The Angel of Death (The Soul Summoner Book 3) (7 page)

He shook his head. “Call me James.”

“Ok.”

Someone shoved a plate into my hands, and Nathan led me toward the counter piled with leftover Thanksgiving food. He leaned close to my ear. “See? You’re the big hero here. They love you.”

“They all seem really nice.” There was a half-carved turkey at the end of the counter. Its skin was golden brown, not black. I pointed to it. “Maybe I can get your mom to teach me how to cook a turkey while I’m here.”

He chuckled. “Still, best Thanksgiving
ever
.”

Nathan’s mom had reserved us seats at what everyone referred to as the ‘adult table’ in the formal dining room. Everyone else scattered throughout the house. I sat between Nathan and his mother. She patted my hand. “Sloan, we are so excited you could join us,” she said.

“And we are so glad you’re not Shannon Green,” Lara added with wide eyes and a chuckle.
 

I covered my mouth so I didn’t laugh and spit food all over the table.

Nathan’s cheeks turned bright red, and he dropped his eyes to his plate. “Don’t start, Lara.”

Lara looked at me. “Sloan, have you met Shannon?”

I laughed. “Oh yes. I grew up with her.”

Lara rolled her eyes and groaned. “I am so sorry.”

Nathan draped his arm across the back of my chair. “Don’t feel too sorry. Sloan convinced their whole high school that Shannon had syphilis.”

The table erupted in laughter.

Nathan’s mom was hiding her red face behind her napkin. “Is that true?”

I held up my hands and gave a noncommittal smile. Nathan’s ex-girlfriend, Shannon Green, had been my nemesis since we were teenagers. He had broken up with her about a month before, apparently pleasing more people than only me.

“That’s terrible,” Kathy said through her giggles.
 

Lara pointed her fork at both of us. “So what is this? Are you two finally a
thing
?”

“Lara!” Kathy snapped. “That’s none of your business.” Despite her words, her questioning eyes turned slowly toward us.

I glanced at Nathan for help.
 

“It’s not like that,” he said. “We’re close friends. That’s all.”

I swallowed the bite of cornbread stuffing in my mouth. “I have a boyfriend. He’s deployed with the Marines.”

There was a collective, sorrowful moan around the table accompanied by condolences.

“How long will he be away?” Kathy asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “He left a few days ago, and I have no idea when he’ll be back.”

“I was a Marine right out of college,” James said. “I never saw any combat though.”

“Dad’s an engineer now,” Nathan added.

“What kind of engineer?” I asked.

“Civil,” James answered.

Kathy smiled. “James is working on the gridlock problem in Raleigh.”

I nodded and looked at Nathan. “I remember you telling me you wanted to be an engineer before you went into law enforcement.”

He tilted his glass of sweet tea toward his father. “Yeah. I think Dad’s still a little bitter about it.”

James shook his head. “No, son. We’re all very proud of you.”

“I know, Dad.”

Lara mocked a cough behind her hand and said, “Golden boy.”

Chuck did the same, but coughed out “mama’s boy” instead.

Nathan wadded up a napkin and threw it at his brother. We all laughed. Kathy stood, waving her hands. “None of that! There will be no food fights in this house this year!”

That evening with the McNamaras was my first real experience with a big family. It was delightful. There was so much laughter and chatter, and it was nice to be a part of it. After dinner, we all gathered in the living room and helped his mom decorate the Christmas tree. The after-Thanksgiving tradition had been put on hold till Nathan and I arrived.
 

When all the ornaments were in place, James motioned to me from his spot by the tree. He held up the end of the Christmas lights’ string. “Sloan, would you come and do the honors?”

Smiling, I pushed myself off the couch. “I’d love to!”

He handed me the plug, then rejoined his wife by the fireplace. I plugged in the tree and it lit up in a colorful glow. A melody of “ooo’s” and “ahh’s” echoed around the room. Nathan beamed at me as I settled back down next to him on the sofa.

Watching them all laugh and carry on as Kathy passed out hot cocoa to the kids, I felt a strong wave of guilt wash over me. Somewhere, Warren was off doing god-only-knows-what, and I was with another man, like part of his family. And I was enjoying it. A lot. My hands went to my stomach.
 

