“An abundance of patience?” Hailey repeated, shaking her head. “Is it me, or do some of these seem…ridiculous?”
Fin let out a loud cough but then busied himself at the sink.
Holly studied the letter with her chin sticking out. Then she raised her eyebrows and shrugged.
“Seems legit.” She eyed the return address. “It’s Bear Towne University again.”
The arctic ice worm was just the latest in a string of off-the-wall offers the girls had received for study at one very remote northern school, which neither of them had ever heard of. But they were desperate. Holly had already taken a year off to save money while Hailey finished high school, and they were willing to go to school as far away as Alaska if it meant they could go together. Since they also offered classes in forensics and psychology, Holly was all in, so they each completed and sent back one strange essay after another.
Bear Towne University also offered a grant for the study of bovine-induced personality disorders in the northern Yeti (lactose-intolerant individuals were discouraged from participating) and a scholarship for a degree in the care and feeding of carnivorous trees (current tetanus vaccine was highly recommended), which, for Hailey, was close enough to science. There was even one for ParaScience.
“Remember the paranormal one?” Holly chuckled.
“Yeah,” Hailey sighed. It was an essay application—only 1500 words, but the topic was “any personal supernatural experience.” Both girls had written aboutthe only bizarre event they knew—the fire that had destroyed their childhood home. To this day, it was an unsolved arson.
Holly studied her little sister. “Wanna go see Mom before dinner?” she asked gently, but then she brightened. “You could tell her about Tage…”
“It’s really not a big deal.” Hailey scrunched her nose. “You think she’d care?”
“Are you kidding? This is huge—you’re finally coming out of your shell.”
“Blurting out a monosyllabic response is not ‘coming out of my shell’.” Hailey made a half-frown. “Besides, I like my shell. It’s cozy in here.”
Holly slapped her hands on the bar. “Come on. We’ll go see them real quick. Grab some whiskey for Dad. I’ll tell Uncle Pix we’re leaving.”
Fin was already holding out a bottle of Bushmills. “Here,” he sighed. “And you better not drink any of that.”
Hailey rolled her eyes.
Fin stared back at her, looking very annoyingly like the cover of a magazine: tall and ruggedly handsome with dark brown eyes; dark, disheveled hair; and always just the right amount of soft stubble on his face. It used to be hard not to gaze at him, but after two months of playful banter, a few broken pint glasses and an epic water-fight that ended with Uncle Pix punching Fin square in the nose, Hailey could see past his gorgeous face. And though he couldn’t be any older than twenty-two, he was, as Uncle Pix had proclaimed, “way too feckin old” for her and Holly anyway.
“Thanks, Fin, I already have an overprotective guardian.” She grasped the bottle, but Fin held it tight, and Hailey looked up at him.
“Let go.” She grinned, and he shook his head.
“Ask me nicely.”
Hailey huffed. “Let go of this bottle, or I’ll tell Uncle Pix you kissed Holly.”
“I never kissed Holly!” He dropped his cocky smile and the bottle.
“…but I bet you want to,” Hailey teased.
“Want to what?” A smiling Holly appeared next to the bar, her chestnut ponytail still swinging.
Hailey giggled. “Come on. I’ll tell you on the way.”
She looked back at Fin just before the door closed behind her and in time to see him set his jaw. How she loved to one-up that man. If only it were that easy with all guys.
“What was that about?” Holly jabbed her thumb at the pub.
“I was just teasing Fin about kissing you.”
Holly groaned. “I wish he would kiss me.”
“You and every other girl that walks intoHullachan’s.”
“Don’t you?”
