down, daring him to lie to her. He just kept up that annoying
grin. He had a good poker face and there was no way she was
getting under his skin to get at the truth. “Were you following
me? Watching me? Keeping tabs on me or whatever?”
He shook his head. “No.” He was still totally impassive.
Haley didn’t believe him. “You go on ahead to the kitchen.
Claire’s there alone. She’s been giving Jean some lessons,
teaching him all the things no one else would ever show him,
and he’s been loving it, but today she gave him a break. He’s
out back, enjoying the beach with Jenny.”
“Are you for real?” Had everything gone haywire since
she’d left? Claire seemed like a different person. Maybe that
made sense, given that Haley felt like a different person as
well.
“I’m for real. I’ll take your grandma out there to relax for a
little bit if you want to go into the kitchen alone.”
“No, that’s okay, I—”
“That would be perfect.” Her grandma tittered, hiding her
smile with her hand when Snake offered his arm like a
gentleman.
Great. Snake was charming her grandma right in front of her
eyes. Her grandma even waved over her shoulder as they
walked through the house together, heading for the back patio
door that opened up to the sprawling grounds and beach. The
water was probably so much warmer. Not that much time had
passed between when Claire had come out and given her shit
for swimming out there. Not much and so much. That was her
life now. So many contradictions.
Like now.
She couldn’t wait to get to the kitchen, but she hung back in