“I gotta get out of here,” Jem said.
“Right.Yeah, of course.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks.”Quinn turned in place as Jem and the deputy passed him, following them with his eyes.And then he said, “Jem, seriously, thank you.”
Jem gave him a thumbs-up without looking back.
And maybe, because of Quinn, he should have been expecting it when he got to the parking lot.But he wasn’t.
The Denali was fucking massive, dark gray with tinted windows, and it was probably Viagra on wheels for most guys in Utah.The driver’s window buzzed down.One moment, Jem was meeting his reflection in the tinted glass.And then he was looking at Brigitte.
For a moment, they watched each other, the engine rumbling and the hint of exhaust curling up when the air shifted.
“Are you all right?”Brigitte asked.
From the back seat came a tired, “Is that Jem?”
Jem stepped past his mother and rapped on the rear window.Brigitte didn’t say anything, but he could sense her annoyance.After a moment, the window went down.
Maeve was washed out, and her little face was empty as she stared up at him.Milo’s head rested against the seat belt, and his eyes wet like he was about to cry.
“Which one of you do I have to fight first?”Jem said.
The barest hint of a frown curved Maeve’s mouth.A crease appeared between Milo’s eyebrows.
“I bet I can beat both of you up at the same time,” Jem said.
A hint of something—what Jem wanted to callaliveness—showed in Maeve’s face.
Milo was scrunching his nose, but he lifted his head from the seat belt.
“Wait until you guys meet Scipio,” Jem said.“He’s my dog, and I bet evenhecould beat you up.”
For some reason, that was all it took.Maeve screamed with excitement, “You can’t beat me up!I’m your sister!”
And at the same time, Milo said, “What kind of dog is he?Can I pet him?”
“I’m not going to tell you because I want it to be a surprise when Scipio and I beat you up for the first time.Now come here so I can cut all your hair off.”
Maeve screamed again, but she was smiling at the same time.Out of the corner of his eye, Jem saw Brigitte flinch—annoyance more than anything else.Milo, on the other hand, grinned as he shouted, “No, I’m going to cut allyourhair off!”
“No way,” Jem said.“Scipio won’t let you.Now listen, you guys need to go home—”
“We don’t want to go home,” Maeve said.
And Milo said, “Can you come with us?”
Jem’s chest tightened.His eyes prickled.Somehow, he thought he sounded normal when he said, “Not today, because I have to take Tean home, and then we have to check on Scipio.But I’m going to talk to your mom about when you guys can come visit.Okay?”
“Okay,” Maeve said with obvious disappointment.
“Tean can come with us too,” Milo said in a last-ditch effort.
“I’ll see you guys soon,” Jem said.“Be good for your mom.”
Brigitte buzzed up the rear window, and Jem said, “Get out of the car.”
