Helena's car was in the shop again. So a friend at work dropped her in the marketplace on her way home, and Lena walked up from there to the inn. She'd left a message for Jon earlier; hopefully, he'd gotten it, but as she checked her phone again for the twentieth time that afternoon, she was frowning. She clomped up the porch steps, shoving it into her pocket as she passed the handful of people who lingered outside.
Jon got the message, but didn't answer it, assuming his sister would meet him at the inn, as planned. He was running a little bit late when he pulled his precious Bentley up in front of the inn and climbed out, setting the car alarm and heading up the walkway.
A hand on the knob and a slight lean of her shoulder against the door carried her inside. Her destination: the bar.
He thought he caught sight of his sister just heading inside and hurried up the porch stairs after her. "Lena!"
Already inside, she missed him calling. But it was just as well. She slowed as she got closer. The woman who'd come into the spaceport bar talking about Jon and divorce was there. She watched her for a step or two, and then picked up the pace. Maybe this would be her chance to find out what was going on.
"Hello." Though she was already deep in conversation with someone else, Helena was patient. She slipped behind the bar with a dimpled grin and a long study of the couple stolen in peeks while she got herself some coffee.
He noticed a few familiar faces - very few. Namely Ella and Helena, and a few others he didn't know by name. He ducked his head like he was heading into battle and started toward the bar. Time to put on his game face. He tossed an amicable wave to Ella, before coming to a halt at the bar.
Jon's arrival squelched any plans she'd had for privately quizzing the woman. And he knew what she'd been planning; she could tell from the look on his face before he turned into Jonathan Granger: Film Star and Heart-throb!
"Coffee?"
"Hey, Lena! Sorry I'm late. I lost track of time." Or something like that. "Coffee would be great, thanks."
She handed over the cup she hadn't sipped from yet, and went back to the pot to pour a second for herself. "No problem. I just got here."
He took the cup from her and took a sip, settling his tall self on a stool. "You wanted to meet me here?" he asked, lowering the cup and setting it on the bar top.
"I thought it would be closer for you than having you drive all the way over to the mill. I need a ride home...." Her brow creased, and she looked mostly amused. "Did the message cut off on me again?"
"You said to meet you here and here I am." He flashed the dimpled Jon Granger grin, hoping his charm would work on his sister.
"O-kayyy."
He glanced at the girl who just darted off and smirked at his sister. "I think you just scared her away."
"Probably. I do that a lot, thanks." She made a face at him and blew on her coffee. "Sorry to be a pain about the ride, I wasn't going to bother you. I just haven't seen Eli around for a while and I didn't want to ask Merideth to drive all the way out to Maple Grove."
His expression turned serious. "It's not a problem. I have a little time before I have to be at the theater." He took a sip of his coffee, feeling more than a little awkward. When had he started feeling awkward around her" "I haven't seen Eli either." Not that he would. Lena was the one Eli kept in touch with, not him, but all things considered, he was a little concerned. He was worried about foul play, namely that of a certain vampire.
If he was worried, she was more so. "He hasn't come back to the house, from what I can tell, in a couple of weeks, and he hasn't called. I'd check the clinic where he works, but he never told me where it was, exactly."
He was frowning worriedly now and assuming the worst. It made sense that the vampire would want to hurt Eli, since Eli had been responsible for killing her fledgling. But did the vampire know that, and if so, had she plucked the information from his head" All these thoughts went through Jon's mind unsaid, a look of worried concern on his face. His face paled a little, remembering Josephine's threat, wondering if she'd made good on it or if she was still meaning to do so. "You don't think..." He trailed off, leaving the thought unsaid.
"What' What don't I think?"
"Maybe you should ask Caro if you can stay at the big house for a while. Just until, you know..."
"No." Flat and unequivocal denial. "Why don't you tell me what?s going on instead of hiding things?"
"I'm not hiding things." A shifty eyed gaze as he took a sip of his coffee. And if you believe that, he's got some swamp land to sell you. For an actor, he was never a very good liar when it came to his sister.
She set the coffee cup down and slipped out from behind the bar, heading to the door as she answered. "Right. Look, I'm just going to call a cabbie at the market. You need to get to the theater anyway, and I don't want to keep you from things you need to do."
