Chapter 14

His doorbell rang and he froze. Was it the villagers with pitchforks ready to run him out of town? Jake considered not answering it. But he’d been acting too cowardly these days and he didn’t feel like doing it now.

He shoved the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth and went to the front door. Standing on his doorstep was his aunt, Suzy. A petite woman with her white hair curled softly around her face and her glasses perched at the edge of her nose. She reminded him very much of her older sister, his mother. She threw her arms around him as she walked into the house.

“I heard everything.” She stepped out of their embrace and closed the door. “Are you all right?”

Jake frowned. “What have you heard?”

“All about Margery’s big mouth.”

He grimaced. “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you call me and tell me what happened?” She grabbed his hand and drew him into the living room. She pushed him down onto the couch and sat next to him. “You and Damian must be pretty upset.”