1:58 p.m., Sunday, August 16
When Nick pulled up in front of Riley’s parents’ house, they found Roger in the front yard, spraying Daisy the cow with a garden hose.
“Okay. Let’s agree that our families are equally weird,” he said.
“We’ll probably miss them when we’re drinking in the Costa Rican rainforest,” Riley mused.
They got out of the vehicle. “What’s the big emergency, Dad?” she called.
But he didn’t respond. Nick noticed he was wearing headphones. Just a man, some music, and his cow. Roger Thorn was a simple man.
With an eye-roll and several muttered four-letter words, Riley led the way onto the porch and in through the front door.
“Mom,” she bellowed.
Blossom appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a flowy tunic over an equally flowy skirt. Both were embroidered with a pattern that looked suspiciously like female anatomy. She had a dusty cardboard box in her hands and a cigarette in her mouth.
“It’s about time!” Blossom announced.
Riley gasped. “Are you smoking?”
“Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous,” Blossom lied, stomping down the stairs and shoving the box at Nick.
“Hi, Nick. It’s nice to see you. Can I borrow your strong arms for a second?”
“Mom, if you called us over here just to get Nick to move some furniture again—”
But Blossom was already rounding the corner, heading toward the sun porch where she did her tarot readings.
Nick peeked into the box and found dozens of white pillar candles. All with a fine coat of dust on the wax.
He put it down next to the front door and followed the women.
“Why is Dad hosing down Daisy?” Riley asked.
“Your father and that cow.” Blossom tsked. “Daisy has cow dandruff, and her constant scratching on the fence has Chelsea in a tizzy. Your father is using special cow dandruff shampoo on her to stop his precious heifer from itching.”
“Is that the big emergency?”
Blossom stubbed the cigarette out in an incense burner. “No, of course not. Nick, be a dear and reach into the top shelf of this closet and get all those boxes down for me?”
“What’s with the headphones?” Riley asked.
“It was the only way I could get Roger to agree not to leave until my mother goes home. Noise-canceling headphones. He’s been wearing them 24/7.”
Nick dragged a chair into the closet and went to work unloading the top shelf while Riley interrogated her mother.
“What is going on?” Riley demanded.
“Oh. You know your grandmother. She lives to hurl my life into chaos,” Blossom said.
He pulled the first box down. It was labeled Cloaks. The second box was labeled Event Crystals.
“Are these what you’re looking for?” he asked, setting the boxes on the rug.
“Yes! Thank you, Nick. You are such a big help.”
“Mom, why is Nick getting your demonstration supplies down?”
