal with whatever emotions would be left behind, she moved toward the kitchen.
The typical noise of a family breakfast filtered out to her as she moved closer. Forks clanked against plates and irregular laughter burst through the door and down the hall. As she entered, the aroma of bacon, eggs and hash browns assaulted her senses. A huge granite island dominated the room, and several counter-height barstools circled the arched edge, creating an eating space. Mr. Edwards sat on the corner farthest from the door, drinking his coffee and reading the sports page. A woman, most likely Mrs. Edwards, stood on the opposite side, turning bacon in the pan directly across from the eating area.
The normalcy jarred violently with everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
“Hey! Burrito bandito, get your own tortilla!” A young woman with pale blond hair and the clearest complexion Beth had ever seen slapped away the hand grabbing for the burrito on her plate.
“Why? Yours is right here.” The young man sitting next to her made another grab, scowling when she yanked her breakfast out of harm’s way.
Beth narrowed her eyes. The guy she recognized. He’d been with Braden yesterday, had bound her hands and shoved her in the trunk. She wrapped her arms around her middle, her aching ribs reminding her that he’d also Tasered her.
“Lucy. Chase. Cut it out.” The woman pointed her spatula at the two in a way that reminded Beth strongly of Angie. “Come on in, you two, and have a seat,” she said, stepping away from the stove, moving calmly toward them, a warm smile on her face.
Beth jumped when Braden’s warm hand settled heavily on her lower back. She stepped out of his grasp but pulled up short. Everyone stared. Even Mr. Edwards glanced over his paper in their direction.
“Hi, honey.”
Beth stiffened, completely unprepared for the warm embrace that engulfed her.
“Sorry.” The woman stepped back and awkwardly ran her hands through her hair. A gesture she shared with her son. “I’m Anna, Braden’s mother.” She slipped her hand into Beth’s and pulled her into the kitchen. “You’ve already met my husband, of course. But I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced to these two.”
Anna gestured to the two sitting at the counter. “This is Lucy.”
“Hi.” Lucy smiled, glancing over Beth.
In another reality, Beth might have thought she was being weighed and measured in an attempt to determine if she was suitable for Braden.
“And this is Chase.”
Steady eyes caught hers. “We’ve met,” he said.
“I’m aware you’ve met.” Anna’s sneer perfectly complemented her tone. “I said properly introduced, didn’t I?”
He ducked his head, but Beth caught the smile that quirked his lips. “Yes, ma’am.”
For a long moment, Anna stared at him, hands on her hips, expression fierce. She threw up her hands, muttered something Beth didn’t catch and moved back to the stove. “The two of you move over so Elizabeth and Braden can sit together.”
There was bit of shuffling, a little shoving and a lot of plates and forks clanking together, but they moved down toward their father, leaving enough empty stools for Beth and Braden to sit next to each other at the end and still have a few vacant in the middle.
“Now Elizabeth, how do you like your eggs?”
The casual question took Beth off guard. She floundered for what to say and glanced around at everyone else’s plates. “Scrambled is fine.”
Beth watched, Braden hovering beside her, as Anna cracked a couple of eggs into the pan and began to briskly beat them with a fork.
“Mike’s on his way. He should be here in a few minutes.” Anna’s stern glare turned on Braden. “You should never have let him leave last night, knowing she was hurt.”
“I’m fine.