Descended by Blood (2 page)

Kaitlynn laughed nervously. “Yeah, that sure explains why a wild cat stopped midattack. My explanation makes more sense.”

When the cars were in sight, Kaitlynn slowed and came toward me with her arms out for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ll call you later tonight.” She turned toward her Jeep.

As she pulled away, rocks and debris flew up from the tires.

I sat down in the driver’s seat of my car, but before I closed the door, I heard a guttural growl from the distance. I suspected it was the mountain lion.

A shiver ran up my spine, causing my shoulders to spasm and my head to jerk. I escaped as fast as my old Mazda’s four-cylinder engine could carry me.

2

Dimples Are Cute

“Are you cold?” Jaren asked, sitting on the blanket next to me. We’d come up to this peak to watch the meteor shower.

“Very,” I exaggerated. I’d waited two years to get this close to him, and we were finally on a real date. Jaren slid toward me and threw his blanket over my lap.

I smiled and kept my eyes on the stars overhead. I loved meteor showers because the stars came alive. They reminded me of little light creatures chasing each other across the dark sky.

I’d never realized until we’d moved here that the beauty of living in a small town could be found in the stars. Big cities try to produce their own stars with skyscrapers and street lamps, but it doesn’t create the same splendor. Plus, the burning exhaust can’t compete with the fragrance of pine or the scent of moist soil after an early morning drizzle.

I struggled when we’d first moved here. Starting a new school was harder this time than it had been in the past. Fortunately, there were some remarkable people in Buena Vista. Like Kaitlynn and Jaren.

“So, tell me something else about yourself,” Jaren said. “I know about your fixation with the sky.”

I glanced at him and laughed. “A fixation is what you call an interest? Man, I bet you’re so popular with all the ladies back in town,” I mocked.

Jaren flashed me his white teeth in a wide grin. His singular dimple depressed further into his cheek, and my pulse surged. He looked at me with eyes as clear and blue as Caribbean waters, and his messy blond hair shimmered in the star’s light. Redrock County High touted him as its star lacrosse player, and the intense sport had given him muscles along his neck that flexed when he laughed, as though he’d been carved by a sculptor.

“No, but seriously,” Jaren said, relaxing his smile, “tell me something about Brooke Keller that no one knows.”

“Well, what else is there to tell? We live in a small town. You already know everything.” I thought for a moment about what to tell him. “I don’t know…my favorite band at the moment is Florence + the Machine, and I think guys with dimples are cute.” I’d gathered all my bravery for that revelation, and I still flushed as the words fell from my lips.

Jaren laughed. He pulled me into one of those tight-squeeze hugs for a second. Warmth spread up my arms and down my spine, wafting into my stomach and spurring the butterflies to flutter.

“What about you?” I asked.

“Well, I grew up in D.C. and went to a fancy private school. That’s where I learned to play lacrosse. They had the best coach east of the Mississippi, and I lived an ideal life until the divorce, seven years ago. Now, it’s just my dad and me, but most days it’s just me.” The twinkle in Jaren’s eye took on a distant cloud. I wondered why he told me this if the subject remained raw for him.

“You’re lucky to have known both of your parents. I’ve never met my dad.” Maybe Jaren wanted me to see a deeper part of him than he’d shown me the past few weeks. I appreciated that, so I thought I should reveal more than the superficial, as well. “We moved around most of my life and my mom’s not even in the military. There’s always been a higher-paying job, a better school, or a safer place to live. It’s weird, though, because she’s never let herself get close to any of the guys she’s dated, either.” I’ve often wondered if she was running from a creepy ex-boyfriend or something, but she always assured me that she wasn’t.

We sat in silence, Jaren holding my hand. The wind blew a cold breeze across my face and sent a loose strand of hair trembling along my jaw, tickling my cheek. The shooting stars became sporadic, and I wondered when Jaren would suggest we leave. I didn’t want to go home yet. Being close to Jaren excited and soothed me at the same time.

“Your mom adores you,” Jaren said, “that much is clear. At least you have someone who loves you no matter where you move.” He faced me, and I was captivated with his beauty. But it was more than merely his genetic appearance. He had depth in his eyes, and his emotions flickered on his face as he felt them.

