Unconventional Scars Read Online Free PDF Page B

trilling of a robin somewhere, and a scrumptious aroma coming from the grill. The sky was a flawless sapphire blue. Even above the tops of the trees at the edge of the back yard, she could see in the distance the breathtaking , hazy Blue Ridge Mountains . Norman Rockwell, you must have lived someplace like this. My gosh, it’s too perfect to be real. Have people always lived in neighborhoods like this one ? I can’t believe what I was missing. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up. Not ever.
    She pulled out a metal patio chair and settled herself on it, blissfully taking in her surroundings. Phil, standing in front of the gas grill, turned to look at her and smiled. “What do you think of the mountains?”
    “The view is incredible ! You are the luckiest person in the world. I never saw a place so beautiful in my life ! ”
    Once she had her fill of staring starry-eyed at the mountains, Anna turned her attention to the activities next door. Two boys, by appearances probably close to her own age, were engaged in a spirited game of basketball, and they heckled one another good-naturedly. They were just far enough away that she couldn’t get a thorough look at them, but she could see that one of the boys had black hair and a muscular build, while the other had more of a sable- brown hair and was very slender . They were both around the same height, fairly tall. It was interesting to watch them, shooting hoops while laughing and occasionally shoving one another. Boys bond in such strange ways.
    Lisa materialized through the sliding glass door and caught Anna’s gaze. Joining her at the patio table, she offered, “Those are the Somerville boys. I sold their mother that house when they moved here about, oh, I’d say nearly two years ago. She’s a public defender. Smart as a whip. Nice family.”
    “ Cool. What's her husband do ?” She didn’t really care. It was just something to say, something to delay asking what she really wanted to know, so she didn’t seem too obvious.
    “ She's d ivorced.”
    “Oh.”
    “I never met him. They had already divorced when she moved here.”
    “Mm-hm.” Anna hesitated. She didn’t want to appear overly interested or anything, but her curiosity won out. “How old are her sons?”
    Lisa laughed. “I thought you’d ask me that. I’m not sure exactly, but I know they both go to your school. I think Creed – that’s him with the dark hair – is the oldest.”
    “Creed?”
    “Short for Creedence. Unusual name, huh?”
    “I like it. It’s unique. What about the other one?”
    “That’s Alex. Definitely a more conventional name. And . . . speak of the devil.” Before Anna knew what was happening, Lisa had her arm up in the air and was calling out, “Hey, Charlotte !”
    The tall redhead who had just emerged from the house next door shielded her eyes from the sun, and catching sight of Lisa, waved back and called, “Hey! Come on over for a minute. I want you to see my new bedroom furniture .”
    Lisa stood up. “Steaks almost done, Philly?”
    “Will be in a couple of minutes.” He was flipping them over with a pair of tongs.
    “We’ll make it quick.” Lisa grabbed Anna’s arm and gently tugged.
    “ We? ” Anna protested . “Oh, no! I’m not going over there. I'll wait here. ”
    “Oh, come on. They won’t bite, I promise. Anyway, they’re your neighbors. You’ll have to meet them at some point, right?”
    How could you argue with logic like that? Anna braced herself and followed behind Lisa. As they approached the house, the boys caught sight of her and stopped their game.
    “Well, hello ,” the dark-haired one said in a flirtatious manner. Anna smiled self-consciously.
    “Charlotte,” Lisa was saying, “I want you to meet Philip’s niece, Anna. She’s just moved in with him and is going to be attending school with your boys.”
    Ms. Somerville turned her attention to Anna. “Oh really? Well, welcome to the Hollow. What grade are you