“Do you know what else I’m doing, Phoebe?” I say. “I’m also planning Shiloh’s surprise birthday party.You’re welcome.And if you want me to do or not do anything for your boyfriend’s ex-wife and the mother of his daughter for her birthday, I will totes take all of your advice, because I don’t like to cause you pain.”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“I’m highly uncomfortable with you being mad at me when you know my biggest secret, because you’re usually the second person right after Gigi lined up to destroy someone.”
She sighs and squeezes her eyes shut. “I don’t want to destroy you, Tavi. I’m just as tired of our family beingour familyas you are, and I’m trying to do better.”
“I know,” I whisper. “Me too.”
And now it’s getting touchy feely and sappy in my chest, and I don’t have time for emotions, so I glance at Dylan.
He’s watching the two of us like he wants to hug us both to get us over this weird tension that always comes when we actually talk about our family problems, but he also doesn’t want to interfere or get sucked into the awkward.
I clear my throat. “So you don’t think Floyd will sell to Lola’s producers and Gigi?”
He shrugs as he swipes more chocolate out of my mold, letting me get away with changing the subject. “Didn’t think so, but I guess anything can happen.”
“Is there anywhere else in town you can work?” Phoebe asks. “As the resident real estate agent in Tickled Pink, Teague will do all he can to stall Lola on having a tour if she gets wind of this even being an idea.”
And this is the number one reason I might actually miss her when I move to Costa Rica.
The Phoebe of a year ago would’ve yelled at me for an hour for not telling her that Tickled Pink Floyd was alive and well and plotting the haunting of the high school two months ago while she was simultaneously insisting there were no such things as ghosts but also losing serious sleep over it, but this Phoebe’s chill.
She gets that we both have more important things to worry about.
Trulymore important things.
Like her adjusting to being part of Teague’s family—arealfamily. My secret being in danger of being exposed. Gigi being an ass.
Helping Tickled Pink spruce itself up to be more attractive to tourists who might want to visit the site of the old movie and maybe even just discover a hidden gem in northern Wisconsin. Earlier, I saw three middle-aged ladies dragging their husbands along to take pictures in front of all thosethis Pink Gold movie scene was filmed heresigns around town that Phoebe’s cleaned up, so we know it’s working on a small scale.
There’s a lot to do outdoors here between the lake and the forests. Plus, I’ve seen a ton of cute little cabins tucked away here and there while out on my runs. They’d make great little retreats for anyone looking to get away from the world for a while. Phoebe’s investing money not just in building a new Ferris wheel but also in helping the locals get their businesses—like the spa and the bed-and-breakfasts and the motel—updated or running again, and the snowshoe baseball games in the summer are fun to watch.
At least, I presume, since I’ve been put on display as one of the players who falls on her face in sawdust every week and haven’t actuallywatchedit yet as a true spectator.
“Would he be better off renting this place out than selling it?” Dylan asks Phoebe.
“That’s the other thing aboutLola’s Holy House, if it happens. Teague says Floyd would get more long term if he rents the place and then sells tickets for people to gawk at the place in the church where Lola ... did ... whatever she intends to do.”
“Teaguesaid that?” Dylan and I say together.
Phoebe smiles. “Grumbled it, but those words came out of his mouth, in that exact order.”
“Wow,” Dylan says.
I stare at her for a second, and then I’m scowling. “It’s not enough that you’re the brilliant one, is it? You had to take the magic vagina to bend men’s wills too, didn’t you?”
She shrugs. “I don’t like to be bad at things.”
Dylan’s going ruddy again. “You could use my kitchen,” he says to me, but he has to clear his throat to get the words out.
“I can’t use your mother’s kitchen.”
“Mykitchen,” he reiterates.
“You have another house somewhere?”
Phoebe chokes on a laugh. “Oh, Tavi, sweetie ... you’re adorable.”
