Page 35 of Blood

“If it wasn’t meant for me, it’s not me you should be apologizing to,” he tells her.

“Sorry, Kaleb.”

“No problem, sis.” I wink. She’s not in trouble with me; her neighbor, however, might be. “You stay over at Doc’s house often?”

“No,” Shelby rushes.

“But I am her neighbor. She should have come to me if she was afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“It’s October thirty-first. Shelby always gets antsy around Halloween.”

News to me.

“You don’t like Halloween?” I ask, confused.

Shelby shrugs flippantly, but I see the way she swallows hard. The doctor is right; she is afraid, and it’s not just the burglaries. I think back, but nothing from today stands out. She’d been okay. Tired and restful. Maybe she felt better being in someone else’s house. Not that it turned out great.

“You can stay with me for a few more days. It’s no problem.” I frown.

“It’s okay.” Shelby smiles. “I’m okay, now. It’s just the night of Halloween. The past few have been”—she pauses, looking for the right word—“weird.”

I frown. The past few Halloweens have been weird for this family too. Last year, Michael met his wife. The year before that, my brothers’ annual hunt didn’t happen, and the Halloween before that was the year that Daniel met Charlie.

“Yeah.” I chuckle. “Mine too.” My eyes trail Sam. “But this year has been by far the most interesting.”

“Interesting? Well, that’s one word for it,” Dad chimes in, the other four returning sans McCallister.

I jut my chin. “He gone?”

“Yeah.” Michael nods.

“You kids will have to go down to the station tomorrow to give your statements, but he’s going to let you rest for tonight,” Dad explains.

“Rest sounds good.” Sam yawns.

“Uh-huh.” Shelby nods, quickly catching Samantha’s yawn.

“I’ll drive you home. You can stay at mine. Riley will love waking up to you there,” Doc tells her.

Shelby bites her lip.

“I think the girls are best staying together for now. They’ve been through a lot,” I interject.

The doctor doesn’t look happy but doesn’t argue. I eye the hand he lays on her knee.

“Do you need me to take a look at those feet?” Leonard asks.

“No.” I shake my head. “My new bestie got the debris out for me.” I grin at Shelby, grateful that she helped despite her hate for blood. “I cleaned the cuts. A few needed paper stitches, but I think they’re okay. A couple of painkillers and I’m as good as new.”

“Kaleb, don’t be stubborn. Let Leonard look while he’s here,” Mom insists.

Too tired to argue, I drop down onto one of the sofas with a groan.

“What’s the longest anyone has ever slept? I think I’m going to break it.” I yawn.

I flinch as my feet are unwrapped.