Read Online Omega Moon Rising (Toke Lobo & The Pack) by MJ Compton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: MJ Compton
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did, and that was probably a good thing. “She remembered how . . . difficult everything was after Daddy died, and wanted to spare Libby and me.”
Abby led Libby as far away from Gary as the room permitted. Luke followed, almost as if standing guard. Restin made no secret of his intentions as he positioned himself between Luke and Gary. Pastor Shaw prayed, while Gary buried his face in his hands and sobbed for the benefit of his audience.
Libby’s shrieks overpowered Gary’s performance.
Abby couldn’t watch as Digger Sendall wheeled her mother from the house. No, not her mother. Just a body. An empty shell, like those at the seashore. Mr. Jeffers left, taking the hospital bed and other hospice equipment with him, followed by the pastor and Mrs. MacDougal. The house was empty of visitors. Finally.
Libby finally stopped sobbing.
“Start packing your things,” Abby told her. “We’re moving to Loup Garou.”
“But Gary said I’d have to do the cooking and cleaning here now that you’re not here anymore. And Uncle Dougie said he was looking forward to seeing more of me.”
“Gary is mistaken.” She didn’t mention Uncle Dougie, because there was no such person except in Libby’s imagination. Now that they were getting away from Gary, Libby could start taking the meds she needed. Gary had nixed those after only a year. She doesn’t need drugs, she needs discipline. As if discipline had worked before the formal ADHD diagnosis. Those months she’d been on Ritalin had been a window to the person Libby could have been had she not been bouncing like a pinball. She didn’t have to rely on imaginary friends.
“Don’t you want to live in Loup Garou?” Luke asked.
“You lied to Abby,” Libby snapped. “You told her you’d show her songs to Toke Lobo, but I’ll bet you didn’t.”
“Elizabeth is not going anywhere,” Gary said.
“Wrong.” Abby lifted her chin. “Mama named me Libby’s guardian. You have no say.”
Gary’s eyes narrowed. Gleamed between his lashes. “You’d better mind yourself,” he said in a low voice.
Before Abby could respond to Gary’s implied threat, Luke stepped forward. Every muscle in his body appeared tense. “No, she’d better start packing.”
Restin stepped closer to Luke. “Libby, start packing. You, too, Abigail.”
“Hey,” Libby said. “You’re Toke Lobo’s fiddle player. Do you live in Loup Garou?”
Restin nodded.
“Okay, I’ll live with you.” She started toward her bedroom at the back of the house.
“Get some garbage bags from the kitchen to put your things in,” Abby called after her. So sad that the minutia of their lives was reduced to trash.
“You girls don’t have anything I didn’t buy for you,” Gary said. He glanced at Restin, who stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his massive chest. “And if I were you, Abigail, I’d be real careful.”
“You don’t scare me. Not anymore.” Then why were her insides shivering like pudding in an earthquake? Gary could still hurt her. She prayed the past he’d forced on her never came to light.
Luke followed her down the hall to her tiny bedroom. He even helped stuff her clothes into a black plastic bag. “I remember this.” He held up the pink and lace dress she’d worn to the Moonsinger picnic. “You looked as pretty as a valentine.”
“Leave it,” she said. The garment was a summer dress, too lightweight for the current weather, and in a few more months, she wouldn’t be able to fit into it.
“I think you should wear it today when we get married. Unless you have a regular wedding gown stashed somewhere.”
Abby stopped packing her underclothes to gape at Luke. “What?”
He grinned. Dimples so deep a woman could drown in them framed his mouth and tunneled in his cheeks. “We’re getting married today. I know it’s a bad day for you, but we need to get married. Today. And I would love it if you would wear this dress. I have very fond memories of
Abby led Libby as far away from Gary as the room permitted. Luke followed, almost as if standing guard. Restin made no secret of his intentions as he positioned himself between Luke and Gary. Pastor Shaw prayed, while Gary buried his face in his hands and sobbed for the benefit of his audience.
Libby’s shrieks overpowered Gary’s performance.
Abby couldn’t watch as Digger Sendall wheeled her mother from the house. No, not her mother. Just a body. An empty shell, like those at the seashore. Mr. Jeffers left, taking the hospital bed and other hospice equipment with him, followed by the pastor and Mrs. MacDougal. The house was empty of visitors. Finally.
Libby finally stopped sobbing.
“Start packing your things,” Abby told her. “We’re moving to Loup Garou.”
“But Gary said I’d have to do the cooking and cleaning here now that you’re not here anymore. And Uncle Dougie said he was looking forward to seeing more of me.”
“Gary is mistaken.” She didn’t mention Uncle Dougie, because there was no such person except in Libby’s imagination. Now that they were getting away from Gary, Libby could start taking the meds she needed. Gary had nixed those after only a year. She doesn’t need drugs, she needs discipline. As if discipline had worked before the formal ADHD diagnosis. Those months she’d been on Ritalin had been a window to the person Libby could have been had she not been bouncing like a pinball. She didn’t have to rely on imaginary friends.
“Don’t you want to live in Loup Garou?” Luke asked.
“You lied to Abby,” Libby snapped. “You told her you’d show her songs to Toke Lobo, but I’ll bet you didn’t.”
“Elizabeth is not going anywhere,” Gary said.
“Wrong.” Abby lifted her chin. “Mama named me Libby’s guardian. You have no say.”
Gary’s eyes narrowed. Gleamed between his lashes. “You’d better mind yourself,” he said in a low voice.
Before Abby could respond to Gary’s implied threat, Luke stepped forward. Every muscle in his body appeared tense. “No, she’d better start packing.”
Restin stepped closer to Luke. “Libby, start packing. You, too, Abigail.”
“Hey,” Libby said. “You’re Toke Lobo’s fiddle player. Do you live in Loup Garou?”
Restin nodded.
“Okay, I’ll live with you.” She started toward her bedroom at the back of the house.
“Get some garbage bags from the kitchen to put your things in,” Abby called after her. So sad that the minutia of their lives was reduced to trash.
“You girls don’t have anything I didn’t buy for you,” Gary said. He glanced at Restin, who stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his massive chest. “And if I were you, Abigail, I’d be real careful.”
“You don’t scare me. Not anymore.” Then why were her insides shivering like pudding in an earthquake? Gary could still hurt her. She prayed the past he’d forced on her never came to light.
Luke followed her down the hall to her tiny bedroom. He even helped stuff her clothes into a black plastic bag. “I remember this.” He held up the pink and lace dress she’d worn to the Moonsinger picnic. “You looked as pretty as a valentine.”
“Leave it,” she said. The garment was a summer dress, too lightweight for the current weather, and in a few more months, she wouldn’t be able to fit into it.
“I think you should wear it today when we get married. Unless you have a regular wedding gown stashed somewhere.”
Abby stopped packing her underclothes to gape at Luke. “What?”
He grinned. Dimples so deep a woman could drown in them framed his mouth and tunneled in his cheeks. “We’re getting married today. I know it’s a bad day for you, but we need to get married. Today. And I would love it if you would wear this dress. I have very fond memories of
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