The Edge of the Shadows by Elizabeth George Page A

every place is probably bigger than Langley.”
    Seth said, “Yeah. We’re putting in for another stop sign, but we’ll never make it to a traffic light. Grand says there was a time you could lay down in the middle of First Street at one in the afternoon right in front of the movie theater and not have to worry about anyone coming along to run you over.”
    Parker laughed. “We got traffic lights. And maybe ten thousand people. And you lay down in the middle of the street, a logging truck’d probably run over you.”
    â€œWay bigger than here,” Becca acknowledged.
    â€œIt’s all relative,” Parker said. And then to Seth, “This place’ll be great.” And to Becca, “Thanks for sharing the bathroom. I’ll stay out of your way much as I can.” And back to Seth, “I totally appreciate it, man. And Triple Threat too.”
    Because they will see they all will see and if they don’t . . . the girls’re gonna go bananas but a permanent fiddler’s got to be
told Becca that they were close to being finished entirely with the topic of Nelson, which she couldn’t let happen.
    â€œAround here everyone pretty much knows everyone, don’t they, Seth?” Becca said.
    Seth shot her a look that said “Huh?” as well as if he’d said it aloud.
    Becca added, “Is that how it is in Nelson?” to Parker.
    â€œS’pose,” Parker said. He went over to the cot and tested it. He looked out of the window and worked its crank to open and close it. He said, “Amazing,” to Seth. “You got some major talent.”
    â€œI c’n build and play the guitar is all. When it comes to—”
    â€œI got a cousin up there,” Becca said desperately. “Maybe you know her?”
    â€œMaybe,” Parker said. “My family’s got a restaurant downtown. It’s been there pretty much forever and there’re slews of regulars. What’s her name?”
    â€œLaurel Armstrong.” Becca knew it was an incredible risk, but she had to take it. Nelson was where her mom had been heading when she’d dropped Becca at the Mukilteo ferry for the ride over to Whidbey Island. But it was long past the time that her mom should have returned to claim her and to whisk her to her new life in British Columbia. Becca added, “Well, she’s my mom’s cousin really, so she’s a lot older than me, like in her forties?”
    Parker smiled his dazzling smile. “Then I wouldn’t know her ’cause mostly I go for the younger feministas. What’s her name again?”
    Becca said, “Laurel Armstrong,” although the truth of the matter was that, for all she knew, her mom had adopted another name.
    â€œNever heard of her. Is she—”
    Becca cut in. She couldn’t let a big deal be made of this. She said and tried to sound cheerful about it, “Oh. I just wondered, is all. Hey, want me to show you where the bathroom is? I mean, in the house. It’s next to my bedroom.”
    Parker offered that smile again and said, “Sure.”
    Becca tried to ignore the look Seth cast in her direction.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    BUT SHE COULDN’T ignore his whispers on the way back to the house. He was throwing a ball for Gus to seem like someone occupied with his dog but all the time his mind was asking
what’s the deal
and
maybe this was a
ve-ry
bad idea
and
I already made my peace with that dude and if Beck hooks up
and on and on. Becca gritted her teeth. Soon enough they were back where they’d started, she’d shown Parker where the downstairs bathroom was, she’d said that she bet Seth’s grandpa wouldn’t mind if he brought some food inside to keep in the old fridge, and they were all back outside where Derric was still stacking firewood.
    She could tell Seth was eager to get Parker out of there. She could tell that Derric was