The Spider Catcher (Redemption by A.L. Tyler Book 1) (29 page)

“Um, okay…”  Ember mumbled before making a beeline for the door.  Normally, she was willing to fight when somebody tried to ruffle her feathers.  She would have told Delia to not act like she knew her, because she didn’t, and then would have added a few choice words before grabbing her money and taking her business elsewhere.  Or nowhere, as her options may have been on Tulukaruk.  Maybe it was because she was cold and wet, or just in a sour mood being back on the island, but she didn’t want to fight with Delia. 

There was an icy chill running down her spine as she sipped the coffee, and it had nothing to do with the actual frost developing from her dip in the ocean.  She hoped the coffee wasn’t spiked with something nasty.  Ember sat down on a rough-hewn timber bench to steady herself.  She wasn’t sure, but she was betting Delia and Thalia weren’t friends.  Women got a certain look about themselves, something territorial, when they despised each other; Delia had that look.

Ember glanced up from her coffee to see the clerk from the antique shop across the way standing in the door and staring at her, with Delia standing next to him.  Looking down the street, she could see that a group of townsfolk had also stopped to stare.  Frowning, all she could think to do was raise a hand and wave, hoping they would take the hint and moved along. 

They didn’t.  A girl with red-blonde hair was openly gawking at her.  None of them waved back, and sighing, Ember could see that Thalia had evidently made all of her friends for her since her last visit.

The rude redhead was walking towards her with her head cocked, as though she was confused by Ember’s presence.  A split second later a man from the cluster of people, maybe in his early thirties with shaggy brown hair and large ears, started to follow her.  He ran with a quick lope to grab her arm, and Ember jerked vicariously as he yanked the girl with such force that she lost her footing and turned back to him with an irritated expression. 

The bench shuddered, and Ember looked over her shoulder to see who had sat down. 

“Acton!”  She didn’t know why, but her coffee was suddenly on the ground, and her arms were around his neck.

“Ember, Ember, Ember…” He said in a sweetly playful tone.  “You’ve grown up on me.”

Ember pulled back, surprised by her own reaction as much as his words.  Acton gave her a courtesy smile, but it was clear he wasn’t happy.  He must have been walking outside for some time, because his skin was cold.  Ember ran her fingers down both of his smooth cheeks, and she was surprised that he wasn’t growing a beard yet. 

Frowning, she tried to count the years in her head; he had to be in his early twenties by now.  She carefully looked him over, taking in every detail she had missed since her last dismissal from Tulukaruk.  His dark hair was as messy as usual, complete with gritty bits of bark and pine, his hard features throwing into contrast the elegance in his posture.  He was wearing the black suede jacket that Ember remembered from so many nights out at the bar.

She felt a shiver run down her spine when she saw his brown eyes wandering over her, giving her a similar assessment.

He finally brushed away her hands, sitting back and away from her.  “You shouldn’t be here.”

“You haven’t changed at all!”  She laughed, half whining.  It had been ages since she had last seen him, but he hadn’t changed at all.  It was a comfort to think that he had changed so little, but at the same time, the weight of everything that had changed in her since leaving suddenly fell like a brick wall between them.

The small smile he had managed was gone from Acton’s face.  Ember looked over her shoulder, flipping her hair back to see what he was gazing at so intently, and saw the assembly of strangers moving away down the street. 

She turned back to face Acton.  “Who were they…?”

But he was already smiling again, his piercing eyes dancing like gleaming flames on the breeze.  Ember couldn’t look away.  He really was the same old Acton, she realized, with a stabbing tremor in the hollow of her stomach. 

When Acton smiled, it was all through his eyes; he regarded the world with an amusement that started deep in his soul.  It was like life was a joke, and only he knew the punch line.  When he smiled all the way down through his lips and teeth, Ember always thought he was going to share the joke with her, but he never did, and it was perfectly charming that he led her on in such a fashion.

As he once again tried to charm her, she was aware that the smile held too many memories for her now.

“Do you need an escort home?”  He asked lightly.  His voice was too sweet. 

Ember immediately backtracked the last minute, closing her eyes with difficulty to regain her focus.  She wondered why she had hugged him as she tried to untangle her thoughts. 

She wasn’t going to let it happen again.

“Acton.”  She said carefully, stammering out her words. “It’s good to see you.  No, thank you, I can walk myself…where I’m going, thank you.”

She had almost said that she was walking “home,” but she had decided long ago that her mother’s house was not her home anymore, and God willing, it never would be again.  Her mother was dead, and Ember had no idea to whom she had willed the house.  She didn’t have the faintest inkling what to call it anymore.  If Gina had left it to her, she was going to sell it, and perhaps use the money to compensate herself with some counseling, or some alcohol—anything to make the memories stop.

Taking a deep breath, Ember opened her eyes and stared resolutely back at Acton, purposely looking him in the eye to break the spell.  She squinted her eyes and lowered her chin, trying to adopt a serious demeanor.

Acton laughed, his teeth like a white picket fence against the darkness behind.  “You look so determined!”

“Goodbye, Acton.”  She got to her feet and started toward the footpath between the bookstore and the neighboring antique shop.  She wondered how large the customer base for antiques could be on a pathetic little island with the same residents living there year in and year out.  The pit in her stomach was throbbing, and she realized that she hadn’t been prepared to see Acton again.  She wasn’t equipped to deal with him and the uncomfortable memories he conjured.  The image of her dead and bloodied body lying on the coffee shop floor flashed back in her mind.  It almost made her sick.

“Oh, come on!”  Acton’s voice was still light and fun, tempting Ember to forget the last time they had met.  “It’s been two years, Em.  Let’s talk for a moment, at least…”

Ember gritted her teeth.  She spun around, nearly slamming into Acton’s chest as he tried to chase after her.  He didn’t back off.

“We’re not talking,”  she said in a low tone, looking up at him.  His expression remained fixed, and he didn’t back away from her.  “You’re not walking me home.  I just got back, and I’m not ready for this, Acton.  And I don’t think Thalia is either, so don’t follow me.  Please just leave me alone until I’ve gotten off this stupid rock.”

Acton was looking at her with what she guessed was either regret or denial.  Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he rooted himself to the spot. 

His voice was quiet.  “I’ll give you time, Em, but we need to talk.”

Ember shook her head.  “Leave me alone until I’m gone.”

She turned and left.  It wasn’t typical of Acton to give up that easily, but Ember wasn’t thinking clearly; she just wanted to get away.  Deep down in her stomach, the throbbing told her she should have known better.

It was a fifteen-minute walk across steeper terrain from Main to the house.  In her head, it felt like only seconds between the time that Acton had tried to befriend her to the time that Thalia swung the screen door open, appraising her with unwelcoming eyes.

End of Sample

Rabbit Bones: Redemption Book 2 is available now!

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About the Author

I live in Colorado with my husband, and can most often be found in the library, the garden, or parked on the couch, writing, with a cat on either side of my laptop.  I am a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy, whether on the screen or in print, and I believe that breakfast burritos and fried mushrooms are the most addictively delicious foods ever created. 

I love connecting with people through my writing.  If you want to spy on me, share your thoughts, find out about my other books, or tell me to hurry up with the next book in a series, please stop by my blog.

http://addisynltyler.blogspot.com/