“Nightmares,” Will mumbled. “We keep getting ’em.”
Kate leaned in, wiggling her sticky fingers. “About a scary hamster.”
Pepper pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh in their small, serious faces. “Oh?”
“Henry. Their pet hamster escaped the cage last week.” Elizabeth gave her a look that saidthe horror, the horror. “He hasn’t been found.”
“We think he died and his ghost is haunting us.”
“I see,” Pepper nodded gravely. “Then there’s only one solution.”
“Call Ghostbusters?” Will fired off an imaginary blaster.
“Great idea, but mine’s better.” Pepper flipped over her paper mat. “May I borrow a crayon?”
Kate passed a red one.
Elizabeth propped her chin in her hand, curious.
“Whenever my sister and I used to have bad dreams, we’d come up with Nightmare Action Plans,” Pepper explained.
“Nightmare Action Plan.” Will pounded a fist on the table. “Yes! Perfect! What’s that?”
“You guys keep dreaming about Henry, right? What exactly is he doing in the nightmare?”
“Trying to bite us.”
“Of course he is.” Pepper drew a picture of a devilish-looking hamster, added in bloodshot eyes for good effect and a gaping mouth full of pointy teeth. “Does he look like that?”
Kate squeaked, covering her eyes as Will nodded solemnly.
“What would you say if whenever Henry made a scary appearance, you took out a slingshot and fired baby carrots? And then, boom! He chews those instead of you.” As Pepper spoke she drew out what she described.
“Yeah!” William shouted. “Nightmare Action Plan.” He made more gun-shooting sounds with his mouth.
“But does it work?” Kate cut to the chase.
“I’ll give you one guess who’s the brains of the operation,” Elizabeth muttered with a wink.
“Of course it works,” Pepper said. And the twins stared as if she was a magical being.
She stared back.
They smiled. She smiled.
“You’re pretty,” Kate mumbled, eyes wide.
Elizabeth burst out laughing. “Look at that, your own fan club.”
“Thanks.” Pepper ducked her head, pleased, but uncomfortable with the attention. “I needed an ego boost. And talking about pretty, tell me more about your successful photo shoot.”
“My mouth hurts from smiling.” Kate popped a cherry into her mouth and flung the stem at her brother.
“Sorry, the ads were for what again?” Pepper broke off as the waitress came over. She ordered a pizza to go. This was fun, but better to eat away from prying eyes and too-loud whispers.
“I’m the marketing coordinator for city hall,” Elizabeth explained. “The Village Pillage is a week of fun, the county’s oldest and largest summer event—”
“The medallion hunt!” the children shrieked.
