good. We’ve gotten pretty close.”
Nora nodded. “Well, it’s just Gran and me, and she’s hardly ever home. I’m usually on my own at the condo, and I think I’m the only one in the building who’s under the age of seventy. But at least there’s a pool,”Nora said.
I hated the idea of Nora sitting alone in an empty apartment without anyone to talk to.
“What are you doing now?”I asked impulsively. “Do you want to come over to my house?”
Nora hesitated, but then finally she shrugged. “Okay. Why not?”
Chapter Seven
W hen I pulled into the gravel drive of the beach house, there was a familiar red Mini Cooper parked next to Hannah’s black SUV.
“What on earth is he doing here?”I muttered.
“What?”Nora asked.
“That’s Finn’s car,”I said. Even if there was another red Mini Cooper out there, it probably didn’t have a bumper sticker that read: IF IT WEREN’T FOR PHYSICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, I’D BE UNSTOP-PABLE.
“That funny guy from school?”Nora asked.
“If by funny you mean the annoying smart-ass, then yes. That’s Finn,”I said as I turned off the car and opened the door. “I wonder what he’s doing here.”
“He’s probably waiting for you,”Nora said as she also got out of the car. She seemed relieved to be away from the stinky smell and out in the fresh air.
“He didn’t mention he was coming over,”I said.
“Maybe he wanted it to be a surprise.”
I shuddered. “That’s a truly horrifying thought. The last time Finn tried to surprise me, he did it by posting gossip about me on a Web site.”
“Why?”Nora asked.
“Exactly. That is the eternal question when it comes to Finn. Why? ”I slammed the door shut. “The answer is usually some typically twisted Finn logic that no normal, sane person would ever understand.”
“Are you guys together?”Nora asked, as we headed up the walk to the front door.
“Together?”I repeated. “Wait . . . you mean, together together? As in dating? You’re kidding, right?”
Nora nodded. “Why? He’s sort of cute.”
“Ugh,”I said. “I mean, that would be like dating my brother. If I had a brother. And if that brother spent all of his free time playing disturbing video games.”I shook my head and opened the front door. “I’m going to forget you even suggested it.”
Nora giggled. It was the first time I’d really heard her laugh. I grinned back at her.
When I opened the front door, Willow was already there waiting for me, her long body wriggling happily.
“Hi, girl. This is Nora,”I said, stroking my dog’s pretty brindle head.
Nora hesitated, looking warily at Willow. Which was odd. People usually love meeting Willow. She was sweet and beautiful and not even the tiniest bit aggressive. Willow’s only enemy was Madonna, Hannah’s white puffball of a cat. Every time the two of them got into a tussle, Willow came out on the losing end. She’d had her nose scratched enough times that it made her jumpy to even be in the same room as Madonna.
“I’m not really a dog person,”Nora said.
“Don’t worry. Willow’s really sweet,”I said.
Willow stuck out her long nose and sniffed in Nora’s direction, but didn’t approach her. Instead, the greyhound turned back to me for some more love. I was surprised. Normally, Willow loves to meet new people. I gave her back one last scratch and then said, “Come on. Let’s go find out what Finn’s up to.”
It didn’t take long to find him. Finn was sitting at the kitchen table, tapping away on Hannah’s laptop, while she—wearing a Bluetooth earpiece—stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. The whole thing was bizarre. Hannah and Finn barely knew each other. And, to make the scene just that much odder, Avery Tallis was perched on one of the tall stools lined up next to the kitchen island.
Avery—who had a thin, pointed face and short, dark hair—used to be at the beach house all the time, back when she and Hannah were best friends.
Nora nodded. “Well, it’s just Gran and me, and she’s hardly ever home. I’m usually on my own at the condo, and I think I’m the only one in the building who’s under the age of seventy. But at least there’s a pool,”Nora said.
I hated the idea of Nora sitting alone in an empty apartment without anyone to talk to.
“What are you doing now?”I asked impulsively. “Do you want to come over to my house?”
Nora hesitated, but then finally she shrugged. “Okay. Why not?”
Chapter Seven
W hen I pulled into the gravel drive of the beach house, there was a familiar red Mini Cooper parked next to Hannah’s black SUV.
“What on earth is he doing here?”I muttered.
“What?”Nora asked.
“That’s Finn’s car,”I said. Even if there was another red Mini Cooper out there, it probably didn’t have a bumper sticker that read: IF IT WEREN’T FOR PHYSICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, I’D BE UNSTOP-PABLE.
“That funny guy from school?”Nora asked.
“If by funny you mean the annoying smart-ass, then yes. That’s Finn,”I said as I turned off the car and opened the door. “I wonder what he’s doing here.”
“He’s probably waiting for you,”Nora said as she also got out of the car. She seemed relieved to be away from the stinky smell and out in the fresh air.
“He didn’t mention he was coming over,”I said.
“Maybe he wanted it to be a surprise.”
I shuddered. “That’s a truly horrifying thought. The last time Finn tried to surprise me, he did it by posting gossip about me on a Web site.”
“Why?”Nora asked.
“Exactly. That is the eternal question when it comes to Finn. Why? ”I slammed the door shut. “The answer is usually some typically twisted Finn logic that no normal, sane person would ever understand.”
“Are you guys together?”Nora asked, as we headed up the walk to the front door.
“Together?”I repeated. “Wait . . . you mean, together together? As in dating? You’re kidding, right?”
Nora nodded. “Why? He’s sort of cute.”
“Ugh,”I said. “I mean, that would be like dating my brother. If I had a brother. And if that brother spent all of his free time playing disturbing video games.”I shook my head and opened the front door. “I’m going to forget you even suggested it.”
Nora giggled. It was the first time I’d really heard her laugh. I grinned back at her.
When I opened the front door, Willow was already there waiting for me, her long body wriggling happily.
“Hi, girl. This is Nora,”I said, stroking my dog’s pretty brindle head.
Nora hesitated, looking warily at Willow. Which was odd. People usually love meeting Willow. She was sweet and beautiful and not even the tiniest bit aggressive. Willow’s only enemy was Madonna, Hannah’s white puffball of a cat. Every time the two of them got into a tussle, Willow came out on the losing end. She’d had her nose scratched enough times that it made her jumpy to even be in the same room as Madonna.
“I’m not really a dog person,”Nora said.
“Don’t worry. Willow’s really sweet,”I said.
Willow stuck out her long nose and sniffed in Nora’s direction, but didn’t approach her. Instead, the greyhound turned back to me for some more love. I was surprised. Normally, Willow loves to meet new people. I gave her back one last scratch and then said, “Come on. Let’s go find out what Finn’s up to.”
It didn’t take long to find him. Finn was sitting at the kitchen table, tapping away on Hannah’s laptop, while she—wearing a Bluetooth earpiece—stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. The whole thing was bizarre. Hannah and Finn barely knew each other. And, to make the scene just that much odder, Avery Tallis was perched on one of the tall stools lined up next to the kitchen island.
Avery—who had a thin, pointed face and short, dark hair—used to be at the beach house all the time, back when she and Hannah were best friends.
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