Page 57 of Out to Get Her
“What in the world was that about? Addie came in here full-blown grinning. And not a cat-that-ate-the-canary kind of grin. She looked…happy. What did you do to her?”
“Nothing,” Erin whispered. She looped her arm around Zach’s and pulled him toward the pews. “I’ll tell you later.”
The little church was packed, but Erin spotted a friendly face waving at her near the wall. She dragged Zach with her down the side by the small stained glass windows to the second pew from the rear. Trey scooted so they could sit on the end.
“Do I want to ask how things are going with you?”
She shrugged. “Probably not.”
“Figured.” Trey leaned forward to nod at Zach. “Hey.”
Zach waved and gave an awkward smile across Erin in response.
She looked around the church, sizing up everyone. Making a mental note of who she recognized and remembered and which faces were a complete mystery. She also made note of where people were sitting. Context was everything.
She whispered to Trey, “Which one is that Keller cousin you said was in trouble a lot?”
It was the one lead she hadn’t checked up on yet.
He pointed up front. “Third row left. With the rest of them.”
And there they were, a whole pew of Kellers. Erin didn’t see the head Keller in charge, Samantha’s mother, but she did see Samantha’s sister, Melanie, and a man she assumed was the sister’s husband. Then the brother, Charles or Chad or Chuck. Something like that. She remembered him being in all the nerdy clubs their tiny high school had. He’d gone off to college, and she had no idea why he ever came back to this place.
At the very end of the pew was a young man with ratty blond hair who looked like he’d just woken up and had been dragged out here by one of them. Between the ratty cousin and the preppy brother, a familiar face with a slick dark ponytail turned and fired a friendly warning gaze at the back of the church. Directly at Erin.
The priest passed the Kellers’ pew and walked up to the altar, so Samantha returned her attention to the front of the church. But Erin kept her eyes on the woman she’d just been told by Addie might have a thing for her. More than a buzzed self-destructive kiss like Erin had come to assume was at the root of what happened the other night.
That look proved Addie was making up nonsense theories again. As usual.
“Ooh, you’re in troooouuuuble,” Zach whispered beside her.
For the first time in her life, Erin prayed for a long service.
ChapterNineteen
With Trey and Zach flanking,Erin filed out of the church. They were accompanied by the town’s entire population. Every business down Main Street must have closed for the funeral.
What would this place do if someone who they’d actually liked died? Would they shut down the whole town for a solid week?
Her heart clenched, realizing she could have had the answer to those exact questions if she’d come home after Grandpa died.
Home.
Was she calling it that again?
When they stepped away from the crowd and into the open parking lot, a hard gust hit, sending her hair flying in Trey’s face. “I swear that wind picked up while we were in there.”
Zach nodded in agreement. “Need to secure some things around both our houses. Ready to head out?”
Erin debated running off with Zach before the tall, obviously annoyed but still stunning brunette headed their way reached them. Erin might be short, but she could sprint to Zach’s truck in a hurry.
“I probably need to deal with this first.”
“Want me to give you a ride?” Trey asked. “Office is shut down for the day, so I can hang around and drop you off when you’re ready to go.”
“Thanks. That would be great, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
