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.

Suze was standing before us in the hallway

when we returned. She was crouched, her eyes beady, looking like she had been prowling through the house to find signs of something evil. She waited for us all to enter. her gaze fixed mostly on me.

"Anything wrong, Suze?" Harley's grandfather asked. I heard her close the basement door.

"You left the light on downstairs." she told him.

My heart almost did a full flip-flop in my chest. In my haste to leave after making my shocking discoveries. I had left it on.

"Me? I don't think so," he replied. "What's the difference if I did? It don't burn much electricity. Well, what do you think. Suze? The phones over in Hurleyville were working after all."

She smirked, her dark eyes still turned on me. "They all leaving then?" she asked.

"Just Summer." Harley's grandfather said. "My boy's going to stick around a while and help his old man get through some of th

is work, right. Harley?"

"Yes sir," Harley said.

"Hear that. Susie? 'Yes, sir.' That's my boy. That's what I'd expect. Well, we're all taking some time off tomorrow to take Summer here over to the airport. You want to go for a ride with us?"

Where would he put her? I wondered, in the back?

"No. I got some work," she said. "I don't take days off at the drop of a pin."

Harley's grandfather roared and shook his head as she turned and went back to the kitchen or her holy room.

"Let's see if the television's back on at least," his grandfather suggested.

"I'm tired. Harley." I said.

"Maybe you should take another pill, Summer. You need the sleep tonight."

I nodded. I was hoping he would come up so we could talk, but he lingered, obviously wanting to sit around with the man he thought was his father. He cherished every moment.

"Maybe Iwill." I said.

"Good night there. Summer. We'll make sure you're at the airport early." his grandfather called to me.

"We don't even know what times the planes leave for where I need to go," I said.

"We'll find all that out in due time. No sense worrying about it tonight. I never worry today over stuff I can put off till tomorrow," he added with a laugh. Harley laughed too.

That's irresponsibility. I thought. It's not something to admire in someone. Uncle Roy would never say something like that. He would have everything planned and prepared. Couldn't Harley see the difference? Was the need for someone to love and someone to love him so great that it didn't matter if he was real or not?

It made me angry, but then I thought I shouldn't be so condemning. After all. Harley's the one who had lost his mother recently. He's the one who feels like an orphan, and the one who has come here looking for love.

"Okay," I said and started toward the stairs. When I reached them. Suze came out of the kitchen and glared at me as she wiped a pan with a dishtowel. Her eyes were fixed on me and piercingly

scrutinizing.

"Anything wrong?" I asked, my very bones in a tremble.

"Who sent you here?" she asked in a whisper. Her eyes widened in expectation of the answer.

"What? Sent me? No one sent me. I came with Harley."