Read Online Between Darkness and Daylight by Gracie C. Mckeever - Free Book Online
Authors: Gracie C. Mckeever
Tags: Siren Publishing, Inc.
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through the dog's collar as if it were already old hat and pulled him away. "C'mon Yo-Yo. He's had enough already."
Zane got to one knee, panting, and gave Ransom and the dog what he hoped was his best evil eye. He dusted off his jeans as he stood and walked over to them.
"I didn't know, Ran."
"How could you not?"
Between Darkness and Daylight
49
"It's not like she told me where she lived. The area's pretty big, I just assumed it was another house, not Sa—not your mother's. I mean, what are the chances?"
"Yeah, right. What are they?"
"Please, let's not ruin a good day."
"A good day? I'd hate to see what a bad day is."
"Ran…" Zane sighed and closed his eyes. He opened them to see his nephew staring at him, unmoving. "Please Ransom."
"I'm not going to be comfortable going into that house now."
"You won't be alone."
They stood silently for several moments, staring at each other, before Yo-Yo barked two times in quick succession, breaking the silence.
"See, even Yo-Yo wants you to come."
Ransom released a grudging laugh and bent to scratch the dog behind the ears.
Zane put an arm around his nephew's shoulder, pulling him close to his side and kissing the top of his head. "I'm sorry you found out this way. I'm sorry we both did," he whispered.
* * * *
Nova sat on the front steps of her house, idly swinging her car keys in her hand as they made it back to the house. She stood, came down the steps, and met Zane halfway across her front lawn. "Everything okay?"
He looked at Ransom, pulled him close again. "Everything's fine."
"Well, I guess we should get started then."
Silently she led the way into the house and it was like coming home for Zane. Sometimes he and Sinny had spent as much time out at Sage's as they did at their own loft in the city. She always used to tease them about buying a house in Newburgh so they could all be one big happy family.
She'd even been ready to vouch for him at the private school where she worked, but he didn't think the kids in Orange County needed his services as urgently as the kids did in the city, though this was just his own personal take.
Nova took off her boots and stowed them on a rack behind the front door. Zane and Ransom followed suit.
50
Gracie C. McKeever
"Here, let me get those." They each turned over their coats so that she could hang them in the living room closet. "Just hang on a moment and I'll give you the grand to—"
"That's okay. I know where everything is," Ransom muttered over a shoulder, already halfway down the stairs.
Nova glanced at Zane, arching a brow. "Where's his mother now?"
"She passed away a little more than a year ago. Breast cancer."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't. How could you?" He stared at her, wondering why she looked so guilty, as if the beginning of the day had been her fault.
As if she were somehow responsible for Sage's death. "What made you buy this house? It's pretty big for one person."
"Don't forget Yo-Yo."
"I said person."
"So you did." Nova took him by an arm and led him into the kitchen.
Zane had to remind himself why he and Ransom were there, had to remind himself that there was a minor in the house, because the lust zinging through his body when Nova took his arm in hers made him want to do XXX-rated things to her body that no thirteen-year-old should be exposed to. He bit back a groan as he took a seat on one of the barstools at the kitchen island, running his hand over the smooth blond wood and trying to immerse himself in the G-rated memories of many late-morning breakfasts and lunches at his sister's after mowing her lawn or working on her car in the driveway.
Nova came to the counter with two cups of coffee and handed him one, shivering when his fingers brushed hers, then took a seat opposite him and sipped from her cup.
"So, why this house?"
"Don't know." She shrugged, seeming shaken as she focused her eyes on him. "Something about it just felt right. The area, the…" She
Zane got to one knee, panting, and gave Ransom and the dog what he hoped was his best evil eye. He dusted off his jeans as he stood and walked over to them.
"I didn't know, Ran."
"How could you not?"
Between Darkness and Daylight
49
"It's not like she told me where she lived. The area's pretty big, I just assumed it was another house, not Sa—not your mother's. I mean, what are the chances?"
"Yeah, right. What are they?"
"Please, let's not ruin a good day."
"A good day? I'd hate to see what a bad day is."
"Ran…" Zane sighed and closed his eyes. He opened them to see his nephew staring at him, unmoving. "Please Ransom."
"I'm not going to be comfortable going into that house now."
"You won't be alone."
They stood silently for several moments, staring at each other, before Yo-Yo barked two times in quick succession, breaking the silence.
"See, even Yo-Yo wants you to come."
Ransom released a grudging laugh and bent to scratch the dog behind the ears.
Zane put an arm around his nephew's shoulder, pulling him close to his side and kissing the top of his head. "I'm sorry you found out this way. I'm sorry we both did," he whispered.
* * * *
Nova sat on the front steps of her house, idly swinging her car keys in her hand as they made it back to the house. She stood, came down the steps, and met Zane halfway across her front lawn. "Everything okay?"
He looked at Ransom, pulled him close again. "Everything's fine."
"Well, I guess we should get started then."
Silently she led the way into the house and it was like coming home for Zane. Sometimes he and Sinny had spent as much time out at Sage's as they did at their own loft in the city. She always used to tease them about buying a house in Newburgh so they could all be one big happy family.
She'd even been ready to vouch for him at the private school where she worked, but he didn't think the kids in Orange County needed his services as urgently as the kids did in the city, though this was just his own personal take.
Nova took off her boots and stowed them on a rack behind the front door. Zane and Ransom followed suit.
50
Gracie C. McKeever
"Here, let me get those." They each turned over their coats so that she could hang them in the living room closet. "Just hang on a moment and I'll give you the grand to—"
"That's okay. I know where everything is," Ransom muttered over a shoulder, already halfway down the stairs.
Nova glanced at Zane, arching a brow. "Where's his mother now?"
"She passed away a little more than a year ago. Breast cancer."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't. How could you?" He stared at her, wondering why she looked so guilty, as if the beginning of the day had been her fault.
As if she were somehow responsible for Sage's death. "What made you buy this house? It's pretty big for one person."
"Don't forget Yo-Yo."
"I said person."
"So you did." Nova took him by an arm and led him into the kitchen.
Zane had to remind himself why he and Ransom were there, had to remind himself that there was a minor in the house, because the lust zinging through his body when Nova took his arm in hers made him want to do XXX-rated things to her body that no thirteen-year-old should be exposed to. He bit back a groan as he took a seat on one of the barstools at the kitchen island, running his hand over the smooth blond wood and trying to immerse himself in the G-rated memories of many late-morning breakfasts and lunches at his sister's after mowing her lawn or working on her car in the driveway.
Nova came to the counter with two cups of coffee and handed him one, shivering when his fingers brushed hers, then took a seat opposite him and sipped from her cup.
"So, why this house?"
"Don't know." She shrugged, seeming shaken as she focused her eyes on him. "Something about it just felt right. The area, the…" She
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