“Past the related-searches buttons?”
She gave me a look. “Everything after related searches is like the five-dollar DVD bin at Walmart. There’s nothing there.”
“You have so much to learn,” I said, although I was secretly pleased that she needed my help this badly. I liked having a project; I liked having a project with her.
When we got inside the truck, she produced two Capri-Sun pouches from somewhere mysterious. “Here. Consolation prizes.”
I took the metallic pouch and stared down at it. “How do I...”
With a heavy sigh, Sunny leaned over and showed me how to pry the straw off the back and then use the angled tip to puncture the pouch.
“This is a very violent drink,” I remarked.
She was already sucking hers dry. I lifted the straw to my lips and tentatively sipped. I knew what Capri-Sunswere, of course, but Carina Kelly wasn’t the type of mom to buy such things for her kid, and Nanny only ever allowed me organic juice that she bought from a farm up north.
It was weird—it didn’t tastegood, exactly, but it was close enough to good that I didn’t want to stop drinking. Before I knew it, the whole pouch was gone.
“Oh!” Sunny suddenly exclaimed, flinging open the truck door. “I’m a genius!”
“Sunny, what—”
But she didn’t hear me. She was already running back into the visitor’s center. I flapped my hands at the steering wheel for a moment or two, and then finally started the truck so that at least the heater could pretend to run.
She emerged a moment later, glowing with triumph and looking so gorgeous that I wanted to fling myself out the truck window.
“We’re officially even for your detective-ing today,” she declared as she yanked open the truck door and climbed inside. She handed me a brochure for Christmas Notch’s historic graveyard—The only cemetery in the United States with a Santa Claus hologram!—which had a phone number scrawled in Sharpie across the back.
“Sunny . . .” I started.
She had her tongue between her teeth and was waggling her eyebrows in an expression of absolute mischief. “Look, you and Matt were about as subtle as a Jenner-sister spray tan, and, turns out, Matt isveryfree tonight. Congratulations, Mr.Onetime Winner ofPeople’s Sexiest Man Alive! You have your first muse date in seven hours!”
Chapter Seven
Sunny
Iwas a very proud Mommy with a capital M as I sent Isaac out on his first date with Matt. Dutifully, I answered the door and let Matt putter around the large foyer as Isaac finished getting ready and then made his grand entrance down the marble staircase, somehow managing to make a peacoat, jeans, and lace-up boots look like a red-carpet ensemble. It was the hair, I swear, that fucking A-list tousle. Or maybe it was the delicious scent he brought with him, a mix of ocean water and orange blossom.
He smelled like home to me.
“Is it silly of me to take your picture?” I asked as Matt strode forward to give Isaac a hug. I liked it. No one wanted to shake hands on a date! Muses didn’t shake hands! They hugged!
Isaac gave me a death glare over his shoulder as they moved toward the door.
“Have him home by a decent hour!” I called. “I can’t have the town rumor mill churning on about Isaac’s virtue.”
Matt grinned cockily as he stepped out onto the portico. “No, no, we couldn’t have that.”
“As if you know a damn thing about virtue,” Isaac whispered to me as he began to shut the door. “Be right there,” he said to Matt, who was trotting down the steps like a golden retriever.
“What’s up, buttercup? Feeling nervous? Do you need me to hype you up?”
“I do not get nervous. And I definitely do not get hyped,” he said dryly. “But I do need a safe word.”
My eyes lit up. “I love safe words. Mine ismeatball.”
He tilted his head to the side, his jaw sharp. “I have so many questions.”
“Quick. What’s your safe word?”
