Free Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 by Tonya Royston Page B

you?” I laughed softly. “Sorry. Most of the kids at school can’t wait to move away. And you’re probably close to our age. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to move here.” Except that I don’t want to leave, I added to myself, realizing the irony. All of my classmates couldn’t wait to go to college somewhere far away, and I dreaded the day I would have to. But it was only because of Dakota.
    “Don’t think I’ve completely lost my mind. I’m writing a novel. I needed a little space and quiet time.”
    “You’ll get lots of that here. What’s it about?”
    He looked away, scanning the trees at the edge of the yard. “It’s kind of hard to explain. It’s horror, like a Stephen King novel. I figured he lives in Maine and all his stories are set there, so when I found this job, I decided to take it right away.”
    “So you’re the next Stephen King. Remind me to get an autograph so I can say I knew you when,” I said.
    “Nope. No autographs, at least not until I publish my first book. I don’t believe in jumping the gun like that.”
    I nodded. “I guess I can’t argue with that. Is your story set around here?”
    He had just opened his mouth to respond when I smelled something burning. I glanced over at the grill to see smoke billowing out from under the cover. Noah also noticed it and immediately jumped to his feet. He rushed over and opened it, ducking as smoke burst out at him. Once the air had cleared, he straightened and flipped the burgers. “Looks like they’re a little on the well-done side, but I think they can be saved,” he said as he glanced at me with a hint of mischief in his eyes. “It’s a good thing, too. The last thing I need is to have to tell your dad I ruined our dinner because you were distracting me too much.”
    I smiled as I rose to my feet and walked over to him. “Then I guess we won’t tell him.”
    “Tell me what?” My father emerged from the back door with a tray of buns and condiments.
    “That I never should have been trusted to watch the grill,” Noah said smoothly, not missing a beat. “Sorry, sir, but I guess I lost track of time.”
    My father set his tray on the table and approached the grill. “They don’t look too bad. Well-done, maybe.” He flipped the burgers as though he had done it hundreds of times. Then he focused on me. “Laken, you’ll need to run in and grab a veggie burger or two. It’s about time to get those started. I forgot to get them when I was in the kitchen.”
    “Okay.” I cast a shy glance at Noah as I headed toward the back door. He smiled softly, as if we shared a secret that my father was completely unaware of. I smiled back for just a second before I turned and reached for the door handle.
    As I stepped inside the house, I heard my father say, “Ever work a grill before? There’s nothing better than an outside barbeque around here in the summer.”
    His voice faded as I shut the door behind me. I took a deep breath as I leaned my back against it. I could only imagine the goofy smile that was plastered on my face. At least my mother was nowhere in sight to see it. Get a hold of yourself, I thought. He’s so cute and so nice. How did this happen? Nothing this exciting ever happens around here! But Mom and Dad are having this dinner, so take it easy. It’s no big deal. Even as I told myself that, I knew I would be nervous for the rest of the night. I wasn’t sure how, but I needed to pull myself together and act like our dinner guest was nothing more than one of my parents’ boring friends who had eaten dinner with us on many occasions.
    My thoughts were interrupted when my mother appeared from around the corner, her blue jeans and knit shirt exchanged for khaki capris and a white blouse. She grabbed the wooden salad bowl to carry it outside. “Are we almost ready?”
    I nodded. “Dad just sent me in here to get my veggie burger.” I passed her as I walked across the kitchen and opened the freezer to look for the