Christine Pope [The Sedona Fi Star Crossed (epub)

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.” She crossed her arms, and I noticed a new ring glittering next to her wedding band, a circle of diamonds I’d never seen before.Well, their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary was coming up.It looked as if Lance had given her a special present this Christmas.Head tilting slightly as she regarded me, she said, “You know, you’re not his blood, but of all my children, you’re the most like Lance.”That wasn’t something I really wanted to hear.I raised an eyebrow, then said, “How so?”“Because you’re both stubborn and determined, and you won’t give up on something once you have your mind set on it.Sometimes it’s been like living with a couple of mules.”Despite myself, I couldn’t help smiling.“I suppose it wasn’t easy, being caught between the two of us.”“You could say that.” She offered me a smile in return, one that faded as she went on, “But I always knew that once you had fixed on something, you’d see it through.That was why I knew none of your other boyfriends would work out…I could tell you weren’t set on them.When you came here the first time with Logan, though, I could see that he was different.You were different around him.And when you came back to tell us the truth about him, I saw that look in your eyes.I used to call it the ‘digging in your heels’ look, and I knew you were going to do what you wanted, regardless of what we might have to say on the subject.”“Well, in that case, being stubborn didn’t pay off so well, did it?”“I don’t know.” A hesitation, as if she were trying to decide how to word what she wanted to say next.“I still feel as if we’re not getting the whole picture.Maybe Martin has been able to talk to Logan, get some more information.”How had she known that I’d been secretly harboring the same hope, a hope I hadn’t wanted to admit even to myself? Everything I’d seen in that recording and heard from the alien scientist’s account of Martin’s training had been damning enough, but maybe there was something we were missing….Because I didn’t want my mother to see how much I wanted her to be right, I shrugged, then took another sip of my cider.“I don’t know what else Logan could possibly say.It looked pretty clear to me that he’d been more or less set up as a guided missile intent on getting in my pants.”That earned me a reproving look.“Grace — ”“Well, it’s true.” And, given the Reptilians’ emphasis on breeding hybrids and making genetics their personal bitch, I could see why they would have been itching to find out what would happen if they made a cocktail of Logan’s and my DNA.Abruptly, I added, “But I’m not pregnant.”She didn’t exactly sigh in relief, but I could tell from the way her shoulders relaxed that she’d been worrying about the box I’d bought at Walgreens, and whether my fate would have ended up looking not very different from hers.“I — well, that’s good news, isn’t it?”“Yes,” I said automatically.And it was.Never mind that I couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like to have Logan’s child.No, that was ridiculous.It could have come out looking like a refugee from the cantina scene in Star Wars.“I’m not sure why, when you were on the Pill and still got pregnant, but….”“I’ve thought about that,” my mother said.“I was on the mini pill, which normally would have worked perfectly well.But it worked more by preventing implantation than preventing ovulation, so it probably would have been easier to disrupt.” Her fingers played with the edge of her sweater, and I could tell she wasn’t exactly comfortable with the subject at hand.“Anyway, that’s my theory.I suppose we’ll never know for sure.”No, we wouldn’t.In fact, there were a disturbing number of things we’d probably never know.I’d taken that as a fact of existence for most of my life, considering that my extended family had been surrounded by paranormal happenings ever since I was born.Now, though, that state of affairs seemed particularly frustrating.My mother laid a gentle hand on my arm.“I’d better let you finish eating that before it gets completely cold.And afterward, if you want to come downstairs — ”I shook my head.“All right,” she said, sounding resigned.“Then try to rest.The password for the wireless is the same, so if you want to get online, you can do that, too.”“Thanks.” I was surprised they hadn’t changed the password, considering how militant Lance generally was about security, but the property did stand on its own.The closest neighbor was far outside the range of our wireless network, and any hacker trying to skim into it would have been very conspicuous.It wasn’t like the tracts of houses I’d seen down in Phoenix and Tucson, where it appeared to me as if people were practically living in each other’s laps.“Right now I feel as if I could sleep for a hundred years.”“Well, maybe not quite that long.” Her blue eyes twinkled.“Just set the tray outside the door when you’re done, and I’ll have one of your sisters bring it down later.”Out of impulse, I went over and threw my arms around her neck.“Thank you, Mom,” I whispered.She hugged me back, briefly but fiercely, and then let herself out.I went back and picked up the discarded spoon for my chili.It wasn’t piping hot anymore, but it still tasted good.I’d eat it all, and the cornbread, then finish the cider.After that, I’d get out my computer, check my email, make sure the world was still out there somewhere.And after that…well, I’d worry about that tomorrow.Chapter FifteenIt was late morning before I crept out of my room and down the stairs, more because I was going stir-crazy than because I really felt like dealing with anyone right then.But the only person I saw was my brother Kevin, who had his feet up on the coffee table in the family room — a total no-no — and was watching some kind of extreme sports program on the TV [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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