Shadow of Time (a YA Paranormal Romance novel)

chapter 3

Hannah strolled back home in silence, Ben walking next to her. Maybe he was wondering why she was so absent, but actually her brother was a bit quiet himself. She would have liked to share with him how this evening with Josh had confused her – more specifically, how his sudden growing spurt had ramped up her dormant hormones – but perhaps she wasn’t ready for Ben to know yet. Still, it felt weird not to say anything to him. She always talked to Ben about everything that was on her mind, and he was the same with her.

She looked up to see some people sitting on the porch of the neighboring house, their faces illuminated by the large candle on the table they were sitting at.

“Hey, there’s Ivy,” Ben said, finally waking up again. He waved at the new neighbors and pulled Hannah along to their front porch. “Let’s go and say hi.”

“Hi, Ben,” Ivy said with a smile, getting up. “Look, Amber, Ben’s sister is here too.” She nudged her sister, who was engrossed in a book.

“Oh, hello,” Amber said shyly. She had red hair, like Ivy. Hannah shook hands with the girls and their parents.

“Paul Greene,” the father of the girls introduced himself. “Have you just arrived?”

Sarah, their mother, poured coffee for the two visitors. They sat down on one of the porch benches and told the neighbors enthusiastic stories about their previous summers in St. Mary’s Port.

Hannah’s gaze wandered to the book Amber still had in her lap. “Herbal Remedies,” she read aloud. “Are you reading that for fun, or as part of a curriculum?”

Amber shrugged. “I’m going to study naturopathy after the summer, but I haven’t started yet. So I guess that makes it for fun.”

Hannah chuckled.  Yup, she and Amber would get along well. “Well, if you like picking herbs and wild plants, you should help me and Ben sometime. We’re going to organize a barbecue with some friends from the reservation soon. We used to do that at the lake every summer. Ben and Josh would catch fresh fish, and Emily and I would pick berries. We were real hunter-gatherers.”

“We’d love to join you! I could make myself useful by cleaning the fish. I had a job at the fish market once, for no other reason than desperately needing the money. I guess I’m an expert by now.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Thank God you’re here. I always have to help Josh gutting the trout, but I don’t have a big thing for entrails.”

“And I can bait fish like nobody’s business,” Ivy supplied with a grin.

Hannah pouted. “What? Is nobody going to help me pick berries?”

Ben chuckled, a large grin taking up his whole face. “Oh, don’t worry. Josh will help you out. I bet you won’t mind going into the woods with him.”

“Shut up.” Hannah felt herself turning red. Swallowing hard, she avoided Ben’s gaze after giving him a withering look.

In the meantime, Paul and Sarah cleared away their coffee cups and wished everyone goodnight.  After one more drink, Ivy and Amber decided to turn in for the night as well, and Hannah and Ben got up to leave. “See you soon,” Ben said, waving at the two girls disappearing inside.

They walked back to their own cabin in awkward silence, and both sat down on the porch steps saying nothing. Finally, Ben cleared his throat. “Uhm... I wasn’t serious or anything.” He lit a cigarette. “You know, about that stuff.”

“What stuff?” She was trying to sound clueless on purpose. She knew exactly what Ben was talking about.

“About the woods.” Ben glanced sideways. “About Josh. I didn’t want to tick you off.”