Page 403 of Lodestar

“…I think it would be a great idea, Star.”

“Not yet. It’s too soon.”

“How is it too soon? Charities don’t just pop into existence overnight,” Rachel retorted. “It takes time and planning to organize this kind of foundation.”

“I don’t want to cause extra work for you. Not now that you’ve got Sommer.”

“I’ve got Sommer, yes, and having a baby is tough with my job, but Rex has stepped up like crazy and I have two assistants and I can always hire more if need be.

"This is important to all of us, Star, not just you. But I wanted you to be on board. Hell, ontheboard. If anyone should be, it’s you, Alessa, and Amara.”

Star choked, “Amara? You want her on a charity board?”

“Why not? Sure, she’s deranged, but have you seen her offload all the animals that follow Quin around? She’s the perfect kind of person to ask for money?—”

“From fancy socialites?”

“Sure. She’ll get cash off them and they’ll leave the party full of salad leaves and with a cat or dog—whichever she has a surplus of hanging around the clubhouse.”

Kat appeared in front of me like one of the moles in a whack-a-mole game. I jolted in surprise then ducked out of the way when the hairbrush she was brandishing in her hand almost collided with my nose.

Grabbing it before she could inadvertently grace me with a second concussion on Sinners’ territory, I asked, “You okay with kneeling on the ground?”

She hitched a shoulder but had dropped to the carpeted floor before she finished saying, “Sure!”

With one ear on Katina’s chatter about how many cats Amara had now, and then Rachel and Star’s discussion about the charity, my focus switching between themandthe YouTube video, I was amazed when, after thirty minutes, there was something resembling a braid on her head.

Some of the pleats were a little loose so, knowing partly what I was supposed to do now, I untucked the braid and set to doing a better job than with my first attempt.

“What are they talking about?”

With the thin brush between my teeth, and the odd silver stick that acted as a handle dangling out of my mouth, I mumbled, “Rachel wants Star to help her with a charity.”

“What kind of charity?”

“To help people like her.”

“Why does she need help?”

My lips twitched. “She doesn’t now. But she did.”

“Star’s awesome.”

“She is.”

“How awesome?”

“Very awesome.”

“Do you like us living with you?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“Star told you that already.”

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