The moment would’ve been perfect for Jaren to kiss me, but it shattered when he spoke. “I’d better get you back to your mom, or she won’t let me take you out again.”

Neither of us moved to get up.

“Really?” I asked, excitement causing my tone to rise.

“Sure,” Jaren said. “Now that we’ve shared our deepest and darkest secrets, we at least owe each other another date, right?”

“Right,” I said, happier about the second date than I was before this one. “So, what are you doing tomorrow after school?” I feared if I didn’t make the plans now, he might change his mind later.

“I’m scheduled to work until seven, but I’m free after that. You want to hang out?” Jaren asked with a knowing smile.

I blushed, but he’d already said yes, so I rolled with it. “I have to do some homework with Kaitlynn, but do you want to call me when you get off work? I can pick you up when you’re done.” Jaren didn’t have a car because his dad was a jerk—wealthy, but couldn’t care less what Jaren needed.

“Thanks, but I think I can get David to drop me off once we’re done.”

I frowned. David was Jaren’s best friend, or wingman as Kaitlynn liked to call him. I told myself that ten minutes lost with Jaren wasn’t really that big of a deal.

“Thanks for inviting me with you tonight,” Jaren said. He glanced up at the last of the fading shooting stars then turned toward me. “It was a lot better than I expected. I appreciate the stars now, so thank you.”

“Well, I’m glad that you liked it and that you finally asked me out.” Embarrassment filled me after the confession.

“Oh, so how long have you been waiting for me to ask you out?” Jaren teased, a wicked grin on his face.

“Quit pretending that you haven’t had every girl at school after you, whether you were with Tiffany or not.” Tiffany was Jaren’s ex-girlfriend. They had dated off and on for a year but had broken up for good this time. The rumor at school was that Tiffany dumped Jaren for a Virginia Military Institute freshman in Lexington and would no longer associate with
the kids
from Buena Vista.

“Like that even matters. I’m here with you now, so don’t change the subject. Have you honestly been waiting long for me to ask you out?” Jaren’s eyes gleamed with determination.

“Let’s just say that I’m not the only one. Kaitlynn kept telling me that I needed to ask you out before someone snagged you up first, but I didn’t want to get in the way of you and Tiffany if you guys weren’t really over.”

“Well, we are. She’s already into some college guy at VMI, and I asked you out, so I’m ready to move on.”

My pulse raced. The idea of Jaren moving on with me sent a whirlwind through me, and I felt light, almost as if I’d float away.

He turned my hand palm up and straightened out my fingers, analyzing the contours. “Hey, is your pinky crooked?”

“Yeah,” I said, pulling my hand away. I put my hands together, aligning the outsides of my palms to show him how the little fingers turned inward at the top joint. I concentrated on steadying my hands, so he wouldn’t know how nervous I was about it. “They must come from my dad’s side because I’ve never broken them before and my mom’s are straight when she does this.” My fingers didn’t look deformed. The pinkies merely angled into the third fingers a bit.

Jaren smiled. “I think they’re cute.”

I relaxed my shoulders. I would’ve died if he thought it was weird and something was wrong with me.

“I better get you home. I don’t want your mom to think I’m a bad influence right from the start.” Jaren’s cheek dimpled and he stood. I stood after him, pulling the blanket up with me.

He grabbed the blanket out of my arms and started folding it. I snatched the corner, and he pulled me into a hug. He held me close to him, as I stood bright eyed, hoping he’d kiss me. We’d flirted in school for the past couple of months, but I’d never felt more sure that he’d kiss me than right now. My hands shook with anticipation as I clasped them around his waist.

Jaren gazed at me for a few breaths and then slid the blanket out of my weakened grasp. “Gotta build up your anticipation a little,” he said, then darted toward the car.

Gah! I didn’t think it was possible to build up any more anticipation. I chuckled and chased after him. I’d put up with his teasing as long as there were more dates to come. And he owed me another one.

3

Coward

The next day at school, Kaitlynn’s green eyes were bright with excitement over my date with Jaren. “You guys are going to end up together, go off to college, get married, and have babies.”

I laughed. “It was only our first date. I don’t think you can jump that far ahead yet.”

I loved being best friends with Kaitlynn. I’d never had a friend who meshed so well with me. I’m sure she felt the same way because she’s told me before that I was the sister she’d always wished for.

