Current Impressions Read Free Page B

his sister, Katie, usually
meant well, but she was often just a brat. Professor Nolan offered
to help him get one of the few exclusive apartments on campus, but
Evan declined. His mom would be heartbroken if he didn’t come home,
at least for this summer. Next year, maybe he could finagle it.
    It surprised him how quickly his parents
agreed to the internship. He hadn’t expected it, and he’d prepared
a list of reasons why he should be able to go. He didn’t even need
to use the list once. They both agreed almost immediately that it
was a great opportunity for him, and he should take it. He wasn’t
sure if they realized he planned to see Meara or not, and if that
factored into their decision, but he didn’t really care. In the
end, he got what he wanted, and that was all that mattered.
    He parked the car and moved to get out, but
a flash of white on the backseat caught his eye. Meara’s sweater.
He didn’t remember her taking it off. Reaching between the seats,
he picked it up. Evan held it to his nose and closed his eyes.
Sunshine and fresh air—she always smelled like that to him. She
didn’t wear perfume, but she didn’t need to. Her scent was
mesmerizing enough.
    He took the sweater with him and shoved it
in the picnic basket before going into the house. He didn’t want
Katie to see it and tease him, but he also didn’t want to let it
go. It was all he had of Meara now.
    Ebb and Flow, his springer spaniels, greeted
him at the door, tails wagging and tongues hanging happily. He
scratched them both generously before heading toward the staircase.
He’d drop his things off in his room first.
    The house was quiet. The graduation party
must have ended, and Meara’s grandparents already gone home. He
knew his dad was leaving for a business meeting in Toronto, and
more than likely, his mom was in the kitchen baking for tomorrow’s
breakfast. Evan’s family ran a bed and breakfast. With his dad’s
sales job and travel schedule, his mom handled most of the
day-to-day responsibilities. Thinking of it made him feel guilty.
Most summers, he and Katie helped when they could. This summer, Mom
would only have Katie most of the time, and she wasn’t that much
help.
    “What’s in the basket?” Katie stood in her
doorway, arms crossed.
    No such luck avoiding her , Evan
thought as he shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing really, just some
dirty glasses and a picnic blanket.”
    Katie’s eyes filled with sympathy. She knew
Meara left with David, but she didn’t know the real story. “I’m
sorry, Evan. I know you’ll miss her.”
    “Yeah. Thanks.” He was anxious to put the
basket in his room before she asked to take a look, but he didn’t
want to show it. “Where’s Mom?”
    Katie lifted her shoulder. “I dunno. I was
on the phone with Brian.”
    Nodding, Evan tried not to let his
irritation show. Sure, Brian was Katie’s boyfriend, but he was also
Evan’s teammate. Evan liked Brian as a friend, and even better as a
hockey player. He’d hate to deal with the fallout if they broke up.
He never talked with Brian about his sister, though. That would be
too weird.
    “I’m just going to go in my room for a bit…”
Evan stalled. He really didn’t want Katie to follow him.
    Katie studied him, and then nodded. “Yeah,
okay. I’ll go down and help Mom.”
    Once Evan closed his door, he sagged against
it. He hadn’t realized how hard he avoided fighting with Katie. She
was always asking about what Meara’s secret was, and he refused to
say. It wasn’t his secret to tell, but he was growing tired of her
questions. He certainly didn’t have the energy for it now. A
nagging headache thrummed behind his right eye. He’d noticed it on
and off over the last month. Painkillers didn’t seem to help. He
wasn’t worried, though. Probably wasn’t anything more than
stress.
    He put the basket on his desk and pulled out
Meara’s sweater. Tucking it under his pillow, he sprawled across
his bed and promptly fell