Page 9

Super, incredibly, well out of my comfort zone expensive. People like me didn’t belong in houses like this. Maybe I can text Jane and tell her I came down with something. A sudden plague, perhaps.

Even as I made way up to the front door, following a winding path surrounded by flowerbeds and hedges, I considered pretending that I’d received an urgent call from the library. I just wasn’t sure it would be believable.

What emergency could there possibly be at the children’s department at this time of night? We’re not even open right now.

Saying there might be a fire probably wasn’t worth inducing the kind of panic the news would cause a woman actively planning a fundraiser there, but I was still thinking about it when two kids came running outside. “Alicia!”

Well, that settles it. I’m busted.

“Cam!” I stopped walking and dropped down to my haunches, my dress thankfully long enough that I didn’t flash a minor in the process.

Cameron and his sister reached me at almost exactly the same time, throwing themselves into my arms like there was absolutely no way I could possibly fall over. I laughed, barely managing to keep from landing on my ass as I wound my arms around them in turn.

“Oh my God,” I said, grinning so hard my face started hurting. “Look at you two. When did you get so big?”

A proud smile spread on Cam’s lips. “I’m in elementary school now. I can write!”

“No.” I widened my eyes at him. “You? That can’t be true.”

“It is.”

I smiled, feeling genuinely emotional as I looked between them. It had been months since I’d last seen either of them and they were enormous now. “I can’t believe you’re writing. You should still be a toddler.”

He squealed with laughter. “No. I even have homework now.”

“That’s not possible.” I shook my head and let go of them, then pushed to my feet. “I remember you being this big.”

I held my hand near my knee and Cam rolled his eyes. “That was a long time ago.”

“Well, if all that’s true, then you have my condolences on the homework,” I said solemnly. “I know it’s tough, but you should always do it. That’ll make you even smarter than you already are.”

“You sound like my mom.”

“Ah, that’s because your mom and I both did all our homework, so we’re super smart now.”

As he sighed, Jane appeared in the doorway, a smile on her lips as she leaned against the frame. “Would you guys like to come in, or should I just leave you out here and send some food?”

The kids ran back to the house and I straightened, almost wishing they would have opted for what was behind door number two. Having a picnic out here with them instead of whatever was waiting in there would’ve suited me just fine.

Jane pushed away from the doorframe as I approached. Still smiling, she pulled me into a hug. “Hey, Alicia. I’m so glad you made it.”

“I almost left,” I admitted as I hugged her. “Unfortunately, it’s like your children smelled my fear and came outside with the express purpose of stopping me.”

She laughed. “Why would you possibly be scared?”

I gestured vaguely toward the house. “Uh, I don’t know. Maybe because you live in a mansion?”

“Well, it’s not like it’s haunted,” she said, laughing again before glancing back at the house. “At least, I don’t think it’s haunted. We’ve never had any problems, anyway.”

“That’s probably because even the ghosts are too intimidated,” I muttered.

She rolled her eyes and waved me in. “Come on in. You’ll see. There’s nothing to be intimidated by.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. As soon as I stepped through the door, I realized Jane and I had very different opinions on what qualified as intimidating. The house was warm and lived-in, with children’s toys in corners and pictures on every available surface, the scent of roast chicken and something buttery and delicious wafting through the air, but I still had an almost overwhelming urge to apologize for my shoes.

They were perfectly clean. It was just that they had no business being on floors like these, expensively tiled and immaculate, with richly colored rugs scattered in strategic places and plush carpets in some of the rooms we passed. Jane led me to the sitting room, smiling as she brought her hand out to rest on my arm.

“Everyone, this is Alicia.”