Elderberry Croft: The Complete Collection by Becky Doughty

Author:Becky Doughty [Doughty, Becky]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BraveHearts Press
Published: 2014-01-04T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Edith accepted two plates from Willow and tried to smile brightly up at her hostess. Where on earth was Donny? The last time she’d seen him, he was heading inside to use the bathroom. Was he still in there?

At that moment, he came out Willow’s front door, and Edith frowned when she saw the cans in his hand. Why? Why did he have to drink when no one else was, when everyone else was committed to making this an alcohol-free party? She held one of the plates aloft.

“Donny!” she called, catching his attention. “I grabbed one for you, too. Come and get it.” He came toward her, and she breathed in deeply through her nose, trying to gauge by smell how far gone he was. Only two cans wouldn’t mess him up, but something told her that there were probably more than two cans missing from the twenty-four pack he’d brought.

Whew! The air around him was ripe, sour. “Is everything all right, Donny?” Maybe he should go home and try to sleep it off. He could always come back in an hour or so, in time for the fireworks. Doc and Eddie had scrounged up a box of them from somewhere, and no one asked about those that might not meet California regulations for do-it-yourself firework shows.

“I’m fine, Ma. Quit babying me.” He didn’t sound fine. He sounded angry. Petulant. Like a little boy who wasn’t getting his own way.

“Okay,” she said, trying to keep a light, conversational tone in her voice. “Just checking. This cake is delicious!”

“Oh, yeah. Delicious.” The way he said it, slowed down and a little slurred, made her so anxious she nearly dropped the plate she held out to him. He was openly staring at Willow, his eyes drifting freely over her slim body, lingering in places that weren’t proper.

“Donny!” She kept the smile on her face but her whisper was harsh. “Stop it now!”

“Back off, Ma. Nothing wrong with looking.” His words were definitely slurred, and he didn’t sound much like the mischievous boy he usually was.

“Yes, there is. It’s rude. Stop it. Please behave.” She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, then held the cake in front of him. “Have some cake, honey.”

“Please behave,” Donny mimicked her, his lips drawn up in a snarl. “Be a good boy, please. Don’t be naughty, please.” He spit on the ground near their feet. “Stop treating me like a little kid, Ma.”

Edith was shocked. Why was he talking to her like this? And here, of all places? She quickly scanned the group; where was Eddie?

Doc planted himself directly in front of them, his solid mass clearly intended to block their view. He spoke quietly, and wore a grin, his water-blue eyes bright and clear as he looked from one to the other, then landing and staying on her son. Doc took another bite of the cake he held, and chewed slowly. Edith could almost feel Donny’s discomfort.

“Hey there, Donny-boy. Whatever happened to that

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