Graveyard Games (14 page)

“
Very funny.” She balanced
her tray against her hip. Dusty felt something constrict in her
chest when she looked into his eyes but she ignored it. She almost
felt sorry for him.

What am I getting
into?
SNIP

“
I’ll take you then.” His
gaze moved over the front of her blouse. "Do you come in a
bottle?"

"I don't know, I never tried," she replied
smartly.

Shane did smile then. "Give me a Stroh’s,"
he said, admitting defeat.

She turned away from him but he reached out,
his fingers brushing her back, tugging on the edge of her vest.
"Come keep me company during your break?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. He nodded and she
moved away.

"Strohs," she told Lee, turning back to look
across the tables, meeting Shane's eyes. Every time she looked at
him, she saw Nick's face, heard Nick's voice, and the memories were
sharp and clearer than ever.

She’d hated Shane Curtis for as long as she
could remember, and now he was just a reminder of her brother. Nick
had known how she felt and did his best to keep them apart. He
hated conflict, and couldn’t stand the sparks that flew every time
they were in the same room together. She wondered, now, if Nick
ever knew the real reason she hated Shane. The fact that he wasn’t
the world's most outstanding citizen had always been a good enough
cover.

Until now.
But what’s the
real
reason. Come on, Dusty, fess
up! You were Nick’s sister, but
Shane
was Nick’s best friend and
you—
SNIP

"Here you go, Dusty." Lee handed her the
beer.

"I could use a break." She balanced the beer
on her tray. He glanced behind him at the Strohs wall clock.

"Twenty minutes." Lee shook his head,
looking over at Shane who was leaning back in his chair watching
them, hands laced behind his head.

"Du-du-Dusty?" Sam asked from his usual spot
at the end of the bar. She looked at him, waiting. He opened his
mouth a few times, looking at her, and there was something in his
bright blue eyes that made her uncomfortable with its
intensity.

"What, Sam?" she asked with a sigh,
impatient.

"Nuh-never muh-mind." He shook his head,
eyes downcast. "It was nothing."

Dusty glanced over where Shane was waiting,
and then sighed again, slipping onto a bar stool next to Sam. “I’m
sorry. It was something. What?”

“
Uh-I… have something.” He
looked up at her shyly, and then took something out of his pants
pocket. It was a necklace, something on a long leather string. “It
was muh-my mother’s.”

“
Oh.” Dusty watched as he
held it up. She cradled it in her hand. It looked like it had been
carved out of wood. She turned it over, seeing a face staring back
at her, a man’s face with wild white eyes and hair and rows of
sharp teeth. Gasping, she drew her hand back as if it
burned.

“
It’s a druh-dream eater,”
Sam said with a smile. “I know it luh-looks scary, but its guh-good
magic. It protects yuh-you.”

“
From what?” She made a
face as she looked at it spinning at the end of the
string.

Sam made a gesture, as if he wanted to put
it over her head. “Nightmares… you said you wuh-were having buh-bad
dreams.”

“
Well… thanks.” She let
him put it around her neck, vaguely remembering mentioning
something about her dreams about Nick. When she looked down at the
figure, she shivered and tucked it into her blouse so she wouldn’t
have to look at it. It was strangely warm against her
skin.

“
Yuh-you’re welcome.” He
gave her another shy smile. Jack was watching them, polishing
glasses. Dusty smiled over at him and then leaned in and kissed
Sam’s cheek.

“
You’re very
sweet.”

Balancing her tray, she wound her way
through tables. Behind her, Sam's eyes followed her toward Shane,
who greeted Dusty with a smile.

"Here." She set the beer on the table.

"Have a seat." Shane patted his lap. She sat
in the chair across from him.

"So, have you broken any laws since I saw
you last night?" Dusty asked, crossing her legs. Her skirt rose
invitingly up and Shane's eyes stayed glued to her hemline.

"Nothing too serious," he replied. "So what
was that all about? You and the palsied kid?”

Dusty glanced over at Sam. He was watching
them. “Nothing.”

