Page 68 - My FlipBook

L IS A J. L A W R E N C E

Nate let the door fall open a little wider.
“I made you cookies,” Ash said. “I hope you’re not allergic
to peanuts.”
Nate took the plate but didn’t say if he was allergic or
not. He set them on a shelf of shoes beneath the coats. “You
know,” Nate said, crossing his arms over his chest, “I always
wanted to meet you guys. Then when I did, I wasn’t so sure
anymore.”

Greta felt guilty when he said it, even though she
wasn’t the one who’d nearly killed them all. Maybe for
asking him to get involved in the first place? He’d spent the
whole day driving them to Whitecourt and back, put up
with their meltdowns and barely broke even for gas. He’d
definitely gotten the worse end of the deal. Ash dropped
his head too. ADVANCE READING COPY

“It was kind of you to help us. We won’t forget it,” Greta
said, turning and heading back down the steps.
“Yeah, thanks.” Ash followed behind her.
They had both reached the path before Nate called out,
“Do you want to come in? I’m making beef stew.”
Ash and Greta looked at each other and then nodded.
They sat at Nate’s kitchen table while he chopped carrots
and onions. His dad came home from work and gave them a
smile that twitched on and off like a tic. “I hope everything,

uh, went well,” he said, clearing his throat. “It’s good to be
proactive with…those kinds of things.” While Ash turned
purple again, Greta pushed through the dirty feeling tugging
her down and talked to Nate’s dad about school and exams

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