Free Cricket Cove by T. L. Haddix Page A

a little pink, and then he snickered. “Must be staying up until all hours playing board games.”
    “I’m sure that’s it.”
    He finished the application and handed it to the lady behind the desk. They continued talking about trivial things while Amelia checked out.
    “How’s Sydney taking the transition?” she asked as they walked toward the parking lot. “I’ve not made it to the farm yet.”
    “She’s good. I went up last night and went for a run,” he admitted in a low voice.
    His candor surprised her. When he’d found out months ago that Archer had shared the family secret with the Campbells, he’d been very unhappy. “You mean you shifted and went for a run?”
    “Yeah. And I stopped back by the house and let her see me as the cat. She went nuts.”
    Amelia was torn between amusement and the uncomfortable sensation of being jealous of her niece. “So did she get to pet your belly?”
    He huffed out a sigh but his lips were twitching. “She did.”
    “And?”
    “And what?”
    “Did you purr?” She threw the question at him over her shoulder.
    He stopped walking and gave a short bark of laughter. “Why am I not surprised that you asked that?”
    “You started this conversation.” Amelia turned to face him. When he didn’t answer, she gave him an innocent smile and waited. He finally caved.
    “Yes, I purred. It tickled like hell and I coughed for about five minutes when I first started, but I got the hang of it. Satisfied?”
    She nodded. “I’ll bet it made her week.”
    “The kid was pretty happy.”
    They went the rest of the way to her car and she unlocked the door, then set her books inside. “I guess I’ll head out. I’ve got a ton of things to catch up on now that I’m not planning a wedding.”
    He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked across the parking lot. “Do you maybe want to get a bite to eat?”
    Amelia narrowed her eyes at him, her fingers tapping on the roof of her car as she tried to figure out what his motive was. “You must be bored out of your mind if you’re volunteering to spend time with me, of all people. Why don’t you give Rachel a call? She’s more your type.”
    His mouth tightened with annoyance and he gave a brief shake of his head. “I should have known you’d have a smart-ass response. Forget I asked.”
    “Glad to. See you Sunday.” Without waiting for his response, she got in the car and started it. He stood there for a moment before stalking off toward his SUV, parked a row over from where she was.
    Amelia swallowed back her anger and disappointment. She wanted to chase after him and tell him exactly what she thought of him. That she didn’t appreciate his blowing hot then cold, switching from pleasant and friendly to cold and distant as though flipping a switch.
    “I guess he could say the same about me,” she said as she pulled out on the street and headed toward home, thinking about how nice the few minutes they’d just spent together had been. “But I know how he really feels. I know he’s two-faced. He probably thinks I’m just being my fickle self.”
    Determined to put Logan out of her mind, at least for now, she focused on the joy of being home after having spent time away. It was the only thing she could do right now.

Chapter Nine

    W hen Archer first told him about the annual Christmas party, Logan tried to get out of going. Despite his protests, he knew that wasn’t really an option. Part of being involved with a big, close-knit family included socializing.
    Oh, if he’d truly not felt up to going he wouldn’t have had to. But just feeling the need to be alone didn’t qualify as a good enough reason to skip the soiree. So he went. The weather had turned colder, and the air was starting to feel like Christmas. Owen met him at the door and welcomed him in. For a minute, Logan just blinked at him, fighting a smile.
    “Nice hat.”
    Owen patted the Santa hat he wore, not the least bit embarrassed. “Thanks. We were