“Of course I would love the help, it’s just…” I already owe him so much.
As if sensing the reason for my reticence, Sid grimaces.“It wouldn’t all be to help you out. One of the kids involved is Bradley Patterson’s little sister. I would like to know what’s going on at the school. If she runs her mouth again—”
“Oh, shit.” I hadn’t stopped to think what this could mean for Sid’s campaign. What if April and I put it in jeopardy? “Do you think he’d do something?”
Sid shakes his head. “I don’t know. He was friendly enough at the guild tour, but like I said, he’s wishy-washy in his positions. He wants to work with us now, but I doubt we’re hisonlyoptions. What if instead of allying with us, he decides he’d rather just knock us out of the race entirely? And if he found proof we have a sham marriage—”
“And April told those girls we aren’t sleeping together.”
“Exactly.”
“Well… Well, what do we do?”
Sid lets out a sigh that belongs to an apostle overlooking the sins of the world. He draws a crumpled letter out of his pocket. “I pulled this out of the recycling.”
“What is…” The answer appears soon enough. Personal, embossed stationary, the wordsPatterson Familyadorning the letterhead, greets my eyes.
How’s it going, Sidney?
I’ve been thinking about our chat the other day. You simply must give me a chance to pick your brain about campaign strategy. That tour you and Amy cooked up was sheer brilliance. If you’ve got time next week, you and your charming wife must visit for—
“You’re kidding. Bradley Patterson sent us a dinner invite, and you threw it away without showing me?”
“He’snotthe kind of ally I care about courting.”
“Is your name even short for Sidney?”
“Nope.”
“Huh.” I trace my fingers over the embossed roses at the top of the paper. This must have been kept in storage since the Quake. How perfectly pretentious. “So… if we go to dinner with these people, what do you think will happen?”
Sid shakes his head. “At this point? Not a clue. We’re lucky he sent the letter before April started smacking kids around. I doubt he’d do it now.”
I know what he means by that. This branch is the one thing we can grab onto before plummeting over a waterfall. After all the trouble we’ve caused Sid, it’s the least I can do. “I’ll come, but…”
“But?” he leans forward, uneasy.
I run my thumb across the flowers and try not to be intimidated. “I need a new dress.”
***
SID AND Icraft the most glowing, enthusiastic letter we can.So wonderful meeting you, Bradley! Kayla admired your coach and can’t believe she’ll get the chance to see your home! We would love to share dinner!
I will admit, I may have overdone it on the punctuation.
Then, for a week, we wait for Bradley’s reply. If he’s sending one. Even if he does, there’s a chance it will just tell us to jump off a bridge. Luckily, another sheet of rose paper does arrive, giving us a date, time, and bearing the telling little line,and why don’t you bring April, too? Maria is so eager to get to know her better. Hope you don’t mind, but I’ve invited Amy Sullivan along too.
“InvitedAmy?” sighs Sid. “What do you want to bet she talked him into it?”
“You think she would?” I ask.
“It’s a chain. If I go down, Tom looks like an idiot for endorsing me, then Amy is way too deep in Tom’s branding, so she falls next—”
“Right. Guess I’ll tell April.”
She is less than enthusiastic about the idea.
“I’m not going to that snake’s house!” April shrieks.
