Being Hartley Read Online Free PDF Page A

forward to give Rory a kiss. "And how are you, sweetie?" She gives her niece a look.
    "Um, okay. I guess." Rory looks sheepish. "I'm sorry if you were worried or anything."
    "Honey, you know we just want what's best for you, right? If you called me, maybe I could have helped."
    "I know. I just…didn't think."
    "Well, I'm sure you've talked about it enough for now. We'll have a chat later." Mom gives her another hug. "I'm just glad you're okay." With a final squeeze, she heads behind the car with Deb and Anna to sort out the luggage.
    Now that Mom's out of earshot, I give Rory my own look. "What is going on ?" I hiss at her. "No text? No email?"
    She frowns at me. "Shhh. Nothing. Leave it alone."
    "As if! And what's all this you made up about a new boyfriend?"
    Another "let it go" frown.
    Fine. So maybe right now is neither the time nor place. "Later, you will tell all." I dig a finger into her ribs.
    "Ow! Cut it out!" she tells me, taking a step sideways.
    "Where's Allie?" I look around and then behind Rory at the open door, wondering where she is. Usually it would be the pair of them running down the steps, or just Allie if Rory was working.
    Rory seems relieved to change the subject. "She's out with Dana, her tutor. She had a physical therapy appointment this afternoon, and she's off to her dance class in about an hour. I was kind of hoping you'd get here in time because I was thinking of heading over to help out. I arranged with Dana and Dad to pick her up. Want to come?"
    "Great. Then we can really talk." I check for my mom. "Mom!" I holler in her direction.
    She's already stepped out from behind the car to size me up, having eavesdropped on our plans. "Well…" she says slowly, one hand on her hip, but then her eyes move to meet Rory's and she thinks twice about saying no. "I guess I don't see why not," she finally says. "As long as you keep a low profile."
    I shoot my mom my most sincere look. "You know me. I am all about the low profile."
    "Yes, as you demonstrated at the airport."
    "Come on, Mom. I didn't do that. I told you."
    "Hmmm." I get another assessing stare. But I can tell she believes me about the hood thing (not that I'll be keeping a low profile using hoodies from now on, because, unlike the Tasmanian winter we've come from, it is hot here).
    Next to me on the steps, Rory shakes her head. "I can't even imagine what you did at the airport."
    "I flashed," I say, raising one eyebrow at my cousin.
    "You flashed." Her mouth twists. She doesn't believe me for a moment.
    "My hair," I add.
    "Ah, now I get it. Well, you might be a Wallis, not a Hartley, but it's still your hair the paparazzi will be the most excited about." She turns back toward my mom and waves a hand. "Don't worry, Cass, I know the drill."
    * * *
    "Hey, Uncle Erik!" I race through the kitchen to give my favorite uncle (fine, the only uncle I really know) a hug.
    "Okay, yes, I hear you on that. I'll have a word. Anyway, I need to go." He ends the call he's on. "Hey, kiddo! Good to see you!" He pinches both my cheeks at the same time, then pinches my nose, then ruffles my hair. (Don't ask, it's a weird Hartley greeting thing they stop doing to you when you turn twenty-eight or so.)
    "Sorry, I didn't know you were on the phone," I tell him when he's done rearranging my face.
    "Don't worry about it," he replies. "Nothing important." But I notice that he looks kind of grayish—tired, and like he needs a good vacation and a bit of sun. His eyes move to look at Rory as he speaks, and I guess that whatever the call was about, it was a) important, and b) about her. There's something else, too—a kind of approaching thunderstormish tension in the room that I normally don't feel here at all, but am more than used to feeling at home whenever I'm about to have another bust-up with Mom.
    "Erik!" My mom sweeps forward from behind us in a distinctly old-Hollywood move that makes me double-check she's still wearing the same tailored jeans and white linen shirt