Page 102 of Suncatcher

“Quite a lot of things, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, right. Very well. You are forgiven.” Driz smiled and Pearl’s insides melted into a puddle. “Do you need to go sleep?”

“I should. But I’m not ready to leave you yet.”

“I can take you home. May I?”

Pearl stole Driz’s lips in one more lingering kiss and then refastened their buttons. “To Molly’s.”

Driz flew her the short distance back to town, landing behind the house.

Molly was rocking in her chair, the glow of her cigarette bright on the back porch. She grinned broadly at them.

“What’re you doing up?” Pearl asked.

“Heard you leave. So I’ve been waiting. Evening, Driz.”

Driz nodded. “Hello.”

“I figured you might come around. Here. It’s not warmed, but it’s still decent cold.” Molly held out a slice of peach pie.

Driz perked up at the sight of it. She glanced at Pearl before she approached and carefully accepted the plate. “Thank you.” She shoved the entire piece in her mouth at once.

The interaction broke something in Pearl’s chest. A tender, painful hope filled it. Perhaps this wasn’t as complicated as it seemed.

Pearl took the plate from Driz and grabbed her nape, bringing her face down and kissing her, knowing Molly could see. Claiming Driz. So Driz would know that Pearl wasn’t hiding her. “Will you be in the ravine tomorrow?”

After a long, heavy pause, Driz answered, “If you want me to be, I will.”

“I do. I’ll meet you there.” Pearl kissed her once more. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

Pearl slipped from her arms and climbed onto the porch.

Driz lingered, an unfathomable expression on her face. Then she turned, the beat of her wings flattening the scrubby grass beneath her.

28

A Friend

Pearl wasn’t surprised, just disappointed, when her mother cornered her on the stairs as she slipped up to her room. She rather missed her own bed.

“Can we do this tomorrow? I’m exhausted,” Pearl muttered.

“So am I. And no, because tomorrow you’ll just sneak away again.”

Pearl didn’t deny it.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Fine.” Her lie was exposed when a fresh cough caught in her chest. “Good enough.”

Sheriff Oak stood to the side, gesturing Pearl up, and followed her into her room.

“You’ve got a bramble in your hair,” Sheriff Oak growled as Pearl unwound her messily retied scarf. “Did she take advantage of you?”

“Other way around, actually.” Pearl wet a washcloth, running it over her dusty skin and beneath the chain around her neck, keeping her back to her mother. “All she took was quite a lot of convincing, and still she refused.”