“Stop brown-nosing.” Mordecai grabbed his light jacket. “She doesn’t like kids—she won’t be training you.”

Daisy pointed her finger in Mordecai’s face. “Your attitude is starting to piss me off.” He slapped her hand out of the air. She jabbed him in the chest. “How am I brown-nosing, huh?” She jabbed him again. He bristled, his jaw set, and leaned toward her.

“Do not fight in this house,” I berated.

Daisy continued as though she didn’t hear me, fire in her eyes. “She’s not here, genius. When they can’t hear you, it’s not brown-nosing, it’s just talking about them. And I’m not a kid.”

“Well, you’re not an adult,” Mordecai shot back.

“What, and you are? Your balls probably haven’t even dropped yet.”

“Daisy, knock it off!” I shoved them toward the door.

“Well?” Daisy retorted, heading to the car. “Everyone knows girls mature faster than boys.”

“You two are both still knuckleheads despite your age—”

“Shotgun,” Daisy yelled over me, then punched Mordecai in the arm. “Slowpoke.”

I rolled my eyes and locked the door behind us.

“Why wouldn’t they get glasses and flatware if they got everything else?” I mused, climbing into the Jeep.

“Because they clearly want us to go downtown to get the stuff we need, duh,” Daisy replied, shoving Mordecai out of the way and climbing into the front passenger seat. “We’re going to basically throw ourselves in the Lightning Bolt’s path, but they gave us a solid excuse. We aren’t pretending that we need water and ketchup, though freaking glasses might’ve been nice. I’m thirsty.”

“We should make a list, actually,” I muttered, handing my phone to Daisy.

“Yes, exactly. If we were pretending, we wouldn’t think to make a list. See?” She opened the notes app, then looked at me. “What should I put on the list?”

“You guys need to learn to shop. This is ridiculous.”

It was only three miles to the tiny downtown strip, populated mostly with single-story, cabin-like buildings. Green and red Open signs blinked from a few windows, and one dark storefront featured a brightly lit Coors sign. I pulled into the middle of three open spaces in front of a building whose sign declared it to be a café.

“She said diner, not coffee shop,” Daisy whispered, looking down at my phone. “The diner is down the way—can’t you see it?”

I knew that, but I really needed some good coffee first.

“We don’t know this guy’s name,” I realized with horror. “We don’t know what he looks like, either.”

Daisy’s fingers froze and Mordecai pushed up a little. No one said anything. What was there to say? Not one of us had thought to ask for details. We were flying blind.

“I told you we were bait,” Daisy said, her fingers again flying over her screen.

“I’ll be checking that list.” I stepped out of the Jeep.

“What do you think I’m going to put on it? Vodka?” She rolled her eyes at me.

“Well…yes, I hope so. And a bunch of wine. But no sweets. The teeth will rot out of your head.”

I reached the sidewalk and looked down the dimly lit street, tiny pools of butterscotch light circling the cracked and faded concrete. Red maples dotted the way, their usually vibrant red subdued in the failing light. Mountain peaks rose in the distance, pressing in on the town. The cool air delighted my senses, rich with floral and evergreen fragrances, carrying the dewy chill of the coming evening.

“Look, there’s a grocery over there.” I pointed across the street at a shop down the road. It had large windows facing the street and curved brass light fixtures fitted onto a green strip painted across the red brick exterior. The white letters read, “Mitchel’s County Store.”

“It’s a good thing we aren’t looking for extravagant,” Daisy murmured.

“The money has gone to your head,” Mordecai said.

“Yeah. It’s nice to have. Being poor was no fun, or don’t you remember?”

“I haven’t forgotten my roots so easily as you.”

“I swear to God, Mordecai, I will rearrange your stupid face if you don’t can it. You’re getting on my last nerve.”

“And you’re both getting on my last nerve,” I hissed. “Stop fighting, would you? Here, let’s just go in here. We can play bait later. I’m not in the mood.”

I ushered them both into the no-name café.

Daisy stomped in after me, muttering, “It’s a good thing he loves you, or you’d get fired.”

“It’s a good thing I have an aversion to jail, or you’d find yourself in an unmarked grave,” I replied, holding the door open. “We’ll get a quick bite and then get some supplies.”

The deep aroma of coffee was even better than the crisp night air. I nearly floated up to the counter, anticipating the warmth and comfort of a cup of joe.

A plump woman with graying hair and a warm smile greeted me. “May I help you?”

I glanced at the chalkboard, advertising open-faced sandwiches, pastries, pies, and the various coffee offerings. “A slice of quiche and an Americano with a double shot, please.”

“You’re going to be up all night,” Daisy said, sidling up next to me.

I gave her the flat stare of a coffee addict who knows what she can handle. The woman’s smile stretched wider and she nodded.

“May I please have the open-faced chicken sandwich and a glass of apple juice?” Daisy asked sweetly.

“I’ll have the same,” Mordecai said. “Can I also have a side of fries, a hot chocolate, and a piece of blueberry pie?”

“Ew, you glutton, get dessert later. You don’t need to order everything at once.” Daisy elbowed Mordecai. “And you ordered apple juice, so take that off if you’re going to get hot chocolate.”

“If I’m going to eat it all, what’s the point of making two trips?” Mordecai elbowed her back. “I’ll drink them both. Stop micromanaging me.”

“You guys,” I said between my teeth, my face flaming. “Go. Sit. Down.”

“But the—”

“Go,” I said to Daisy, and I knew I had crazy eyes.

“It’s a hard age,” the woman said as the two found a table in the back corner and continued to bicker. “Are they your…siblings?”

The woman let the question linger. I smiled, knowing why she was confused. With only ten years or so between us, there was no way I could be their biological mother. Besides, our appearances didn’t bear out a connection as simple as blood, what with Daisy’s pale-as-snow complexion, Mordecai’s dark skin and flashing hazel eyes, and my various shades of beige and brown.

The half-truths and outright lies were ready on my tongue.

“My mom took them in as foster kids, but she died a few years ago. I didn’t think they’d let me keep them, but my uncle—my mom’s brother—homeschools them, and I have a steady job that I can do from home, so I guess it’s a team effort.” I shrugged. “We thought we might try a little rock climbing, but I suspect we’ll instead do some rock dangling.”