“You all right?” Nathan’s voice was concerned.

I forced a nod. “Yeah. This is amazing.”

He squeezed my hand, smiling as he looked down to where his fingers wrapped around mine. He took a deep breath and released it.

When it was time for bed, everyone became a little somber. The next day wouldn’t have the same laughter and joy the evening had. It was hard for me to even imagine how devastated this sweet family must have been when their baby girl went missing ten years before.

Nathan followed me upstairs. “Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked.

I smiled back at him. “Yeah, I did. Your family is great.”

“You were the star of the night.” He put his hand on the small of my back to steer me down the hall when we reached the top. “Second door on the right.”

It was obvious Nathan’s bedroom hadn’t changed much over the years. Sports trophies lined the walls, along with plaques and ribbons from different events. He had a queen sized bed with a navy blue comforter and a stuffed brown bear perched against the pillows. I pointed at it, looked back at him, and giggled. “Is that Noot-Noot’s teddy bear?”

He grabbed my finger. “You leave my bear outta this.”

Laughing, I pulled my hand away.
 

He picked up his suitcase and dropped it on the bed. He fished out a t-shirt and a pair of flannel pants. “That door is for the bathroom,” he said, gesturing to the right side of the room. “It adjoins to Lara’s room, so I suggest locking it from this side if you don’t want Carter wandering in and out of here.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

He draped his clothes over his shoulder and walked toward the bathroom. “Are you sleeping in the same pajamas you’ve worn all day?”

I picked up his bear and threw it at him.

When he returned dressed and ready for bed, I was putting my black dress for the next day on a hanger.
 

“That’s pretty,” he said.
 

I smoothed out the front and hung it from the top lip of the closet door. “Thank you. I’m determined to make a better second impression on your family than I did the first.”

“I’m only giving you a hard time,” he said as he folded his clothes and zipped up his suitcase. “I couldn’t care less what you wear, as long as you’re here.”

I smiled and pulled the comforter down on the bed. “Nevertheless, I plan on looking spectacular by breakfast.”

He put his suitcase in the corner of the room, then walked past me to grab a pillow. He nodded toward the bed with a devious grin. “What Warren doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
 

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You want to take that chance with a guy who hunts people down for a living?”

He laughed and walked to the door. “I’ll be on the couch downstairs if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Nathan.”

He paused in the doorway. “Goodnight, Sloan.”

“Goodnight.”

5.

“Miiiswoooan…”

“Miiiiiiiissssswoooooan…” The voice came again, the second time a little more sing-song.

I rolled over in the dimly lit room and hugged my pillow. I had to be dreaming. Something was touching my face. My right eyelid was slowly pried open. Big blue eyes were inches from my nose.

I screamed.

Carter screamed.

I bolted upright in the bed.
 

With his tiny fists clenched at his sides, he screeched as loud as he could.

I stretched my arms toward him. “Carter! Carter! I’m sorry, bud! I’m sorry!”

He threw the door to my room open and screamed all the way down the hallway, then all the way down the stairs. I flopped back onto the bed and groaned.
I’m going to be a great parent.

As if on cue, my stomach churned with nausea.

When I finally felt like I could stand without hurling all over the shag carpet, I walked to the window and peeked out through the blinds. A fresh blanket of snow covered the ground making the McNamara’s front yard look like a scene from a Thomas Kinkade painting. I looked at the driveway and hoped I’d be able to walk in my heels.

My heels. Oh crap!

I ran across the bedroom and dropped to my knees beside my suitcase. Frantically, I tossed out every shred of fabric onto the floor. I’d forgotten to pack my shoes. I looked at my dress on the hanger, then down at my brown, sheepskin, fuzzy boots. Sitting back on my heels, I let out a frustrated huff toward the ceiling.

The morning got worse from there.

Half-way through my shower, just when I’d finished lathering up my hair, the water ran cold. Ice cold. Then my hair dryer shorted out with half my hair still soaking wet, and it took out all the lights in the bathroom. My teeth were still chattering by the time I trudged downstairs
not
polished and ready for the day like I’d wanted.
 

Kathy and Lara were in the kitchen when I walked in. “Good morning,” Kathy said, her welcoming smile fading to wide-eyed concern when she looked me over. “Are you OK, dear?”

