word out, Lucky had snatched the watch with such force that Ashley reeled backward.
âWhat is it with you Landons?â Lucky raged, staring at the watch and then quickly buckling it onto her wrist. âI donât mean you, Jack, but everyone else in this family, especially your sisterââ
âWait a second,â Jack broke in. âShe didnât mean anything. Your watch was making some kind of noise, and she wanted to show me, thatâs all.â
Again, Luckyâs face seemed to run through, in split-second succession, a dozen different expressions before she looked up, her eyes filling with tears. She seemed anguished. Pathetic.
âAshley, why do you hate me so much?â she asked. âWhat did I ever do to you?â
âI donât hate you,â Ashley protested.
Tears began to run freely down Luckyâs cheeks. With the palms of her hands, she rubbed them away, leaving fist-size red marks on her skin. âYou know, I never had a little sister. I never had anyone in my life that I could really be close to! And when I met you and we sat talking in the living room, I thought you were so cool. I thought we could be special friends. But youâve hated me from the start, and I donât even know why.â
Vehemently, Ashley declared, âThatâs not true!â
âYes, it is. First you accused me of stealing from the burn area, then you went through my duffel bag, trying to find whatever it is you thought I stoleâoh yeah, I know about it. Your mom really raked me over the coals on that one. Thanks to you Iâll have to deal with Ms. Lopez about that credit card number, even though I told your folks itâs only a number game I play to see how good my memory is. Why didnât you just ask me about it, Ashley? I would have told you.â
Ashleyâs cheeks flamed.
âAnd now you break into the bathroom and take my watch!â
Keeping her voice even, Ashley explained, âI just went in to brush my teeth, and your watch was making this weird sound, so I picked it up.â
âI was scared to death when I looked for it and it wasnât there. Youâ¦you took something really precious. This watch is the only thing I have left fromâ¦my mom.â Luckyâs head drooped, as if in painful remembrance. She took a breath. âMy mother gave it to me right before she died.â
Ashley crossed her arms over her chest.
âI know Iâm overreacting, but itâs all Iâve got of my mother. Iâ¦I guess Iâm too emotionalâ¦.â
âItâs OKââ Jack began. He tried to reach out, but Lucky gently shook his hand off her arm.
âIâm sorry, but right now, I think I need to be alone. I need some space. Iâm going for a walk.â She went back to the bathroom to retrieve her jeans and a pair of sandals.
âYouâre leaving? You canât go out at night!â Ashley warned. âThereâs a crazy cougar out there!â
âIâm not afraid,â Lucky said coolly. âThe cougar attacks werenât anywhere around here. They were miles away on the other side of the park, your mother said.â Pulling on her jeans, Lucky slipped her feet into her sandals and quickly headed for the door. The nightshirt hung past the knees of her jeans, but she didnât seem to care.
âYouâre not allowed out alone unless my parents say itâs OK,â Ashley repeated. âAnd theyâre for sure going to say no because the cougarââ
âWould you stop with the cougar? Iâve handled worse things in my life than a big cat.â Luckyâs voice turned flinty. âAs far as getting your parentsâ permission, well, theyâre not here to give it to me, are they? If they come before I get back, you tell them itâs your fault that I had to go.â
âLeave it alone, Ashley. Iâll walk with her,â Jack said.
Her face