BOOK 6

'Uh , don’t let Dustin annoy you,’ Eunice said as she shuffled over to take the seat he’d vacated beside Jill. Having been standing in the doorway, she’d heard her son’s parting shot to Jill. ‘He’s picking on you.’

Relief Elled Jill. ‘I’m glad you think so.’

‘I know so.’ Eunice frowned for a second, the porcelain skin on her forehead furrowing a bit. ‘Although I’ve never seen him act this way around anyone before.’

‘Lovely.’

Eunice looked at her. ‘It is rather strange, isn’t it? I mean, Dustin is a quiet person, but you seem to bring out a new side of him.’

She wouldn’t know about a new side. It was hard enough to be comfortable with any of Dustin’s sides. Yet she thought she understood what Eunice was trying to say: that in Dustin’s own awkward way, he was trying to make her feel at home. Sort of like a sister, maybe.

The sudden thought occurred to her that perhaps that wasn’t the way she wanted Dustin to view her at all. He had said once that he found her attractive more attractive