Until... | Book 3 | Until The End, стр. 43
“I’m right up here,” Ricky said.
“Down this road?”
“Uh, yeah, but you can let me off here. The road is muddy and torn up right now. I’ll just…”
When he took off his seatbelt she shrugged and pulled over.
“Thanks so much for the ride. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Take care,” she said.
Bethany pulled away as soon as he shut the door. Ricky stood there, waving until she was over the hill. He started walking, wondering why he had been so eager to get out of the car. It was still another mile to his parents’ house and the wind was cutting right through his jacket. Ricky hunched his shoulders and ducked his head, walking as fast as he could.
Twelve: Amber
Amber woke up and thought she was still asleep and dreaming. The blankets weighed heavy on her and the room was cool except for the pocket of warm air around her. Way in the distance, she heard activity downstairs against background noise that could have been a radio or a television. There was a soft glow coming through the windows from a cloudy sky. She couldn’t tell if the light was the last of the sun or maybe a rising moon. It didn’t matter for some reason. Even if it was after dark, she felt perfectly safe in a bed that was so soft that it felt like it was trying to swallow her.
There were feet on the stairs and then a thump much closer. When the tags jingled, she remembered the dog that had followed her into the guest room and taken a spot on a small rug near the foot of the bed. Amber hadn’t even considered chasing Tucker out of the room. It was clearly more his house than hers and she didn’t mind a four-legged protector.
There was a low knock on the door and she heard Tucker stand up and make his way in that direction.
“Yes?” she called.
It was Ricky’s voice that answered. “You mind if I let Tucker out? It’s his dinner time.”
“Of course.”
The door cracked open and soft yellow light spilled in from the hall.
“Sleep as long as you like, but there’s dinner downstairs for you too. Unless you want to go out.”
Amber could smell the food already. It smelled like Thanksgiving.
“I’ll be right down.”
Tucker left her and Amber waited a few seconds before slipping out from under the heavy blankets. The cool air felt good. She tidied the bed up and changed into fresh clothes.
They were all together in the kitchen. Amber had met each one of them separately. Vernon she knew only from following his car. He had introduced his wife from a distance, launching Amber off to meet Mary on her own at the door.
“I just need ten minutes to finish up before everything sets,” Mary had said that morning, gesturing to a kitchen full of glass jars that seemed to cover every surface. “I only get one shot at this candle wax and it was already soft when Vernon called, so I couldn’t break off.”
“No worries,” Amber said. “I’m not in any rush. I really appreciate your hospitality.”
While Mary had worked, pouring wax and setting wicks, Amber had nearly nodded off at the kitchen table.
As Amber came into the kitchen again after her nap, the room was transformed. All the candles were gone and instead of pots of bubbling wax, she saw potatoes, squash, peas, and something that could have been a thick stew.
“Roast beef in sauce is back right. The rest is vegetarian,” Mary said. “Grab a plate and help yourself.”
“Thank you,” Amber said with a smile.
Ricky slid over and arranged Tucker between his own feet to make room for Amber.
“You sleep okay?” Vernon asked.
“Like the dead,” Amber said. She regretted the response as soon as it was out of her mouth. It was something that Evelyn always said. It wasn’t the type of thing one said in polite company.
Vernon laughed and Amber felt her tension melt away.
“You live in North Carolina?” Mary asked.
“I guess,” Amber said. “Honestly, I’ve been bouncing around. Now that my cousin… I guess I don’t know where I’m going to land. I was thinking it might be time to try a big change. Maybe Australia.”
“What’s wrong with Maine?” Vernon asked.
“She tried that, Dad,” Ricky said. “Maine wasn’t exactly welcoming.”
“Actually,” Amber said, “I liked it a lot. Even with the…” She realized that she didn’t know how much Ricky had told his parents about what had happened at the wedding. Fortunately, he finished her sentence.
“Killer vampires coming out of the woods to try to hunt you down?” Ricky asked.
Amber frowned and nodded.
“Killer vampires?” Mary asked. “Are there different types of vampires around who aren’t killers?”
“It just sounds better,” Ricky said with a shrug.
Mary pointed her fork at her son.
“It’s funny here at the table, but you remember what I told you.”
Amber turned to look at Ricky, who was studying the food on his plate.
“Well?” Vernon asked. “What did you tell him? Was it a secret?”
Ricky cleared his throat and then said, “Mom said that it’s easy to risk your life but much harder to find something worth risking your life for.”
Vernon cut his eyes between his wife and son and then looked to Amber. He seemed just as confused as she felt.
Under the table, Tucker barked.
A moment later, the door rattled and a young man came in.
“What’s for dinner?”
# # #
Amber decided it must be George, Ricky’s little brother, just before they were introduced. He insisted that Amber keep her seat and pulled up a chair from around the corner before he went off to put together his plate.
“Your roommate kick you out again?” Mary asked.
“Yeah,” George said, laughing. He came to the table with a plate piled high. They slid glasses and plates around to make room for him at the