I slumped down onto a barstool next to Lara at the kitchen island. “I’m a train wreck. Please don’t hate me.”

She laughed and covered my hands with her own. “Nonsense. You look like you could use some coffee. May I pour you a cup?”

I sighed. “No, thank you. I’m trying to cut back on caffeine.”

She looked around the kitchen. “How about orange juice or milk?”

The thought of milk made my stomach queasy again. “Juice would be great.”

She stepped back toward the counter against the wall and pulled a glass from the cabinet overhead. “Lara, would you like some juice?”

Beside me, Lara slurped her coffee. “Mother, I haven’t had juice not laced with some form of alcohol since elementary school.”

I laughed, but Kathy sighed and shook her head.

When she handed me the orange juice, I smiled up at her. “Thank you.”
 

Lara handed me a large wire basket lined with a red checkered cloth. “Mom made muffins,” she said. “There are blueberry ones, and there may be chocolate chip ones if Carter and Gretchen didn’t eat them all.”

I plucked a blueberry muffin from the basket and put it down on a napkin Kathy handed me. “These smell amazing. You made these?”

“From scratch,” Kathy replied.

The sugary topping crumbled between my fingers as I broke off a bite and popped it into my mouth. It melted on my tongue. “Mmm,” I moaned. “This is delicious.”

She was beaming. “Thank you.”

I turned toward Lara. “I have to apologize. I may have scarred Carter for life this morning.”

Her eyes widened. “All that yelling earlier. Was that to do with you?”

I grimaced. “We scared each other half to death.”

Lara groaned. “He came into your room?”

I nodded. “And pried my eyeball open while I was sleeping.”

She hid her flushing cheeks behind her hands. “Oh god, Sloan. I’m so sorry. That boy is impossible.”

I laughed and squeezed her arm. “Don’t worry about it. I doubt he’ll do it again after the way I screamed out in terror.”

“Other than the rude awakening, did you sleep well?” Kathy asked.

I sipped my juice. It was delicious. I needed to start buying it to keep at home. “I did, but my morning was a nightmare.”

“Oh?” she asked.

“I forgot my shoes at home that go with my dress, and I may have blown a fuse in the bathroom upstairs when my hair dryer died.”

“It happens all the time in this old house. James will set it right.” Kathy’s gaze rose to my crazy hair. “I have a hair dryer you can borrow.”

Lara nodded. “And what size shoes do you wear?”

“Seven,” I answered.

She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. “Well, none of us will be any help with that. We all have giant clown feet.”

“Thanks anyway,” I said. “You’ll just understand now when I look like an Eskimo from the shins down later.”

They both laughed.

“Have you seen Nathan this morning?” I asked.

Kathy pointed toward the back door. “He went out with his dad and brother early this morning to scout the woods for deer tracks.”

Lara smiled over her mug. “That’s what they call it, but they’re really out there drinking Daddy’s stash of whiskey and bitching about Chuck’s ex-wife.”

Kathy pulled out the stool on the other side of Lara and sat down with her coffee. “Mind your mouth, Lara Jane.”

Lara chuckled.

I looked over at Kathy. “I’m sorry Nathan missed Thanksgiving with you all.”

She waved her hand in my direction. “Don’t apologize. I assumed he would be wherever you are.”

That made me feel bad for a few different reasons. I scrunched up my nose. “I appreciated your invitation here, but I didn’t want my dad to be alone.”

Kathy put her cup down on the tiled countertop. “Nathan told us your mother passed away. I was sorry to hear it. She must have been young.”

“She was fifty-one,” I said. “It was a very aggressive brain tumor.”

Kathy shook her head sadly. “I’m so sorry.” She patted my hand. “I wish I could tell you that you’ll get over it in time, but it never goes away. You learn to deal with it differently, and the day-to-day gets easier.”

The way her eyes were fixed on the wood grain of the table, I knew her mind was on Ashley.

Thankfully, before we both burst into tears, Carter exploded into the room. He froze when he saw me, then quickly ducked between his mother and grandmother. He slowly peeked his head up, and I gave him a little wave, but he ducked down again.

Lara twisted around in her seat. “Carter, what have we told you about going into people’s rooms when they are sleeping?”