“What?” Clover’s heart seized up in her chest. “Why? What does she want?”
“I don’t know. Imogen came and told me about it. I told the rest of the kids to shift and beat it. They’re all in the woods hiding out in trees right now. I’m hiding behind the shed out back. I don’t deal well with authority. Also the no climbing thing.” With a bear shifter for a mother and a coyote shifter for a father, all of the children were bear shifters – except Autumn. Her coyote form could run, but couldn’t climb worth a damn.
“Fine. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. Don’t panic.” Clover struggled to keep the fear from her voice.
“You’re the one panicking. I am calm like Buddha. Also fast like ninja. She won’t get her claws into me.” Autumn hung up.
Clover quickly headed back to the boarding house, her stomach turning to water as she careened around sharp curves in the narrow country road. What if the social services lady made a big stink about the kids being there? Autumn didn’t have money for next week’s meals, much less a lawyer.
She pulled up in front of the boarding house in a cloud of smoke, noting the station wagon parked out front.
Imogen and Rick met her at the door. “Don’t you worry,” Imogen said reassuringly as Clover ran up the front steps. “I told her nothing but good things about you and the children, and it’s all true.”
“Thank you.” Clover cleared her throat; her mouth had gone dry and her palms were sweaty.
Imogen led her to the living room. Rick followed them in, and stood with Imogen just inside the doorway.
A thirtyish woman with a tailored pant suit and a frosted bouffant sat in one of the armchairs. She was a bear shifter. Clover’s heart sank. Was that just coincidence? Had Sam sent her, for revenge?
“Clover Jones?” the woman asked, surveying her critically. Clover winced at the woman’s obvious disapproval and wished she’d dressed better, in one of her few nice outfits.
“Yes. And you are?”
The woman handed her a card. Bonnie Rhoads. Social services.
Clover sat down on the couch and tucked the card into her purse.
“Can I help you?” Clover asked, trying not to show how nervous she was. “What is the reason for your visit?”
“We received some information about your family that caused us to be concerned,” Bonnie said, surveying Clover with a critical eye and wrinkling her nose just the tiniest bit. “Are your parents here?”
“I am the legal guardian of my siblings. I can show you the paperwork.”
“Yes, I’d appreciate that.” Bonnie’s tone was clipped, her smile tight. She’d judged Clover and found her wanting, Clover could tell.
They’d just arrived in town the day before. Who could have called to complain? It had to be Sam, trying to run them out of town before Clover got a chance to speak to his brother. That bastard.
Clover hurried upstairs and brought the paperwork down. She handed it to Bonnie and sat back down on the couch.
Bonnie looked over it very carefully for several excruciating minutes.
Then she looked up at Clover.
“Where exactly are your parents?”
“Traveling. Currently out of touch. As you see, I’m the legal guardian of my brother and sisters, so it doesn’t really matter where they are.” Clover struggled to keep her temper under control. Yelling at this woman would only make things worse.
“You’re staying in a boarding house, so you clearly have no permanent residence. You’re single, and you’re only twenty-one.” Bonnie recited each fact as a damning indictment. As if they were living in the woods and eating out of dumpsters.
Damn it. Yes, she had no permanent residence at the moment. Clover had just left behind her waitressing job and her apartment in New York. Had that been a mistake? Should she have found a bigger apartment, settled down there with the kids and let Sapphire deal with her own mess? At least she’d had a job there. If only her parents and her sister hadn’t decided to have major crises at exactly the same time.
“My age is irrelevant. I’m legally an adult. I’ve never been in trouble with the law, and I am perfectly capable of caring for my family,” Clover said, hoping that her voice wasn’t shaking.
“And how are you employed?” Bonnie looked down her nose at Clover. Clover’s heart sank. Living in a boarding house, absent parents, unemployed…
“She works for my company doing social media marketing,” Sam’s voice boomed out from the doorway.
Clover started. She had been so distracted by Bonnie’s inquisition that she hadn’t even heard Sam pull up.