Page 42 of Cruel Tides

“Why did you leave the car?” I mouthed, and Kai was the only one to stop in his tracks, confused.

“What?” he mouthed back. “You were waving your arms like this.” His voice rose to a whisper-scream as his hands started flailing wildly like he was impersonating a monkey. It was enough to revive the blush on my face.

I hadnotlooked like that.

“Told you.” Leander gave Barren a nudge that bounced off him like it was nothing. “You should have read her mind to see if that was our signal.”

Wait,what?

“Read… my mind?” I repeated, and Barren’s expression turned brittle, his shoulders somehow bunching even tighter than his jaw.

Knowing it wasn’t likely that Barren would elaborate, I turned to Leander as soon as he reached the bottom stair of the porch. “What do you mean by that?”

He shot Barren a sidelong glance before shrugging like it was nothing. “He’s good at reading people. That’s all.”

I was about to press him with an ‘oh, really?’when Gram’s hand tightened on my shoulder. Her eyes had gone wider than dinner plates. “You disappear for days only to reappear crawling out of the backseat of a car with this… thisboy band?”

Whoa,what? I looked around, searching for whatever had put that idea in her head. “Th-they’re not a boy band, Gram.”

Then Barren’s deep voice supplied, “I’m the drummer,” not even missing a beat, and I thought my brain might actually explode.

“Barren,” I gasped, swiveling around to gawk at him like he had uttered some unthinkable curse. I had to fight the urge to borrow the end of Gram’s shawl to swat some sense at him. What was happening here? I would have expected a wisecrack like that from Leander, sure. But fromBarren?

Gram’s eyes slid to Barren’s missing arm and narrowed. “Is that right?” she questioned with a hum.

His mouth was straight and firm when he nodded without a hint of sarcasm on his face.

Poseidon’s balls—these guys were going to be the death of me.

I took a step between everyone, hoping to shield my guys from Gram’s watchful eyes. “Really, Gram, they’renotin a band.”

“I’ve seen the magazines, Claira,” she clucked, her hands on her hips again. “This one looks like he should be covered in piercings.” She pointed a finger aimed at Kai’s ears that had him startling back a step.

“Piercings?” Kai must have thought she was pointing at his head because he swiped a nervous hand through his lavender hair before his face lit with understanding. “Oh!” he piped up. “I did have my back pierced recently!”

Gram’s jaw almost hit the floor. “Yourback?” She looked absolutely appalled and turned that energy into a disapproving look she aimed right at me.

“What?Wait—no,” I stuttered, shaking my head and pushing between them in panic. “He didn’t—he didn’t mean that like you think he meant it.”

How was I supposed to explain that he’d taken a spear to his back, not a piercing? A spear was even worse, wasn’t it? I was so panicked I wasn’t even sure anymore.

Gram let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Well, y’all better come on inside before you catch your death. Or before Claira starts having more of a fit.” She stepped to the front door, easing it open.

“Really? You’ll let them come in?” I blinked at her, awestruck. I’d expected her to shoo them back to the car. She gave me a nod that I returned with a smile. “Thanks, Gram,” I said, relieved. She wouldn’t risk starting a fight inside the house. At least, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t. She was almost as fond of her rugs as I was of the shaggy pink one I kept in my bedroom.

A wall of heat hit me when I stepped inside, followed by the hearty smell of meat and vegetables cooking. My eyes fell on the kitchen counter where a shiny new slow cooker sat, glossy with stainless steel accents. It was at least double the size of her old one.

“It’s nice, eh?” Gram said with a wink. “The last one was getting a little long in the tooth, anyway.”

“These shells are lovely,” Barren said, making me turn around to him and the other guys. He was looking at the shadow boxes full of seashells set up on the wall beside the front door. I was surprised he’d spoken up, just as he did on the porch when he claimed to be a drummer, of all things.

“Why thank you, drummer boy.” I crossed my arms over my chest. The corner of Barren’s mouth barely twitched into an almost imperceptible smirk that I found myself returning. “I made the box you’re looking at. Dad made this one, and then Gram’s box is over here.” His eyes moved along the boxes as I pointed each one out.

Leander leaned in, giving Gram’s box an appreciative look. “Your giant cockle is beautiful,” he called out to her across the room, gesturing to the big brown and tan striped shell set in the center of her box. He gave me a smug smile like he was waiting for the same praise I’d given Barren.

Poseidon, help me. This was going to be an interesting night.

“And where did you learn your manners?” Gram called to Leander from the kitchen, a hand firmly placed on her hip. “I don’t know where you come from, young man, but here in the south, it’s considered impolite to comment on a lady’scockle.” Despite her scolding tone, there was also humor there. “At least not before you buy her a drink first,” she added with a wink.

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