“
Looked like something to
me.”

She shook her head, reaching into her blouse
and pulling out the “dream-eater” necklace. “He just wanted to give
me this.”

Shane leaned in, fingering the pendant, and
he gasped when he turned it over and saw the face carved into the
other side.

“
Creepy, isn’t it?” Dusty
met his eyes and realized how close they were sitting. She could
smell the beer on his breath.

“
What is it?” he asked,
letting it fall against her blouse with a frown.

“
Sam said it was a
‘dream-eater,’ whatever that is.” Dusty glanced down at the
necklace. It felt heavy around her neck. “Some special magical
charm that’s supposed to protect against bad dreams, I guess?
Probably something like the Native American
dreamcatcher?”

Shane raised his eyebrows. “Been having bad
dreams?”

“
Since Nick died...” She
sat back in her chair and saw Shane’s gaze fall once again to the
curve of her thigh.

“
I’ve had a few myself.”
Shane shrugged. “And I’m no psychologist, but I think it’s probably
a normal response to a death in the family.”

“
Nick wasn’t your family.”
Dusty narrowed her eyes at him and Shane smiled sadly.

“
Right. My mistake.” He
sat back, grabbing his beer and taking a long swig. She fought the
immediate feeling of rising guilt and was unsuccessful when she saw
the sad look on his face, his gaze scanning the bar.

“
I know he loved you,” she
relented.

Shane met her eyes, looking startled. “Why
do you say that?”

“
Because he always put you
first.” Dusty bit her lip, tracing the wet ring the beer bottle had
left on the table. “You were his best friend.”

Shane nodded. “I miss him. I missed him when
he left town, and I miss him even more now.”

“
Did Nick tell you why he
got fired?” She hated asking—having to ask—but Nick had always told
Shane more than he ever revealed to her. It had been that way
forever. Well almost forever.
Since Shane
came along and you become just—

SNIP

Shane frowned. “Fired?”

“
From his firm,” Dusty
went on. “He told me he was fired. That’s why he moved back here
with Dad and Julia…”

“
No.” Shane shook his
head, but he didn’t meet her eyes. “You know, Dusty, he loved you
more than anything.”

She smiled, feeling tears pricking her eyes
and fighting them. “I know he loved me.”

I don’t know about that last part,
though…

“
He just wanted to protect
you.” Shane’s voice was soft and he moved his chair in closer, so
their knees were touching.

She gave a little laugh. “From what?”

His hand moved through her hair and he
lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. They were full of
tears.

“
Everything, I guess.” His
thumb wiped at one of the tears making its way down her cheek.
“That’s what I would want to do, if I was your brother.”

“
Protect me from
everything?”

He nodded, the emotion in his eyes making
her whole body soften as she looked at him. “But you’re not my
brother.”

“
No.” Shane shook his
head, leaning in closer, his eyes searching hers. “Thank god for
that.”

“
Why, because you wouldn’t
want to be related to me?”

“
Kind of.” A small smile
played over his lips. “If I was your brother, there would be no way
I could even attempt to persuade you out of that
outfit.”

She fought her own smile. “And into what?”
Dusty asked, playing along. They were both familiar with this
game.

For how long? How long can
you keep up this game? How long is he going to put up
with—
SNIP

"My bed?" he suggested.

Dusty laughed. "Does that work with all the
girls?”

Behind them the Pac-Man game had come to
life with the aid of someone's quarter.

"God, you’ve always been such a tease," he
told her, moving away and tilting back in his chair. His eyes
narrowed to slits as he looked at her.

"Me?" She touched her chest where Sam’s gift
necklace felt like it was burning and felt her heart thudding
against it. "I'm not teasing."

"No?" He slowly let his chair back down, his
eyes meeting hers in the dim light.

"No," she repeated, her gaze never
wavering.

"Want to prove it?" Shane leaned forward
again.

Yeah, Dusty, are you ready
to prove it? Just what are you thinking about—
SNIP

Shane's eyes rose to look at something
behind her, somewhere above her head and she turned to look for
herself.

