Page 75 of It Runs in the Family

“Are you sayin’ that all these cars belong to hot deputies?” Ava asked, spinning around to face me.

“I don’t know about hot, but yeah, they’re his deputy friends.”

Mary Ellen shifted the car into park and turned off the engine. “Seems uncousinly to just drop you off and not go in and say hi to our favorite cousin.”

Grinning, I said, “I thought I was your favorite cousin.”

“Girl, don’t push it.” Ava opened her car door and got out.

I followed her. “Are you just gonna leave your car blocking that truck in the driveway?”

She ignored me and marched toward the front door. I wasn’t sure how happy Garrett would be about them crashing his shindig, but I was invading too, so I didn’t feel like I had a right to protest their impromptu visit.

Mary Ellen followed right behind her, pulling a tube of lipstick from her purse and applying it as she walked up the driveway toward the house.

I hoped Garrett and his friends knew what they were in for.

As I walked through the front door, I could hear laughter coming from the back of the house. Music and voices drifted in from the open door to the back patio.

“Do I smell barbeque?” Mary Ellen murmured, then turned to me, propping a hand on her hip. “You’ve been holdin’ out on us, little cuz.”

“I’ve never been to one of his Sunday night shindigs.” And I’d never tried to finagle an invitation since it was all his deputy friends. It felt like I’d be intruding. “Look,” I said, “All I know is what he’s told me.”

“We could have had barbeque instead of those greasy burgers and fries.” Ava grumbled, shooting me a glare.

“Again,” I said. “I’ve never been.”

Mary Ellen didn’t seem too upset as she walked past me and headed out the back door of the house calling out, “Did y’all start a party without me?”

Ava was hot on her heels.

I grabbed a beer out of the fridge, then headed out in time to see Garrett introducing them to his friends.

A group of men and two women were sitting in lawn chairs around the patio while Garrett manned his grill. The top was down, but heavenly smelling smoke escaped out of the vent.

“And this is Iris,” Garrett said, gesturing to me. “But Nate, you met her last night.”

The deputy who’d taken my report the night before gave me a short nod.

Ava’s forehead creased. “Why’d handsome Nate meet her last night?”

Nate’s cheeks flushed.

Garrett turned to me, his eyes seeking permission. I gave him the barest of head shakes. I didn’t want them knowing anything about what had happened the night before.

Garrett picked up his beer bottle from his prep table. “Nate just happened to be over while Irie was here.”

Mary Ellen turned to me, a frown creasing her forehead. “Why were you here last night?”

I shot Garrett a pleading look. I hadn’t told them why I was at Garrett’s—just that I didn’t have my car. I had no intention of telling them why I’d spent the night, because then they’d ask questions I didn’t want to answer. But awesome guy that Garrett was, he jumped right in with an explanation. “There was problem with the sewer at her apartment, so she’s staying with me until her landlord gets it straightened out.”

Ava’s nose wrinkled as though she could smell the stench from here. “Iris, you sure are having a run of shitty luck.”

She had no idea.

Mary Ellen took a shine to one of the deputies, who looked to be in his late thirties, and Ava dragged a chair over to Nate. I only hoped he’d keep his mouth shut about the report I’d filed.

I couldn’t help wondering if he’d found out anything about the guy, but then I realized Garrett would know if he had, and he would have already told me.