I can feel Fable’s gaze as I steer us back in the right direction. “I would dress up in a badass ninja outfit and try to sneak in and steal them.”
“Did you have the one with the secret pockets?” Maddox asks.
“Yeah! I could fit like six Beanie Babies in there.” I mime sliding them into pockets at my sides. “I took my job very seriously. Drew out plans for my attacks and everything.”
Maddox snorts. “Irritating your siblings is a full-time job.”
“He’d hide them from us,” Fable says, appealing to Vivian now. “Mia never found her lobster.”
I whisper to Maddox behind my hand. “That one got put in the river.”
The women gasp. Fable turns to me with wide eyes. “You did not.”
I shrug. “It needed water.”
“It was a Beanie Baby!”
“It was a lobster!”
“The tag was still on!”
I roll my eyes. “I waseleven.”
Her eyes pinch. “Annoying little shit.”
“You’re not wrong. Idid use my allowance to replace it though.”
Vivian lifts her glass in cheers. “We’re all thankful you grew out of that annoying-little-shit stage.”
Fable murmurs, “Did he though?” She dips her chin to hide her smile, but I catch it anyway.
“Do you still have Beanie Babies covering your bed?” I ask.
There’s a beat of silence. Her eyes flare with meaning, but I’m not sure why. “Obviously youknowthey’re not covering my bed.” She clears her throat. “Since we sleep together and everything. Since we’re in a relationship.” I smother a laugh as she turns to Vivian and Maddox and very unconvincingly adds, “He sees my bed all the time. Like every day. No Beanie Babies.”
Huh. I’m starting to think I forgot to tell her they’re in on this. Maddox and Vivian exchange a confused look, and listen, I have two choices here.
One: Tell her they know. Two: Play along.
And obviously—being theannoying little shitthat I am—option two sounds way more fun.
Reaching down, I grab Fable’s chair leg. It skids across the hardwood floors as I drag it next to mine. She lets out a little yelp, planting her hand on my thigh to balance herself. With a shameless grin, I curve my arm around her shoulders.
“We can get some if you miss them,” I offer. “I promise not to take any to the river this time.”
“You’d be dead meat,” she threatens, her nails digging into my leg. “You think I don’t know how to hide a body? I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts.”
I slide my fingers through the ends of her silky hair. “Wouldn’t doubt you for a second.”
Our conversation turns to the Volunteer Fire Department (apparently Chief Harver is very excited about me returning), Vivian’s day at the hospital (where a woman delivered a baby right in the emergency room waiting area), the budding romance between Logan and Mabel (word on the street is, there’s atownwide betting pool for who everyone thinks is going to make the first move).
We’re on our last sips of our drinks when Maddox asks, “Have you heard back about Little League?”
I shake my head. “Nah, no one’s called me back yet.”
Vivian’s gaze bounces between Fable and me. “Are you two going to coach together?”
“Fabes is more of a soccer girl,” I say, squeezing her shoulder.
