The uncle turned right around on his heel, and the way he ascended the stairs reminded me of how Cherry did the same when she had to go back up for her phone, her wallet, and appropriate outdoor shoes.
“He seems sweet,” Cherry whispered after waiting long enough. “Although a bit like a Hollywood stereotype of what they think a Southern person might be.”
I nodded along and thought about telling her an abridged version of his history, but then I heard the sharp sound of high heels slowly approaching down another hall. Looking in that direction, I expected one of their staff members to finally appear, only to see that it was the lady of the house.
Mrs. McElroy’s expression was one of surprise, so I got the impression that her son hadn’t talked to her yet. Also, the way her scent suddenly shifted toward panic reminded me that she wasn’t the most social of butterflies. Not that there was anything wrong with that; in fact, I was considering becoming a hermit after this whole scenario was solved and my family got to rest in peace.
“Oh, goodness,” she said in that raspy voice of hers. “I didn’t know we were due for a visit!”
“We weren’t exactly scheduled,” I said, shaking the basket in my arm a little. “Consider this an impromptu show of my family’s gratitude.”
“That’s just lovely! You wait right here; I know my son has been just dying to talk to you!”
Before Cherry or I could explain that he was the one who brought us in, she was already off and rapidly disappearing back around the corner she had emerged from. I didn’t know if she was just that eager to get away from us or that enthusiastic about telling Tadgh that we were there, but either way, she was gone.
“I’m beginning to sense a pattern here,” Cherry murmured before I, once again, heard footsteps.
Third time had to be the charm, right?
Unfortunately, not.
This time it was one of the daughters entering, the one who had just graduated college. Four staff members followed her,rolling along heavy suitcases or carrying boxes that put the size of my basket to shame.
“Whoa, wait a minute, aren’t you?—”
“One of the VanMarches,” I gently interrupted her, not wanting to go through the whole thing for a third time. “Yes, I’m?—”
“You’re Jackson, right? The baby of the family! Man, have I heard some wild stories aboutyou!”
I was trying to be patient,(peace, serenity, control!)as that had always been my thing, (more peace, more serenity, more control)but their inability to remember my name was beginning to grate at my nerves. For God’s sake, they’d all just shaken my hand at a funeral and run away after we’d been attacked by an assassin! The least they could do was be a good ally and remember who I was!
Although, I certainly don’t know all their names... but I am sure I would if two of their family members had recently died and the details of it were still very much a hush-hush mystery!
“This is Paul VanMarche the Third,” Cherry said firmly, and I would forever appreciate how she could code switch from her somewhat Buffy-speak to consummate professional in less than a second flat. “Jackson, the youngest, is currently in a rehabilitation program below the border.”
That wasn’t true, but it was a good cover to explain why our party animal and borderline socialite of a youngest brother hadn’t been seen in quite a while.
“What, really? I don’t remember there being a Paul.”
Yeah, apparently no one did…
“But you know who’s gonnalovethat you’re here? My uncle Jedediah! I’m sure he has a million questions to ask you! Here, let me go get him!”
She rushed off, and this time Cherry and I didn’t even try to stop the retreating McElroy. Instead, she and I exchanged glances.
Cherry waited a safe amount of time yet again before standing on tiptoe to whisper closer to my ear.
“Do you want me to go do my thing?”
I must have been more hard up than I thought, because when she mentioned doing her thing, my mind went to the way she gripped me, milking my cock when I climaxed. And what was worse, I could tell that she saw the flare of lust in my emotions, because one of her eyebrows shot up.
“Byyour thing, do you mean sneak off and investigate?”
“Yeah. What didyou think I meant?”
“Not important. But?—”
For once, fortune smiled down on me, because much louder footsteps began to echo down yet another hall attached to the foyer. I gave Cherry the signal that someone was coming, and she dropped the subject just in time for a strapping mountain of a shifter to come in with the tea tray.