Today's excerpt comes from my new release (due out May 31, 2012),
All We See or Seem. Enjoy!
“What are you doing here, honey?”
Gryff hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to answer.
She seemed to sense his hesitation and a look of
concern leaped to her face. “Is everything okay?” His mother wiped her hands
with her apron and took a step through the door.
“Yes, ma’am. Long trip. I—” He started to give her
the story he had rehearsed, but she interrupted him.
“It’s a wonderful surprise, honey. It’s just that
we weren’t expecting you. Did you try to call?” She moved to embrace him,
glancing around the front yard and toward the driveway, seeing only the back of
the blue car from around the corner. “My goodness! You drove here?”
“Yes, ma’am. Like I said, long trip.” Gryff
scrutinized his mother’s nonverbal cues to determine if she was buying his
line. His behavior could easily be confused with fatigue and travel tension.
Her mannerisms told him she believed the story.
“You must be exhausted! Come in, I’ll call your
dad.” She stepped back into the entryway and held the door for him, gesturing
for him to follow.
Gryff’s throat clenched. He wasn’t ready for that
yet. “It’s okay, Mom. You don’t have to do that… it can be a surprise for when
he gets home,” he said almost too quickly.
“Oh, he’s not working today. He’s in the study.
You know he’ll be thrilled to see you!” Her laugh was genuine, innocent. Gryff
had no doubt she knew nothing of his situation. The thought of facing his
father though — that was still a frightening prospect. He felt vulnerable and
unable to defend his position. And Gem all alone.
The thought plagued him. He couldn’t leave her out
there.
He glanced over his shoulder again toward the
parked car, then back to his mother. “Just a sec, Mom. I have someone with me… in
the car.”
“What? You brought someone home? A girl? Dare I
hope?” A wide grin broke across her lips, and she followed him down the
walkway.
As they rounded the corner of the house to the
driveway, Gryff saw him. His father stood holding the door to the passenger
side open, offering his hand to help Gem out. Gryff stopped in his tracks and
stared at the pair of them. Gem’s eyes were wide with fear, though she had
taken the man’s hand and was stepping out of the vehicle.
“And who is this young lady, son?” His father’s gaze bore into him, and the foreboding smirk,
coupled with the inflection of the final word, made Gryff’s heart plummet into
his shoes. He glowered back at his father. And Gryff knew — they both knew.
The icy adrenaline vibrated through him. Would his
father do something right here? In the open? Gryff stared down his father as he
assessed the man’s intentions.
Robert glared back at him with a hint of
amusement. And Gryff watched in horror as the man’s hand tightened around Gem’s
arm ever so slightly, and he pulled her closer to his side.
“I see this son of mine has lost his manners. I’m
Robert. And no matter what he’s told you about me, I’m as gentle as a lamb.
Just ask my wife.” He swept a hand toward Gryff’s mother. “This is Cary.” He
glanced back to Gryff, shooting daggers that no one else seemed to notice.
“Aaron, aren’t you going to introduce your little
friend?” his mother asked.
Gryff shook his head as if to rid his mind of
anxiety. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” He stepped toward Gem and reached for her
hand, thinking to rescue her from his father. “Mom, Dad, this is Gem.”
Cary stepped between Gryff and Gem, blocking him
from taking her arm. She lifted a hand to shake Gem’s. Gem looked at Cary’s
outstretched hand in confusion and then glanced toward Gryff. He nodded and
lifted his hand in demonstration, so she would know what to do.
The light of understanding glittered in her eyes,
and she took the woman’s hand and pumped it twice hard. Surprise registered in
his mother’s eyes with a hint of amusement. “It’s lovely to meet you, Gem. That’s
a beautiful name. Gem — like a
precious jewel,” she said with an accepting smile.
Gryff kept his gaze trained on his father.
“May I escort you inside, Gem?” Robert asked,
casting a nonchalant look at Gryff.
Anger bubbled in his gut, and he turned sideways
to allow the two to pass in front of him on the walkway. He knew his father
wouldn’t do anything now. And not with Mom hovering over Gem like a doting
mother hen.
“I’ll get our stuff,” he muttered and turned back
to the car as they disappeared around the corner.
Cover Blurb:
Gryff’s orders lay unopened on the table.
The silent tension caused Gem to bite her lip. She
tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear and shifted uneasily in the
chair. Wide-eyed, Gryff sat stiffly beside her, regarding the envelope. He was
like a statue — hands on his knees — staring interminably at the table.
Finally, Gem cleared her throat. Gryff jolted as
if in a daze and turned to her. A look of uncertainty hung in his eyes. She
swallowed the dry, sticky taste in her mouth and reached for his hand. It felt
cold… clammy. Gem could feel the faint tremor of his fear radiating through his
fingers. She took Gryff’s hand between her own and squeezed, trying to infuse
heat and reassurance at the same time.
“Sometimes they come back,” Gem’s voice was barely
a whisper. It was a feeble attempt, but she was grasping at straws here.
Everyone knows.
They
don’t come back. Never whole, anyway.
