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“Jess!” Rory says.
Our brother is zipping his guitar case shut.
“You weren’t practicing, were you?” Rory says.
“This late at night?” Jesse shakes his head. “Nope. I just got back from Dragon’s, and I’m putting Roxy to rest.”
Roxy, of course, is Jesse’s Fender Stratocaster.
“What are you two doing here?” He eyes the box. “What’s that?”
“Nothing.”
“It looks like you just unburied it.”
Rory and I send a look to each other. Time to think of an excuse and quick. Luckily, this time I come through, unlike the time with Mom and the rabbit story.
“Yeah,” I say. “We were in town, and Rory was pulling some more things out of her old apartment, including this box. It had been left out in the yard, and she forgot about it.”
“Yeah, and I’m glad we found it. It has some of my old music in it.”
Jesse cocks his head but then seems to accept our explanation. “Okay. Where’s the other stuff? I’ll help you move it in.”
I feign a big yawn. “No, we’re going to wait until morning, but thanks.”
“Have it your way.” Our brother exits through the garage and into the house.
“That was close,” I say. “I don’t really want to tell our big brother that there are naked pictures of us somewhere on the loose.”
“No shit. Though I’ve been thinking about that bonfire.”
“Yeah?”
“Jesse and Donny Steel were there that night. I’m the one who insisted they show up.”
“Yeah, that has crossed my mind as well.”
“We should go let the dogs out before we do anything,” she says.
“You’re right.”
Dusty and Zach are in kennels. They’re full-grown dogs, but we need to make sure they’re house-trained before we let them run loose.
Rory and I go in the house and into our respective rooms, where our dogs are eagerly wagging their tails.
“I’m freaked out,” I say, “but I have to tell you, these dogs help.”
“They do,” Rory agrees.
They bound out of their kennels, through the house, to the sliding-glass doors leading out into the backyard. Rory and I sit on the deck as they play after they do their business.
My heart races. As much as I love these dogs and would like to stay in their presence all night long, we need to get back to the garage and figure out what’s in that box.
“You good?” I say to Rory.
She nods. “Come on, Zach!”
We gather Dusty and Zach, bring them back inside where they lap up some water, and then we take them with us to the garage. They can run around while we open the box.
