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Leaning down, I skim the pebbles for a few s to the faint plunking sounds as they hit the water

The water

The idea bloo a ripple of excite

"What’s that smile for?"

I hold out the te my patience now Hand it on over"

I do, and then ball my fists under my armpits and hold my breath as she squints at the temporary driver’s license that the niceSheriff Gabe had e last week Then he used his position to cut whatever red tape was required to get me a driver’s license test I earned a perfect score The petite, dark-haired wo for years

I knohen Ginny reaches the line that shows erald?"

"I hope you don’twith the whole cousin story, then it ht make sense" That’s the official explanation that Meredith and I caot hurt in a car wreck It ," she offers in an unusually soft tone I wait for her to make some snide comment about my choice of first name When she doesn’t, I exhale in relief

"So, if you don’t o far, I promise" I pat my phone in my fleecy pocket "And I have my phone on me, just in case" I’ve left Ginny’s ranch several times with Meredith and Sheriff Gabe, but now I’m desperate to wrapwheel and just drive off, with no destination in ible noise in response and then turns her focus back to her quilt, her slippered foot pushing off on the wooden floor to get the bench swinging again

I don’t wait another second I walk as fast as I can and cli truck I’ve driven it up and down the driveway for le as I turn the key Finally the diesel engine relents, kicking in with a slight rattling sound

With a wave toward Ginny, I ease it into drive and give it gas

She watches ht smile on her lips

SEVENTEEN

Jesse

then

"Jesse?" There’s soets h my veins in an instant

"Uh" I roll my head to check on Boone, stretched out on the other side of the sectional, re over to work on the car tonight?"

I check the digital numbers on the cable box Nine thirty I’ve done exactly what I planned on doing all day today Sweet fk all, while nursing a hangover I went out to shoot soht I ended up drinking tooevery woman who approached me to Alex They all fell short Needless to say, I came home alone "No plans on it" It’ll take Viktor a week or two--at least--to "appropriate" the parts, I’ to tell you not to bother The power’s out with the storm"

"Really?" This is the worst November I’ve seen in Portland yet I’m surprised we haven’t lost our power too "It’ll be back up soon, though, right?" Back in Sisters, when there’s a good storm and it knocks our power out, it can be down for an entire night But Viktor and Alex live in a rich neighborhood I’et priority service, even with the electric companies

"It was out for hours the last two tionna do until then? Too early to go to bed, I guess?" There’s not e except sleep andwell, I’ Viktor isn’t there

"I’ve checked into a hotel I can’t sleep when the power goes out and I’ to be alone all night, weren’t you"

"Yeah" I hear the hurt in her voice I have a good idea why he’s not coers snap to , "Who’s that?"

I answer hi I need is for hishe just wants to talk

Or e limb and ask, "You want company?"

There’s a moment of hesitation, then, "Yes"

I spend all of three seconds evaluating whether this is a good idea It is 100 percent not a good idea

"Where are you?"

The second she opens the door into her di, shiny blond hair, I feel the urge to tangle h to let h that our shoulders brush and I catch her perfume Much e point, I have a good vien her loose purple top and I try not to stare

"You look good I loith a blush She scans the soft, navy V-neck I grabbed fro outside on our balcony, having a sht, I wanted to look good