He frowned over at his sister. "Look, Lena....I just....worry about you is all. I..." He glanced around the room again, knowing the walls had ears, his gaze settling on Ella for a moment.
Jon got the message, but didn't answer it, assuming his sister would meet him at the inn, as planned. He was running a little bit late when he pulled his precious Bentley up in front of the inn and climbed out, setting the car alarm and heading up the walkway.
A hand on the knob and a slight lean of her shoulder against the door carried her inside. Her destination: the bar.
He thought he caught sight of his sister just heading inside and hurried up the porch stairs after her. "Lena!"
Already inside, she missed him calling. But it was just as well. She slowed as she got closer. The woman who'd come into the spaceport bar talking about Jon and divorce was there. She watched her for a step or two, and then picked up the pace. Maybe this would be her chance to find out what was going on.
"Hello." Though she was already deep in conversation with someone else, Helena was patient. She slipped behind the bar with a dimpled grin and a long study of the couple stolen in peeks while she got herself some coffee.
He noticed a few familiar faces - very few. Namely Ella and Helena, and a few others he didn't know by name. He ducked his head like he was heading into battle and started toward the bar. Time to put on his game face. He tossed an amicable wave to Ella, before coming to a halt at the bar.
Jon's arrival squelched any plans she'd had for privately quizzing the woman. And he knew what she'd been planning; she could tell from the look on his face before he turned into Jonathan Granger: Film Star and Heart-throb!
"Coffee?"
"Hey, Lena! Sorry I'm late. I lost track of time." Or something like that. "Coffee would be great, thanks."
She handed over the cup she hadn't sipped from yet, and went back to the pot to pour a second for herself. "No problem. I just got here."
He took the cup from her and took a sip, settling his tall self on a stool. "You wanted to meet me here?" he asked, lowering the cup and setting it on the bar top.
"I thought it would be closer for you than having you drive all the way over to the mill. I need a ride home...." Her brow creased, and she looked mostly amused. "Did the message cut off on me again?"
"You said to meet you here and here I am." He flashed the dimpled Jon Granger grin, hoping his charm would work on his sister.
"O-kayyy."
He glanced at the girl who just darted off and smirked at his sister. "I think you just scared her away."
"Probably. I do that a lot, thanks." She made a face at him and blew on her coffee. "Sorry to be a pain about the ride, I wasn't going to bother you. I just haven't seen Eli around for a while and I didn't want to ask Merideth to drive all the way out to Maple Grove."
His expression turned serious. "It's not a problem. I have a little time before I have to be at the theater." He took a sip of his coffee, feeling more than a little awkward. When had he started feeling awkward around her" "I haven't seen Eli either." Not that he would. Lena was the one Eli kept in touch with, not him, but all things considered, he was a little concerned. He was worried about foul play, namely that of a certain vampire.
If he was worried, she was more so. "He hasn't come back to the house, from what I can tell, in a couple of weeks, and he hasn't called. I'd check the clinic where he works, but he never told me where it was, exactly."
He was frowning worriedly now and assuming the worst. It made sense that the vampire would want to hurt Eli, since Eli had been responsible for killing her fledgling. But did the vampire know that, and if so, had she plucked the information from his head" All these thoughts went through Jon's mind unsaid, a look of worried concern on his face. His face paled a little, remembering Josephine's threat, wondering if she'd made good on it or if she was still meaning to do so. "You don't think..." He trailed off, leaving the thought unsaid.
"What' What don't I think?"
"Maybe you should ask Caro if you can stay at the big house for a while. Just until, you know..."
"No." Flat and unequivocal denial. "Why don't you tell me what?s going on instead of hiding things?"
"I'm not hiding things." A shifty eyed gaze as he took a sip of his coffee. And if you believe that, he's got some swamp land to sell you. For an actor, he was never a very good liar when it came to his sister.
She set the coffee cup down and slipped out from behind the bar, heading to the door as she answered. "Right. Look, I'm just going to call a cabbie at the market. You need to get to the theater anyway, and I don't want to keep you from things you need to do."
He frowned over at his sister. "Look, Lena....I just....worry about you is all. I..." He glanced around the room again, knowing the walls had ears, his gaze settling on Ella for a moment.