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He stared at me. “Really?”

“Yup.” I waved my hand through the air and the jacket slid down my shoulder slightly.

“Are you wearing anything under that?”

“Dad! I was in the middle of changing when you knocked.”

“Oh. Right. Okay. Take that thing off and finish changing. We left some breakfast for you.” He walked out of my room and closed the door behind him.

If he was annoyed that I was wearing Axel’s jacket he wasn’t going to be pleased about the ring. I threw open the trapdoor. “Axel?” I peered my head down. But he wasn’t there. Crap. I got ready in record speed. I ran out of my room and down the hall. The living room was already packed with our family.

Axel walked in. He took one look at me and smiled.

I’d pulled on a pair of leggings and a hoodie. And my hands were hiding in the front pocket of the hoodie.

“Axel,” his mom said. “Where were you this morning?”

“I went for an early walk,” he said.

Was that the best lie he could come up with?

“Isn’t that what you were wearing last night?” my dad asked.

Axel was wearing the same thing. But his hair not being gelled made the whole thing not scream 50s.

Axel laughed. “No. Do I look like I’m from the 50s?” He gestured toward his hair.

“Looks different to me,” Uncle Rob said and winked at me. Since he knew about the trapdoor and the secret lair.

“Super different,” Mr. Tanner agreed. “I would know.”

What?

My dad eyed them suspiciously.

I walked around the back of the couch to get to Axel. But my Uncle Matt stepped in front of me.

“I think I owe you an apology, kiddo.”

“I’m sure you don’t.”

“No, I do.” He gestured toward the dining room.

I really didn’t have time for whatever this was right now. I needed to get to my mom. But Uncle Matt put his hand on my elbow and guided me out of the room.

“I’m really sorry, kiddo,” Uncle Matt said. “Truly.”

“For what? You didn’t do anything.”

“I told you that you needed to be careful around Axel when I saw you in his jacket. I had no right to put my two cents in. I just...” He sighed. “I was concerned for you. You’re like a daughter to me. You know that.”

I did. I nodded.

“But Axel is a good kid. Has he had a lot of girlfriends? Sure.”

Yeah.

“But I had a momentary lapse of good sense. I was putting my son’s feelings first. And I’m sorry. I want you to know that I’ll always have your back. Always. It won’t happen again.”