“Delaney?” a woman’s voice called out. “Is that you?”
I glanced over the fence. Vivian Dunn was headed this way, fast, Ryder right on her heels.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Go, go!”I pointed back toward the fence Xtelle had just vaulted, and Than and Tish-me jogged to it.
I got my hands on the fence and hopped up and over it, landing on the sidewalk in front of Vivian, hopefully messing up her line of sight into the yard.
“Hey, hi, you two.” I said walking straight at her, which forced her two, three steps back. “Enjoying the weather?”
Vivian oh-so-casually looped her arm through Ryder’s. “RyRy has been such a doll,” she said, leaning into him. “Taking me around this cute little town and showing me the cutest things.”
“Cute?” I said.
“So cute,” she stressed.
I flicked a glance at Ryder. His eyes were rolled up toward the sky. I had to clear my throat to cover a laugh.
“So where are you going next?” I took several steps back out toward the main road, and Ryder fell into step next to me, dragging Vivian away from the yard. He didn’t ask me why I’d been back there, but I knew he would follow my lead.
“There’s a sale on pencils,” he said, sounding super excited about it. Which, he might not actually be faking that. “I’ve asked the store to set aside one of every brand they have. Vivian and I are going to test every one.”
“Wow.” I couldn’t choke out another word, too afraid I’d laugh in his face. “How long do you think that’s going to take?”
“Hours,” he said with a sigh, like all his dreams had come true.
We’d turned the corner. The kite store and its murder-clown sign were straight ahead. “Well, I’ll leave you both to it, then. Good to see you Vivian. Don’t stay up all night testing pencils.”
Vivian deflated, her shoulders dipping, but her smile set in mortar. “Where are you going, Delaney?” she asked with strained cheer.
“Oh, you know how it is. I’ll find something to keep me busy around here. See you later, Babe,” I said to Ryder, picking up my pace. “Don’t buy all the pencils, I’ll need something left to get you for Christmas.”
“Let me come with you!” Vivian shouted.
I walked faster and pretended I was too far away to hear her.
“But the pencils,” I heard Ryder call out. Just as my hand landed on the Jeep’s door, Vivian ran up and grabbed my arm.
“Take me with you,” she begged.
“Vivian?” Ryder called out as he strolled over, a fake look of concern on his face. “The pencils?”
She glanced over at him, her eyes wide, and gripped my arm tighter. “Delaney wants to show me around.”
“I don’t have time—”
“Please,” she whispered. “Please get me out of pencil shopping. He spent two hours talking about manhole covers. I don’t know what happened to him. He used to be interesting, worldly. But now he thinks counting the barnacles on kelp is high entertainment.”
Oh, gods, I was going to kiss the ever-loving face off him.
“I’m working.”
“I’m begging you.”
“So I’m sensing some reluctance to pencil shopping?” Ryder asked, arriving next to the Jeep and leaning against the hood, his arms crossed.
“They’re pencils, Ryder,” she said. “Why in the hell would anyone care?”
