“He’s just grumpy because he feels like pink stools aren’t manly,” Blossom explained. “I’m proud of you for not giving Sesame face boils even though you’re threatened by her, sweetie.”
“Gee. Thanks, Mom.”
“Oh! I’m making my special kombucha party punch for Nick’s birthday party,” Blossom said.
“Party?” Riley repeated.
“Gabe told us about the surprise party you’re throwing Nick,” Wander explained.
“Yes. I am very excited to attend my first surprise party,” Gabe admitted.
“Right. Nick’s surprise birthday party,” Riley said, kicking herself for the throwaway fib that had come back to haunt her.
Jasmine put her hands on her hips. “You’re throwing a Halloween surprise party and you didn’t tell me?”
“Well—”
“I already got my costume picked out,” her dad announced proudly as he helped her mom out of the sink.
“What’s the theme?” Jasmine asked Riley.
“I haven’t really gotten that far,” she admitted.
“I’m going as a Scottish laird,” Fred said from the toilet tank.
Everyone started discussing costumes as Riley’s internal panic rose another notch.
Gabe approached. “Are you all right?”
It wasn’t the time or place for a private conversation, so she looked him straight in the sternum and fibbed. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.”
To be fair, she didn’t know what had actually happened. She just knew that she’d messed up. Big time. She felt exactly the way Diana Hendricks had looked in high school when she’d crumpled to the soccer field after the audible pop of her ACL tearing.
“I sensed something amiss. I felt your powers—”
“Hey! You know what?” Riley interrupted him with a pat on the muscley chest. “Why don’t you and Wander grab some lunch? You guys were a huge help today, and you deserve a break. Maybe you could decide on a party theme for me?”
Gabe stood a little taller. “You would entrust me with this important duty?” he asked, forgetting all about the something amiss.
“I would trust you with anything,” Riley said truthfully.
Wander’s shy smile lit up the bathroom. “I’d love to have lunch with you. Have you been to the Vegetable Hunter yet, Gabe?”
“Nothing would give me more pleasure,” the man mountain said to her sister. Gabe turned back to Riley. “Use caution, and please don’t give away your phone to an elderly person.”
“I promise,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze. Well, it was more of a pinch since her fingers didn’t quite span the top of his forearm. “Oh, wait! Before everyone disbands, remember the most important thing…”
“Don’t tell Nick,” they all said.
16
10:15 a.m., Saturday, October 26
“You’re out of your jurisdiction,” Nick called out as he approached the man playing a one-sided game of chess on a cardboard box. His friend Perry was wearing a cast-off rugby sweater two sizes too big and a snazzy fedora with a feather in it.
Perry combed a hand over his white beard without looking up from the chess board. “Nicky Santiago. Looking for your friend?”
Nick handed over the second coffee he was carrying and took the vacant seat across the board. “Now, how’d you know that?”
