Read Online All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris - Free Book Online Page A

his pockets, and he looked more serious than I’d ever seen him. There was something strange about the sight, and after a second I figured out why.
    It was one of the few times I’d ever seen Hoyt alone.
    I took my brother’s arm, and Calvin again gripped Crystal’s. The priest stepped into the center of the circle, and the ceremony began. Though I tried hard to look happy for Jason, I had a difficult time holding back my tears while my brother became the bridegroom of a wild and willful girl who had been dangerous from birth.
    There was dancing afterward, and a wedding cake, and lots of alcohol. There was food galore, and consequently there were huge trash cans that filled up with paper plates, cans, and crumpled paper napkins. Some of the men had brought cases of beer and wine, and some had hard liquor, too. No one could say that Hotshot couldn’t throw a party.
    While a zydeco band from Monroe played, the crowd danced in the street. The music echoed across the fields in an eerie way. I shivered and wondered what was watching from the dark.
    “They’re good, aren’t they?” Jason asked. “The band?”
    “Yeah,” I said. He was flushed with happiness. His bride was dancing with one of her cousins.
    “That’s why we hurried this wedding up,” he said. “She found out she was pregnant, and we decided to go on and do it—just do it. And her favorite band was free for tonight.”
    I shook my head at my brother’s impulsiveness. Then I reminded myself to keep visible signs of disapproval at a minimum. The bride’s family might take issue.
    Quinn was a good dancer, though I had to show him some of the Cajun steps. All the Hotshot belles wanted a dance with Quinn, too, so I had a turn with Calvin, and Hoyt, and Catfish. Quinn was having a good time, I could tell, and on one level I was, too. But around two thirty a.m., we gave each other a little nod. He had to leave the next day, and I wanted to be alone with him. Plus, I was tired of smiling.
    As Quinn thanked Calvin for the wonderful evening, I watched Jason and Crystal dancing together, both apparently delighted with each other. I knew right from Jason’s brain that he was infatuated with the shifter girl, with the subculture that had formed her, with the newness of being a supernatural. I knew from Crystal’s brain that she was exultant. She’d been determined to marry someone that hadn’t grown up in Hotshot, someone who was exciting in bed, someone able to stand up to not only her but her extended family…and now she had.
    I made my way over to the happy couple and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek. Now Crystal was family, after all, and I would have to accept her as such and leave the two to work out their own life together. I gave Calvin a hug, too, and he held me for a second before releasing me and giving me a reassuring pat on the back. Catfish danced me around in a circle, and a drunken Hoyt took up where he’d left off. I had a hard time convincing the two that I really meant to leave, but finally Quinn and I began to make our way back to my car.
    As we wended through the edges of the crowd, I spotted Amelia dancing with one of her Hotshot beaux. They were both in high spirits, both literally and libation-wise. I called to Amelia that we were leaving, and she yelled, “I’ll get a ride with someone later!”
    Though I enjoyed seeing Amelia happy, it must have been Misgiving Night, because I worried about her a little. However, if anyone could take care of herself, it was Amelia.
    We were moving slow when we let ourselves into the house. I didn’t check out Quinn’s head, but mine was muzzy from the noise, the clamor of all the brains around me, and the extra surges of emotion. It had been a long day. Some of it had been excellent, though. As I recalled the very best parts, I caught myself smiling down at Bob. The big cat rubbed himself against my ankles, meowing in an inquiring kind of way.
    Oh, geez.
    I felt like I had to explain