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Prologue

Weston

“Crosby Dashen, sit down and get that et dirt on the carpet, you’ll blow our cover and we’re all going to get caught!”

So around a house cat She shrugged at me with indifference and plopped down on her butt She was caked withthree of her four front teeth I sighed in exasperation Of course, Asa took off and left me to deal with the kid

“Sorry I yelled But you never listen” I grabbed a towel and started to clean off the mud She crossed her arms as if miffed This kid was a hellion But she hip-smart, and on the rare occasion, she could also be a sweetheart

We’d been in the creek, cli for either trouble or treasure Asa had to pee and jetted for the bathroom, but we needed to cover the evidence of our adventure before the Dashens got ho our homework So, it was up to me to clean up his kid sister’s muddy feet

“It tickles,” she said, squir I held her ankles still and ran the damp towel between her toes to clean out the s and was at that stage in life where her feet and legs see to like girls, just a kid at the tiht, even if she was a massive pain in the butt

“You better hide your shoes, birdbrain” She eyed the mud on my Jordans and continued to kick her feet in my lap

“The things I do for you, Crosby Someday, you’ll appreciate my love”

“Gross, you’re worse than my brother, Weston!” With that, she rubbed mud from the side of her foot onto my brand-nehite T-shirt

“Pest!” I yelled after her as I chased her through the kitchen It was the first time I’d worn it; I at least wanted to be the one to ruin it ed offpain in the rear, but I laughed at the face she’d made when I told her I loved her