We were terrified that Mom would scare Bec off with her over-the-top enthusiasm.
It was uncommon for either of us to get angry with the other. Mom had done an amazing job of raising us to see each other as best friends instead of competitors, so we rarely squabbled.
Bec changed that. She’d caused us to fight often in the last few months. Case in point, if Danzig had been in front of me, I might’ve punched him right in the face.
“We had an agreement!” I growled. “We weren’t going to tell Mom until after the mating bite!”
“I didn’t mean to,” Danzig said. “Mom knew I was keeping something from her and kept asking questions.”
I had to admit that our mother wasn’t an easy one to lie to. Still, Danzig should’ve come up with an excuse to hang up.
“You’re pathetic," I grumbled.
“Hey, that was mean,” Danzig said.
“Or was it accurate?”
Danzig let out a long sigh. “Only when it comes to Mom. She started talking about the time I wandered into an Odontotyrannos nest, and she got badly bitten getting me out. I felt so guilty I couldn’t help but confess everything.”
“That happened almost 500 hundred years ago,” I reminded him. “You have to stop feeling bad about that. We were young, of course we were going to get in trouble.”
“I know, I know,” Danzig said. “I’m trying. It’s just that she gets that tone in her voice, and it melts my will.”
“I need to call her,” I said. “She can’t visit yet.”
“She’s already on her way,” Danzig said. “But she promised she’d be well-behaved.”
“It’s good that we’re not going to be taking any more contracts,” I said, already picturing all the effort it was going to take to keep Mom and Bec apart. “The sooner you’re home, the easier this will all be.”
“I have good news there,” Danzig said. “I’m already halfway home. I’m about to catch my second flight so I’ll be home late tonight.”
“That almost makes up for telling Mom,” I said
A message came through the app from Bec.
TheNewMe888
I have to do some stuff. TTYL.
No sooner did that appear on my screen then Bec’s car was starting up. I secured my phone into the holder on my handlebars. “She’s on the move. Talk to you later.”
“Keep yourself and her safe,” Danzig ordered and ended the call.
I’ll do my damnedest,I thought.
I started up my bike, heeled up the kickstand, and toed it into first gear. I let her get a few blocks ahead before I eased out of my spot and followed.
We didn’t go far. About a mile down the road, she pulled into a gas station and parked near the front door. I veered quickly and found a spot with a view of the store windows but where I’d be blocked by a minivan when she exited.
I shut off the engine but kept my helmet on. I didn’t think Bec knew about my bike, so this was a good way to stay anonymous as long as I didn’t make myself too obvious.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see much inside the store from the windows. They were mostly covered in advertisements, leaving only a small section of the place visible.
She was taking a while, but maybe she couldn’t decide what chips she wanted. Then I saw a display stand topple over.
It could be a clumsy shopper, but I doubted it. It was time to venture inside and hope it was nothing.
Bec
