Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell #3)(22)

His head shot up as he turned to look over his shoulder. “Youmadeblackberrybars?”

“Kiss. Now.” Adella pulled his face to hers and kissed him loudly on the lips, their green halos and springy curls briefly mingling.

He hugged her tight, grunting with the effort. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

A funny feeling fluttered inside my chest. And as if she sensed this, Jupe’s black lab, Foxglove, trotted around the corner and jumped up on my legs, panting in my face happily as she greeted me. I scratched her behind one floppy ear and peeped around the corner, watching Lon strolling over to his ex-mother-in-law.

“I told you not to bring a shitload of sugar in this house, Rose.”

“And I told you to stop swearing in front of my precious grandbaby, so I guess it all equals out.”

Cropped, silver-white hair fanned around Rose Giovanni’s slim face. The woman may have been in her sixties, but she was stunning. It was easy to see where Yvonne got her supermodel looks.

She wore stylish glasses and was dressed in a pale green pantsuit that matched her halo. Adella’s halo. Jupe’s halo. And even from across the room, I could see Jupe’s green eyes beneath her glasses—which were even more startling paired with her darker skin. I always assumed Jupe inherited Lon’s eyes, just a lighter shade, but now I wasn’t so sure. Lon once told me that Rose’s parents were from the Caribbean. Puzzle pieces fitted into place.

Lon dipped his head and kissed Rose on the check. She wound an arm around him and rubbed his back. “Not mad we came early, are you?”

“Are you joking?” Jupe answered for him. “It’s an awesome surprise, Gramma. Winter break starts tomorrow, so I’m all yours. And now we have three days before Christmas Eve, and there’s all kinds of junk we can do.”

“Anything you want.”

“Anything? I’ll make a list. And the number one thing will be for me to demonstrate my persuasion knack for you.” Jupe squinted one eye shut and wiggled his fingers dramatically, like he was a stage magician using fake mind powers.

“Absolutely not,” Lon said.

“But they’ve only heard about it. I want to show them.”

“No, you want to show off,” Adella said. “Plenty of time for that later.”

“Listen to your auntie.” Lon smiled at Adella and reached to hug her, arms loosely encircling her. She mumbled something against his ear; he kissed her on the forehead in response. They were casual and comfortable around each other. Affectionate. I never saw Lon act that way with anyone but me and Jupe. Never. It made me wonder how Lon and Yvonne acted when they were together. And that thought made me a little nauseous.

“Wait, where’s—” Jupe’s gaze found mine before I could sneak upstairs. “Cady! Com’ere, com’ere!”

All faces looked my way. My stomach dropped three stories. Nothing I could do now.

Jupe strode to my side and tugged me into the middle of everything. My hair was sweaty around my nape. My jacket had dirty streaks on the sleeve from rolling around on the ground at the racetrack. And my eyes were red and puffy from crying. I’m sure I made a great first impression.

“Everybody, this . . . is Cady.”

Jupe said my name like it was fifty feet high and studded in lights, but the reception was decidedly mixed. Rose stared at me without saying a word. Adella stepped forward and offered her hand. “So good to finally meet you.” She sandwiched my hand between both of hers and gave me a sweet smile.

“You, too,” I said. “Jupe talks about you—”

“Constantly?” she guessed. “Because I get weekly updates about you. ‘Cady this. Cady that.’ ”

Jupe almost looked embarrassed, but he really didn’t have it in him to be shy. “You told me I talk about movies too much, so what else am I going to say? Geez.”

She winked at him. “Anything you tell me, I’m happy to hear. Besides, I talk about art all the time.”

I remembered that Adella taught art history at the University of Portland. “Is the semester done? All your classes, I mean.”

“Yes, thank goodness. Finals graded, and all my meetings finished. The students fled the campus yesterday like they were outrunning a tornado.”

At thirty-five, Adella was ten years older than me, and a handful of years younger than her sister, Yvonne (who was in her early forties, like Lon). She had a kind face. In other circumstances, I would’ve liked her immediately. And I did, but it was tainted with self-doubt and worry that she wouldn’t accept me, despite how nice she was being. Looking at her mother, that worrisome feeling intensified.

“And this is my Gramma,” Jupe said proudly.

Rose Giovanni didn’t offer her hand. Just coolly looked me over, eyes blinking rapidly. For every inch of my body she examined, I think I shrank two. She might be the demon, but I certainly felt like the devil in the room.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, wondering if I should add “ma’am.” Or would that be insulting? Better play it safe and keep my mouth shut.

She stared above my head. “There’s that silver halo we’ve heard about.”

“Yes.”

“A real live witch, huh?”

“Magician,” I corrected.

She made a little I’m-not-impressed noise, then glanced at the dirt streaks on my sleeve.