The Detective by Elicia Hyder

cake.
    “You’ve really done too much,” Shannon said, her nerves still causing her voice to be way too chipper. “I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble for me.”
    My mother waved her hand toward Shannon. “This is nothing, my dear. We have family dinners quite often.” She reached over and squeezed my dad’s hand. “We’re very close like that.”
    Shannon smiled at me. “Well, I hope this won’t be my last invitation.”
    I wasn’t sure why she was looking at me; I didn’t invite her, period.  
    Lara might have been reading my mind across the table because when I looked at her, her eyes were as wide as mine felt.  
    “So, Shannon,” Chuck said with a mouthful of potatoes. “What do you do?”
    She put her napkin beside her plate. “I’m a reporter for WKNC in Asheville.”
    He nodded, impressed.  
    Shannon was fidgeting. “My daddy wanted me to go into banking like he did. He’s one of the biggest investment bankers in Asheville.”
    Well, that was random. And awkward.
    Mom and Dad exchanged glances. “Well, that’s lovely,” Mom finally said. “What about your mother. Does she work?”
    “Not exactly.” She shifted on her chair. “But she does organize the Ladies’ Social Auxiliary at the Brook Diamond Country Club.”
    Mom stopped chewing. The only social club she’d ever belonged to was the PTO.  
    Shannon flipped her blonde hair back off her shoulder. “And she manages the household staff.”
    Staff? I could hear the sound of a plane crashing in my head.  
    Chuck plucked a stray piece of ham from his beard. “I hired the neighbor’s kid to cut my grass during squirrel season last summer.”
    The room erupted in laughter.  
    “You hunt squirrels?” Shannon asked.
    I leaned toward her. “He hunts anything with fur or feathers.”
    Her nose scrunched up. “Do you eat them?”
    He smiled. “Sometimes.”
    She visibly shuddered.
    Lara kicked me in the shin under the table, and I flinched.
    “Unca Chuck said I can eat da sqwa-wills bwains!” Carter chimed in.
    Chuck pointed his fork at him. “Only if you skin it, remember?”
    Mom shook her head. “Enough of that talk at the table!” She dropped her hands into her lap. “I swear you all don’t know how to behave when we have company.”
    Chuck pointed at Carter. “He brought up the brains.”
    I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.  
    “Charles Mason McNamara!” Mom scolded.  
    He just shrugged and shoved a forkful of ham into his mouth.
    I leaned into Shannon. “I should’ve warned you about my family.”
    She smiled and dabbed her napkin on her lips. “I like them.”
    Looking around the table, I wasn’t sure if they would say the same.
    Deciding to change the subject, I looked at Dad. “So about this game… are they playing UNC at home this weekend?”
    Chuck rolled his eyes. “Would I have driven all the way from Tennessee for any other game?”
    I slammed my napkin down on the table. “Damn it.”
    “Nathan! Carter’s here. Watch your mouth!” Mom yelled.
    “Damn it,” Carter echoed, then burst into giggles.
    Lara clamped her hand over his mouth and shot me a hateful glare.
    I held up my hands. “Sorry.” I leaned an elbow on the table. “I wonder how much scalped tickets are going for.”
    Lara smirked. “You’re going to buy illegally scalped basketball tickets, Mr. Law Enforcement Officer?”
    I shrugged and sat back in my chair. “It’s the biggest game of the season.”
    No one argued.
    Mom cleared her throat. “Nathan, are you forgetting about your houseguest?”
    Oops.
    I looked at Shannon. “Do you like basketball?”
    She smiled. “I’d love to go to the game!”
    Well, that’s a point in her favor.
    Then she spoke again.
    “I really hope the Tarheels make it to the championship!”
    And that was all she wrote for Shannon Green.

ELEVEN

    FOR THE REST of my weekend with Shannon, I was flooded with phone calls from my mother, my sister, and even Chuck. Lara was the least