Current Impressions by Kelly Risser Read Free Book Online Page B

didn’t need it, but he was wrong. I
did miss it, and I was ridiculously happy to have it back.
    He laughed at my excitement. “I’ll help you
carry it to your room. And if there’s anything of your mom’s you
want…”
    His voice trailed off, and his eyes grew
sad. I threw my arms around him and squeezed. “I love you,
Dad.”
    In a voice choked with emotion, he said, “I
love you, too.”

 

    “Will we meet this elusive professor?”
Evan’s mom asked. He shrugged. His mouth was full of potato salad,
so he couldn’t give her a decent answer.
    The Mitchell family sat at the patio table
in their backyard. It was one of those warm June nights, and Evan’s
dad decided to barbecue.
    Evan swallowed. “I can ask him.”
    “Do. See if he’s free for dinner next
Thursday. After all, you leave for Scotland the following week.”
Mom turned her attention to Katie. “Are your bags packed?”
    “All set.” Katie picked at her corn on the
cob. She hadn’t eaten much tonight, or for the last several weeks.
Then again, she was going to Cancun with her best friends, Jen and
Val. Two weeks on the beach and she insisted she needed to prepare.
Katie’s idea of preparation was losing ten pounds she didn’t need
to lose. Evan knew better than to tease her about it. The last and
only time he did, she snapped. “Bikini, Evan. I will not look like
a beached whale.”
    He tried to explain that even if she didn’t
lose weight, she wouldn’t look like a beached whale, but she
stomped out of the room. After that, he kept his mouth shut.
    “Val’s dad is planning to take you girls to
the airport tomorrow, right?” Mom asked.
    “Yep.” Katie slid a potato chip under the
table to Ebb, and then another to Flow.
    “Don’t feed my dogs,” Evan muttered. “You’ll
make them sick.”
    “Really, Evan?” Katie’s slim, blond eyebrow
rose. “I don’t think one potato chip will hurt them.”
    “Maybe not, but you gave them half of your
hamburger, too.”
    Katie glared at him, but she didn’t say
anything. Their dad, who was reading the paper, snapped it shut and
gave her a stern look. “Katie, eat your food. One dinner is not
going to make you fat.”
    Katie’s lip quivered. She stood up with her
plate. “I’m not hungry. I guess I’m too excited. I’m going to call
Val to finalize details.”
    Evan knew she was pissed, but it wasn’t his
problem. He didn’t get most girls. He was glad that Meara was
normal. If she were here, she’d eat a burger. Heck, she’d probably
eat two if she were hungry enough. And she looked great. She didn’t
worry about gaining weight.
    He took a long swallow of Coke and listened
to his parents talk. The inn would be full of guests next week. The
last week of June was always busy—the official start of the summer
tourism season. His dad was staying in town all week to help his
mom with the inn. Since he rarely did that, Evan knew it was going
to be crazy. Would that really be a good time to invite Professor
Nolan to dinner? Would he even come?
    “Evan? Are you okay?” His mom frowned at
him. She caught him staring off into space, he assumed.
    “I’m all right. Just tired.” He stood and
cleared his plate. The dogs rose, too, tails wagging. “I’m going to
take Ebb and Flow down to the shore for a bit.”
    “That’s fine. Have fun.” His parents smiled
at him before resuming their conversation. Evan carried his dishes
into the kitchen and placed them in the sink. The house was quiet.
The one couple staying at the inn this week had gone into Halifax
for the day. Katie must be up in her room with the door closed.
    Evan found a couple of tennis balls in the
front closet. He pulled on his windbreaker and a blue baseball hat.
The sun would be start setting in about an hour, and June evenings
were cool in Peggy’s Cove. He didn’t bother with the leashes. Ebb
and Flow wouldn’t leave his side unless he released them. They were
well trained.
    He thought about taking his car, but