Free First Kiss by Tara Brown Page A

Tim,
my son.”
    I smile, “Hi. I’m Erralynn Lake.”
    None of them bat an eyelash, they are
clearly not from here. The name Lake doesn’t make them uneasy. They seem more
surprised I am here. It makes me uncomfortable, and I can’t help but wonder if
I have been lured here. I am ready to run when she steps aside, welcoming me to
the house. Lance nods at Tim, “Come help with the things I bought; I have them
in the back. We have to hurry before it gets dark.”
    They all seem normal, weirdly normal.
    Tim bounds to the black car with him. Heidi laughs, walking inside,
guiding me in too. She seems friendly. The mansion is dark and frightening. It
doesn’t look like anyone lives here, and yet, they are. I glance around at it
all, taking it in. I have no memories of the house, inside. I remember the
outside only. We had come when I was a small girl and walked the grounds. My
mother had seemed to be looking for something. She never spoke much about it
and Mary refused to come here at all. I do a slow circle, crunching the leaves
on the floor under my feet. “How long have you been here?”
    “Er . . . uhm, we just arrived. He inherited it a few months
ago.” She sighs, “We are in the process of moving everything in and cleaning.
It’s a terrible mess.”
    “I can see that.” The leaves from the winter are scattered
around on the floor and everything has cobwebs and filth. “So where do I
start?”
    She points to the stairs, “If you go upstairs, Alex will show
you to your room and get you outfitted in a uniform.”
    I give her a look, “Uniform? We have to wear that?”
    She nods, blushing slightly, “We do.” If I had to guess, I
would say she is around the same age as Lance. She has grey hair that’s pulled
up into a proper French bun and laugh lines around her eyes. She looks like a
pleasant person, someone who is always sweet. Like Lune’s mom. Someone who has
joy in their life, like she smiles a lot. I trust her
and I have no idea why. I stifle a yawn and glance back at the door.
    “You look beat. Are you all right?”
    I nod at her, “I am pretty tired.” I want to just tell her
everything that has happened, but I don’t even know where to start. My brain
starts at hundreds of years ago . . .
    “Just so you know, I let everyone pick a meal each week. I bet
I can guess yours. You look like a roast hen sort of girl to me.”
    I scowl, “Hen? Oh, you mean chicken—yes. That’s my
favorite.”
    She smiles, “I knew. What other kinds of food do you like to
eat?”
    I shrug, “Everything, I guess.” It is the benefit of having a
rotten childhood—you are beaten down so badly, you will eat anything that
is served to you. Except liver, I still hate liver.
    She chuckles, “Take a nap and when you’re ready, come down and
help. No use in working if you’re falling asleep.”
    I don’t even know why I agree—why I don’t run from the
house. Why did I even take the job in the first place? I just nod, "I
think a nap is a good idea. I am exhausted." I don’t know where it came
from, but I am.
    "Just go up the stairs with Alex and let him show you to
a bed."
    As if in a trance, I turn and glance at the stairs to see a
guy about my age. I have no reaction to him. My exhaustion is getting worse and
the guy looks about as impressed as I feel. He has dark hair and very tanned
skin. He looks rugged and strong and vaguely familiar. He doesn’t smile. He
gives me an annoyed look actually, like helping me to my room is a burden. He
nods, “Let’s go.”
    Heidi calls after him, “Thank you!”
    He ignores her and turns and walks to the right at the top of
the stairs. I climb the massive set of stairs and follow him right. The wind is
there, pushing me and the dry leaves to the right . It
doesn’t want me to go left.
    I turn and follow him down the dimly-lit hallway. A smell assaults my nose. I cringe, “What is that?”
    He glances back, “Pack rat, they found it in the walls. Killed
it this