The Storm and the Darkness by Sarah M. Cradit Read Free Book Online

mouth hanging open.
    Alex’s eyes narrowed. If there was one thing he could not tolerate, it was a lack of chivalry and decency. He rushed over to Ana and knelt down to pick up the bag, apologizing for Jon’s rudeness as so many others on the island often did.
    “What is his story, anyway?” Ana asked as Alex loaded the bag into her trunk. The rock salt was heavy, and he was kicking himself for not offering to help her carry it when she was still in the store. It was over fifty pounds.
    Alex hesitated. What could he say about Jonathan St. Andrews that would not be unkind? Alex supposed Jon was a decent enough vet, although he could not say firsthand as Alex didn’t have any pets. But Jon had always been odd, and even unpleasant. Most people on the island learned to just leave him alone. Surprisingly, some even felt protectiveness over the young man. Alex was disappointed that a son of the venerable Andrew St. Andrews could be such a killjoy. The young Finn was not much better, dishonoring his father’s memory by becoming a fisherman , when he could have been something great. But then, their mother, although a very good schoolteacher, had been Irish...
    “Alex?”
    “Sorry, um, yes, well...” He searched for words. “He’s always been a ‘lil diff’rnt, even as a boy.  My ma babysat the boys a few times and said he would just sit ’n stare out the window sayin’ nuthin’ fer hours until Claire picked ‘em up.” He realized that sounded like gossip, and added: “I know he seems rude, but he’s never caused anyone any trouble here, and the family still donates generously to the schools, just like their father always did.”
    She frowned, her eyebrows knitting together in thought. “I mean... why is he so unpleasant?”
    Alex shrugged. “No one knows why , I reckon. His father was quiet, but was always real social and involved in things in the town, and his mother was the sweetest ‘lil thing...” He cleared his throat. “Is there anything else ya need? Are ya good fer dinner tonight?”
    “What about the brother? Is he like that, too?” Ana probed. Alex was not real keen to discuss the St. Andrews brothers, but she was obviously determined to do just that.
    “Finn? Nah, Finn’s a good boy; he won’t cause ya any trouble. Always quick to help, although he does have a temper, from that Irish mother of his I ‘spect. Used to get in fights at school defending his older brother...” No use telling her about all his girlfriends; that was just gossip, too.
    Ana was processing all of this, and he worried that she was going to keep drilling him so he was relieved when she smiled and said her goodbyes.
    “I’m just a phone call away, remember,” Alex told her as she waved from the driver’s seat. She nodded and smiled, and drove off; as he watched her, he was disappointed that he would not be seeing her again this evening. He pulled out his small, tattered notepad and wrote down: Picked up rock salt from True Value , and then scratched Rock Salt off another page entitled Needs.
    As he was walking to where his truck was parked around the corner, Alex saw Sheriff Horn walking toward him. Alex thought about ducking into the alley, but it was too late, as the sheriff was tipping his hat at him. Alex grudgingly nodded back.
    The sheriff was a burly man in his sixties, who liked to wear uniforms that were a size or two smaller than he had any business wearing. Alex thought he did it because it made him look tougher, as if he was ready to burst out of his clothes at any moment from sheer strength. But Sheriff Horn had lost his youthful physique years ago, and was now just simply fat.
    “Getting ready for the storm season?” The sheriff asked, with a nod toward True Value.
    “All set myself, just helping out the Deschanel girl.” Alex always dreaded conversations with the sheriff, who had never liked him. He always felt like the sheriff suspected him of anything bad that happened in town, and for no reason