However, Kaitlynn and I looked nothing alike. She had thick blond hair, and fair skin. Her face was slender and delicate with a slight nose, while my face was round, taking after my mom’s German side.

I didn’t care if we appeared to be related or not. We acted like sisters, and she backed me up like one should. By my calculations we were best friends forever, and that’s exactly what sisters should be, anyway.

I spotted Jaren coming up behind Kaitlynn. We were juniors, and he was a senior, so his locker was down a separate hall reserved for seniors only.

“Hey, Jaren, what brings you away from your kingdom on senior row?” I flirted, switching my weight to one leg, and bringing my hands up to my hips. Having Kaitlynn here as my backup gave me that extra confidence to taunt him a little.

He laughed, deepening the dimple in his cheek. He wore a baby blue sweater that brought out his eyes and the light blond tips of his eyebrows.

“I was just coming to find out if you and Kaitlynn wanted to go out to lunch with us,” Jaren said, sky blue eyes twinkling.

Kaitlynn peered over at me, her eyebrows raised. I could tell she was struggling to keep in an delighted squeal. I resisted the excitement too; I wasn’t going to let Jaren witness us getting all junior high about it.

“Sure,” I said. “Who’s we, and where are we going?”

“It’s just David and me, so I guess you guys can pick.”

Kaitlynn wrapped her arm around mine, and we paraded toward the back doors leading to the student parking lot.

I let my gaze linger on her, questioning whether she had a preference. We usually stayed at school and ate in the cafeteria with a bunch of other junior girls, but when we did go out for lunch, we always found ourselves at Momma’s Barbecue or Little Italy.

Kaitlynn smirked at me and shrugged. I guess she didn’t care where we went, as long as we got to tag along.

“We’re good with either barbecue or Italian,” I said.

“Italiano it is,” Jaren said and led us through the parking lot to David’s old Mustang. The car wasn’t a classic; I think it was an ’89, but he kept it in good condition, and the paint glistened red like your grandmomma’s lipstick.

“Hey, David,” Kaitlynn and I said in unison, causing us to laugh.

“Looking good, Brooke. Kaitlynn, what’s up?” David asked with a head nod, then transferred lacrosse gear from the back seat to the trunk.

Jaren opened the passenger door for us and pulled the lever on the back of the seat, moving it forward.

“Does he open the doors for all the girls, or is he just trying to impress us?” Kaitlynn asked David.

“All the ladies, but that doesn’t mean he’s not trying to impress you,” David replied.

Jaren laughed, but cut it short.

I peered behind me.

Tiffany strolled forward, blond hair shimmering along her shoulders as she came up between David’s car and the old Camry parked next to it. She glanced at Jaren. “Sloppy seconds,” then she looked at me with disgust on her face. “With a sloppier rebound.” Her friends laughed.

My face filled with heat from anger and embarrassment, and I stood, silent, like an idiot.

“Just keep walking, Tiffany,” David said, slamming the trunk.

She chuckled along with her friends as they cleared the cars and made their way to her white Audi convertible.

I crawled into the back seat as quickly as I could to hide from the discomfort of the situation. I’m sure Kaitlynn would have said something for me if David didn’t tell Tiffany to move on, but I knew I wouldn’t have had the courage to stick up for myself. And that’s what ticked me off the most.

Jaren got in the back with me. “Don’t worry about her. She’s a snob.” He grabbed my hand, and I nodded.

Kaitlynn slid the seat back and sat in front. “She’s evil.”

“Yep. That’s Tiffany.” David squealed his tires when he pulled out of the parking lot.

I felt awkward almost the whole way to the restaurant. David finally broke the tension with his jokes, and I decided not to let Tiffany’s remarks ruin my first lunch out with the guys.

“Hey, window please,” Jaren said.

“Does it smell like stinky socks back there?” David asked.

It kind of did. “No,” I feigned. I didn’t want to embarrass him.

“Oh, yes it does,” Jaren said, nudging me with his elbow and busting me.

David laughed and rolled down his window. “Sorry about that. I usually keep everything in the trunk, but I was in a hurry this morning because this kid,” he pointed back at Jaren, “kept going on about his date with a certain Brooke Keller.”