Sookie Stackhouse Boxed Set (Books 1-8) - Charlaine Harris [924]
“I’m guessing he did some checking up,” Sam said mildly. He hugged me, which was a welcome surprise. I felt like I needed a hug after Niall’s drop-in. I hugged Sam back. He felt warm, and comforting, and human.
But neither of us was 100 percent human.
In the next instant, I thought, We are, too. We had more in common with humans than with the other part of us. We lived like humans; we would die like humans. Since I knew Sam pretty well, I knew he wanted a family and someone to love and a future that contained all the things plain humans want: prosperity, good health, descendants, laughter. Sam didn’t want to be a leader of any pack, and I didn’t want to be princess of anybody—not that any pureblood fairy would ever think I was anything other than a lowly by-product of their own wonder-fulness. That was one of the big differences between Jason and me. Jason would spend his life wishing he was more supernatural than he was; I had spent mine wishing I was less, if my telepathy was indeed supernatural.
Sam kissed me on the cheek, and then after a moment’s hesitation, he turned to go into his trailer, walking through the gate in the carefully trimmed hedge and up the steps to the little deck he’d built outside his door. When he’d inserted the key, he turned to smile at me.
“Some night, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Some night.”
Sam watched while I got in my car, made a pressing gesture to remind me to lock my car doors, waited while I complied, and then went into his trailer. I drove home preoccupied with deep questions and shallow ones, and it was lucky there wasn’t any traffic on the road.
Chapter 17
Amelia and Octavia were sitting at the kitchen table the next day when I shambled out. Amelia had used up all the coffee, but at least she’d washed the pot and it took only a few minutes to make myself a much-needed cup. Amelia and her mentor kept a tactful conversation going while I bumbled around getting some cereal, adding some sweetener, pouring milk over it. I hunched over the bowl because I didn’t want to dribble milk down my tank top. And by the way, it was getting too cold to wear a tank top around the house. I pulled on a cheap jacket made of sweats material and was able to finish my coffee and cereal in comfort.
“What’s up, you two?” I asked, signaling I was ready to interact with the rest of the world.
“Amelia told me about your problem,” Octavia said. “And about your very kind offer.”
Ah-oh. What offer?
I nodded wisely, as if I had a clue.
“I’ll be so glad to be out of my niece’s house, you have no idea,” the older woman said earnestly. “Janesha has three little ones, including one toddler, and a boyfriend that comes and goes. I’m sleeping on the living room couch, and when the kids get up in the morning, they come in and turn on the cartoons. Whether or not I’m up. It’s their house, of course, and I’ve been there for weeks, so they’ve lost the sense that I’m company.”
I gathered that Octavia was going to be sleeping in the bedroom opposite me or in the extra one upstairs. I was voting for the one upstairs.
“And you know, now that I’m older, I need quicker access to a bathroom.” She looked at me with that humorous deprecation people show when they’re admitting to a passage-of-time condition. “So downstairs would be wonderful, especially since my knees are arthritic. Did I tell you Janesha’s apartment is upstairs?”
“No,” I said through numb lips. Geez, this had happened so fast.
“Now, about your problem. I’m not a black witch at all, but you need to get these young women out of your life, both Ms. Pelt’s agent and Ms. Pelt herself.”
I nodded vigorously.
“So,” Amelia said, unable to keep quiet any longer, “we’ve come up with a plan.”
“I’m all ears,” I said, and poured myself a second cup of coffee. I needed it.
“The simplest way to get rid of Tanya, of course, is to tell your friend Calvin Norris what she’s doing,” Octavia said.
I gaped at her.