“Seriously?” Bailey looked at me with surprise. “That would be so cool. I am so sick of the shit at school, Paige. Everyone is so fake. It’s all about whose dad knows which celebrity and what kind of car you drive. It has nothing to do with the real world.”
As we drove by the homeless people and their tents set up along the sidewalk, I had to admit I knew exactly what she meant. It was the exact same reason I’d started working at the free clinic. We led such a sheltered life in Verde Hills and I wanted to get out and see what the world was all about.
“You’re right about that, Bailey. But the thing is, sneaking out and getting drunk at parties isn’t the real world either.” She shot me a look and I said, “Look, I get it. Living with Mom is enough to drive anyone to drink. Just look at Dad. I’m just trying to help you avoid making my mistakes. There are plenty of ways for you to fuck up on your own. You don’t have to steal mine.”
She grinned and then I did, too. Bailey was a good kid, and she did the right thing by calling me to come get her last night. As concerned as I was about her, I knew that underneath it all, she had a good head on her shoulders.
* * *
As was typical for LA,we got stuck in traffic on the way up to Verde Hills. By the time we got there, it was past the time Mom and Dad should have been back. The mood in the car was tense as we turned on to our street. I was feeling more like I was the one who snuck out instead of the adult that I was.
“Shit. They’re home.” Bailey’s voice sounded panicked. “What are we going to do?”
“I tell you what. I’ll help you out this time and create a diversion, but you owe me a favor, okay?”
“What kind of favor?”
“I don’t know yet. But when I need it, you have to do what I ask, no questions asked.”
She looked back and forth between Dad’s Audi and me. “Okay. Fine. What’s the plan?”
* * *
“Paige? What are you doing here?”Mom looked surprised as I let myself in the kitchen door.
I didn’t blame her for being surprised. I lived 25 miles away and wasn’t famous for just “dropping by.”
“Oh, I was in the neighborhood and figured I’d stop by and say hi.” I went over to kiss her on the cheek as she was taking some French bread out of her fabric Farmer’s Market bag.
“Oh! Well. That’s…unexpected. I’m sure your dad and sister will be thrilled to see you.”
As if on cue, Bailey came in from the back sliding glass door. “Oh hi, Paige! What are you doing here?”
Mom turned to look and was momentarily confused as to why Bailey was in the backyard, but then Bailey came and gave her a hug and said, “Is there a family meeting I didn’t know about?”
Mom wrinkled her nose and said, “Have you been working in the garden or something? You smell like old fertilizer.”
I had to stifle a laugh. What she really smelled like was stale beer.
“Who smells like old fertilizer?” Dad said as he came downstairs. “Oh, hi, Paige. What are you doing here?”
Bailey and I gave each other a side glance and I winked at her. Mission accomplished.
Thirteen
Ryder
I’d decided to stop off at the Blue Dog for a cup of coffee and one of their sandwiches for lunch before work. To say the Blue Dog was famous for food would be like saying that Kim Kardashian was famous for boxing. The sandwich was nothing more than a couple of pieces of white bread with some cold cuts they probably bought across the street at Southgate Martinez. Or maybe even brought from home.
But, I was avoiding Tiny’s because I didn’t want to run into Paige. I was thinking about her more often than I wanted to already, and that was not good. I needed to stay sharp and not distracted. This stuff with Padre was really concerning, and I wondered if I was the only one who noticed the changes in him. He was never a warm, fuzzy guy, but there was a hardness now that I hadn’t seen before.
A gust of fresh air blew through the place as the door opened. I could recognize the tall, thin frame of Hawk from the shadow he cast into the room. He was one of those “skinny muscle” guys and was built like a martial artist. Long, lean, and fast. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body and he wore his thinning hair back in a long ponytail.
Padre gave him the nickname “Hawk” because he watched over everything and was able to get intel like no one else. He also got the nickname because his nose was big and curved, like a beak.
He saw me as he bellied up to the bar. “Whiskey, neat,” he said to the bartender. Nodding in my direction, he said, “Ryder.”
I grabbed my coffee cup, leaving the sandwich on the table I’d been sitting at, and went up to sit next to him. I was glad that the place was pretty empty because I wanted to pick his brain.