"Twuh-twenty minutes is uh-uh-up," Sam told
her, looking at Shane.

"Luh-Lee said," he added, almost in
self-defense.

Shane continued to look at him, and Dusty
recognized his cool expression. It was the same one she’d seen on
his face before he swung the cue stick at the guy with the
buzzcut.

"Thanks, Sam." Dusty stood and took his arm,
more for his protection than anything else. "Gotta get back to
work."

"Are we going to finish this discussion?"
Shane asked.

"Sure," she replied. Sam's eyes were also on
her, soft and concerned. Shane's gaze was cool and distant. "I
think we definitely have some things to finish."

* * * *

"You're coming." Tom stood in front of her
so she couldn’t get past him. He had gone from asking, to pleading,
to commanding.

"Tommy, will you go away?" Dusty swerved
around him with a tray full of beer.

"Please, come on," Tom pleaded, following
her, changing tactics yet again. "We’ve all hardly seen you since
you’ve been in town, and I know you need a night out."

"My nights are spent here," Dusty told him.
"Sorry."

She put the beer on the table, and Tom
waited until the four guys dug out their wallets and paid her.

"You can take the night off." Tom followed
her back to the bar. "Lee won't mind, I know he won't. He'll agree
with me."

She sighed as he grabbed her by the arm,
stopping halfway to the bar. "Tom, I don't feel like the night out.
I really don't. I'd rather be here. Okay?"

"No, it's not okay." Tom
shook his dark head. "We miss you hanging out with us.
I
miss you. Isn't it
enough that we had to lose Nick? I don't want to lose you,
too."

Dusty looked up at him, no longer annoyed.
Now she felt guilty.

"The movie theater finally got something
new, and we're having a party, and you're coming. That's all there
is to it," he said.

"I don't know." Dusty shook her head,
looking over her shoulder at the bar. "Lee won't give me the night
off on this short notice."

"Yes, he will," Tom said firmly, dragging
her by the arm toward the bar. Inwardly, Dusty groaned.

"Hey, Lee!" Tom called, taking a stool.

"What can I get you?" Lee asked.

"Her." Tom grinned, pointing to Dusty. "We
need her tonight to celebrate the new movie over at the
Lawrence."

"Oh, yeah, that's tonight, isn't it?" Lee
asked, glancing at Dusty. He looked at the clock and then around
the bar.

"Turn in your profits and you're off." He
shrugged. "I'm not doing great business tonight, anyway. I forgot
about the damned movie opening."

"Go to it," Tom said with a smile, turning
to Dusty. She sighed.

"I can't afford this, Tommy," she told him,
still trying to think of excuses. Tom took her arm and led her
aside, away from the bar. Dusty looked behind him, toward the pool
tables. Shane was playing pool with Jake, occasionally glancing
over at them.

"Dusty, hon, I know you miss him," Tommy
took her hands in his. "I miss him, too, but life goes on,
okay?"

"You sound like my parents," she said, her
voice full of bitterness. "Let's forget all about it, why don't we?
Let's forget he ever existed."

"I'm not saying that.” He
shook his head. "But he
is
gone, and you're still here. Stop killing
yourself, babe."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's like you're withdrawing from the
entire world, trying to punish yourself and everyone else for
Nick’s death," Tom said. Dusty shook her head, looking away, but
not speaking. He touched her hair, resting one hand on her
shoulder.

"Look at me," he said softly. She did. "We
were..." he hesitated. "We were involved once, and I will never
forget the times we had, Dusty. You'll always be special to me, and
I'll always have those memories. It's the same with you and Nick.
He'll always be with you."

"I can't..." She took a deep breath. "I'm
not ready to let him go like that."

"You have to try. Take it one step at a
time," he told her. She shook her head again. "If it's too hard for
you, then we'll leave, okay? Just give it a try. For me?"

"I can't, Tommy," she said, turning away
from him.

"Damn it, Dusty," he swore, turning her back
to him. She looked up at him. "I miss you. Come with me."