Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [86]
“No,” Chase agreed. “But you can learn to see past it.”
The trees around them thinned, yards ahead green lawn sprawled toward the house.
“Don’t look so defeated.” Chase sped up. “Pot roast, remember?”
And a hot shower.
The thought buoyed her until she saw Braden’s car in the driveway.
“Besides, you’re making progress.”
“That bad, huh?”
Chase stopped midstride, a quizzical look on his face. “What?”
“You’ve been brutally honest all week. If you’re doling out false compliments I must be doing worse than I thought,” Beth quipped.
“I say what I mean.” Chase jerked his head in the direction of the forest behind her. “You got yourself home tonight.”
Beth glanced over her shoulder. They’d walked straight back to the house. No circles. No aimless wandering. No mocking or self-deprecating remarks. “I followed you.”
“Did you?” Chase leaped up the porch steps. “I thought I was following you.”
Beth stopped midstride. She hadn’t even thought about where she was going.
Luck?
She didn’t think so.
Chase held open the screen door for her. Her mouth watered as the rich aroma of pot roast engulfed her.
“Told you.” Chase laughed.
***
Braden pulled a beer out of the fridge and popped the top off the bottle on the side of the kitchen counter. His mother’s voice rang down the hallway, sending him lunging for the door to the living room.
“Don’t even think about it. You can help me get set up for dinner.”
“Hi, Mom.” Braden set the beer down and started pulling plates out of cabinets.
“Hi, honey.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Haven’t seen much of you this last week.”
Braden shrugged. “I’ve been busy.”
“Don’t forget the placemats,” she said as she set rolls on the stove to cool. “I just expected to see a bit more of you, that’s all.”
“I’ve got a job in Portland, Mom.” He counted out silverware for each place setting. “There were some other things to take care of as well.”
“I’m sure Caleb would have stepped in, had you asked.” There was no admonishment in her tone, but Braden felt her disapproval all the same.
“Look, I needed to get things sorted in the office and, clearly, my help wasn’t necessary.” Braden slammed down the last of the silverware and reached for his beer.
“Not necessary,” his mother agreed. She sighed and turned on him with an expression so soft he ground his teeth together. “But I know you were missed.”
“Put ice in the pitcher on the counter, will you? I’ve made iced tea,” she instructed, deftly switching topics. “Hi Beth, would you tell Lucy, and Matthew if you see him, that it’s time to eat? Chase, wash your hands.”
Braden turned as Beth edged out of the kitchen. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and then ducked out to find Lucy before he could say anything.
I doubt I have anything to say that she wants to hear.
He hadn’t seen her in nearly a week, not since they’d argued in the study. What did she want from him, anyway? She said she needed to master the change? All right. She wanted Chase to be the one to teach her? Fine. He’d stepped out of her way, hadn’t he? She could hardly complain that he’d taken the opportunity to spend a few nights in Portland, straightening out loose ends at the office, fixing the door to her apartment, collecting some of her clothes, even moving her Jeep to his garage.
She didn’t have any trouble telling me exactly what she wanted from me the other night. If she wants me around more, she can damn well say that, too.
***
Beth pulled her feet beneath her and leaned into the corner of the wooden porch swing. The air was crisp against her cheeks and the night so dark she couldn’t see the tree line at the edge of the property. But the porch was quiet, the air smelled of the coming summer and she was as far away from Braden as she could get.
Dinner had been almost as strained as her first breakfast in the Edwards house. She hadn’t seen Braden much in the last few days; either he’d been staying in Portland or commuting during extreme hours of the day. From the moment she