Read Online One Black Rose by Maddy Edwards - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maddy Edwards
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natural. The other girl’s was a deep blond, kind of like Holt’s.
The three were met with a chorus of hellos from the other customers in UP UP and Away. They greeted everyone back, taking several minutes to actually come to where I was at the register.
As soon as I saw Holt I realized that in the surprise of having him show up at Carley’s house the night before, I’d forgotten to ask how his dog was doing.
Before he could even open his mouth to say hi I’d blurted out the question. The girl standing next to him gave him a sharp look, but said nothing. “He’s good,” said Holt, like he hadn’t even seen her look.
“How are you?” he asked.
“I’m good,” I managed to say through my embarrassment.
“These are two friends of mine. This is Casey,” he said, pointing to one of the girls, “and this is Susan.” They both had nice firm handshakes and they each gave me a smile. “They’re staying at the house.” Casey was short with the reddish orange hair, while Susan was very tall and seemed taller because she was wearing heels.
“Oh, that’s awesome,” I said, glad that they weren’t as rude as Samuel had been.
Now that I had remembered Samuel, I glanced over at the table he was sharing with Nick. I was shocked to see a cold stare on his face. But he wasn’t glaring at me, he was glaring at Holt. I remembered what Nick and Carley had told me about them, that the two families knew each other; maybe there was bad blood. That was surely the only way to explain the look that was on his face right now. Both Samuel and Holt were about the same age, after all. Maybe they’d played each other in sports and were rivals or something. Next to him Leslie sat stone still, with an almost identical look on her face. Yes, there was definitely something between the Roths and the Cheshires, and it looked like I might be in the middle of it.
I could feel the tension and was sure Holt could feel it too, but he was simply reading the menu. If he knew there was something wrong he didn’t show it. I waited, tapping my pencil.
“I’ll just have a coffee,” he said finally, looking at me and smiling.
“I want that scone,” said Casey pointing to one of the blueberry ones in the case.
“I’ll have a scone too,” said Susan.
Once I’d gotten them their orders, Casey looked at Holt as if waiting for instructions, but Holt just sat down at the counter, right next to where I was standing, and started to drink his coffee.
Both girls looked uneasy. Instead of sitting with Holt they found a table in the far corner, as far away from Samuel and Leslie as possible.
I felt a little weird. I couldn’t figure this guy out. He wouldn’t touch me, got nervous when I tried to touch him (or at least I imagined he would), but wanted to hang out with me despite the fact that Samuel and Leslie apparently didn’t like it. Well, I didn’t care what Samuel liked or didn’t like. At all. At least Castleton wasn’t as boring as home. This definitely wasn’t boring.
Mrs. Fritters came over and said, “Oh, Holt dear, so nice to see you.” She said it but it didn’t exactly sound like she meant it. Holt responded that it was nice to see her as well. “I have to run to the flower shop and pick up more arrangements,” she continued, looking at me this time. “I’ll be back soon. Hold the fort!” Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Holt flinch. That was weird, but my attention returned to Mrs. Fritters as she left in a whirl of noise and color.
“What are you up to for the rest of the day?” Holt asked.
“I think after work we’re just going to head home,” I said. “Maybe watch a movie.”
Talking to Holt about movies and stuff was all well and good, but I had a question for him. I had actually decided not to ask him, because I didn’t know him very well, but now that he was sitting there chatting with me, maybe I could. Crossing my fingers that he wouldn’t take offense I asked, “What’s with
The three were met with a chorus of hellos from the other customers in UP UP and Away. They greeted everyone back, taking several minutes to actually come to where I was at the register.
As soon as I saw Holt I realized that in the surprise of having him show up at Carley’s house the night before, I’d forgotten to ask how his dog was doing.
Before he could even open his mouth to say hi I’d blurted out the question. The girl standing next to him gave him a sharp look, but said nothing. “He’s good,” said Holt, like he hadn’t even seen her look.
“How are you?” he asked.
“I’m good,” I managed to say through my embarrassment.
“These are two friends of mine. This is Casey,” he said, pointing to one of the girls, “and this is Susan.” They both had nice firm handshakes and they each gave me a smile. “They’re staying at the house.” Casey was short with the reddish orange hair, while Susan was very tall and seemed taller because she was wearing heels.
“Oh, that’s awesome,” I said, glad that they weren’t as rude as Samuel had been.
Now that I had remembered Samuel, I glanced over at the table he was sharing with Nick. I was shocked to see a cold stare on his face. But he wasn’t glaring at me, he was glaring at Holt. I remembered what Nick and Carley had told me about them, that the two families knew each other; maybe there was bad blood. That was surely the only way to explain the look that was on his face right now. Both Samuel and Holt were about the same age, after all. Maybe they’d played each other in sports and were rivals or something. Next to him Leslie sat stone still, with an almost identical look on her face. Yes, there was definitely something between the Roths and the Cheshires, and it looked like I might be in the middle of it.
I could feel the tension and was sure Holt could feel it too, but he was simply reading the menu. If he knew there was something wrong he didn’t show it. I waited, tapping my pencil.
“I’ll just have a coffee,” he said finally, looking at me and smiling.
“I want that scone,” said Casey pointing to one of the blueberry ones in the case.
“I’ll have a scone too,” said Susan.
Once I’d gotten them their orders, Casey looked at Holt as if waiting for instructions, but Holt just sat down at the counter, right next to where I was standing, and started to drink his coffee.
Both girls looked uneasy. Instead of sitting with Holt they found a table in the far corner, as far away from Samuel and Leslie as possible.
I felt a little weird. I couldn’t figure this guy out. He wouldn’t touch me, got nervous when I tried to touch him (or at least I imagined he would), but wanted to hang out with me despite the fact that Samuel and Leslie apparently didn’t like it. Well, I didn’t care what Samuel liked or didn’t like. At all. At least Castleton wasn’t as boring as home. This definitely wasn’t boring.
Mrs. Fritters came over and said, “Oh, Holt dear, so nice to see you.” She said it but it didn’t exactly sound like she meant it. Holt responded that it was nice to see her as well. “I have to run to the flower shop and pick up more arrangements,” she continued, looking at me this time. “I’ll be back soon. Hold the fort!” Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Holt flinch. That was weird, but my attention returned to Mrs. Fritters as she left in a whirl of noise and color.
“What are you up to for the rest of the day?” Holt asked.
“I think after work we’re just going to head home,” I said. “Maybe watch a movie.”
Talking to Holt about movies and stuff was all well and good, but I had a question for him. I had actually decided not to ask him, because I didn’t know him very well, but now that he was sitting there chatting with me, maybe I could. Crossing my fingers that he wouldn’t take offense I asked, “What’s with
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