Summer on Mirror Lake by Joann Ross

Author:Joann Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2019-03-27T19:40:47+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“WOW,” HAILEY SAID as she pulled up in front of the large Victorian house. “Is this where you live? You must be rich.”

Despite the seriousness of tonight’s situation, Chelsea laughed at that. “Librarians don’t make enough to afford all this. I rent one very small apartment in the house.”

“If she owned the whole thing we wouldn’t be having to stay with Mr. Mannion,” Hannah pointed out, a bit more sharply than the comforting way Chelsea had always heard her talk to her sister, revealing that she was under even more stress than usual. As bad as things had gotten in her family once Annabelle had gotten sick, Chelsea had never had to carry all her possessions in a heavy-duty Glad bag. She could, however, relate, in a way. Back when she’d essentially been taking care of both herself and her mother, if anyone had tried to put her in a foster home, she might well have taken the ferry to Seattle and lived on the street with the runaway kids she’d seen in a television documentary.

Not wanting to leave the children alone in the car, even for the few minutes it would take her to toss a few necessities into an overnight bag, she brought them both inside, well aware of how exhausted they must be by now. As bad as things admittedly were, at least they’d soon be settled into that palatial mansion everyone, in the understated way of Pacific Northwesterners, referred to as a cabin.

She’d just entered when Mrs. Moore popped out of her door. The very same woman who Gabe had made giggle like a young girl, swept a stern, hard look over these girls. “Have you forgotten that I have a strict ‘no children’ rule, Chelsea?” she asked.

“They’re only going to be with me a few minutes,” she said. “I’m packing a bag, then we’ll be on our way.”

“Well, then.” She huffed out a breath. Then wagged her finger. “Just see that it doesn’t turn into an overnight visit.”

“That’s against the law,” Hannah said.

“What did you just say?” Her landlady’s mouth gaped open like a hooked steelhead trout and her eyes turned googly in obvious surprise at being talked back to by one of those children she apparently didn’t like. At all.

“I said,” Hannah repeated, biting off each word, “that the Fair Housing Act prohibits a landlord from refusing to rent to people with children. If Police Chief Mannion knew what you were doing he could arrest you and have a judge fine you a lot of money. Maybe even put you in jail.”

“Well,” Mrs. Moore huffed, her face turning as red as a boiled Dungeness crab. “I never.” This time her stern look was directed at Chelsea. “You need to speak to that child about her smart mouth.”

“She was merely stating a fact,” Chelsea said. “But it’s a moot point because, as I told you, we’re only going to be here for a few minutes.” Wanting to end this confrontation before it escalated, Chelsea

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