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Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Katie Powner
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

“Stay back.” Nothing but damp earth meets my fingers as I press them into the ground. It has to be here somewhere. I was standing right here.

“June.”

I lift my head and shout, “I said stay back.”

My voice prowls through the night like a feral creature. I must stop him. I can’t let him find it. I need to tuck it far away.

I pound on the ground. “No, no, no, no, no.”

“Come back to the house, June.”

He stands beside me now, and I slap at his legs. “Get away, get away.”

“Juniper.”

The fear in his voice reaches me, but I don’t understand it. Does he know?

His hand is on my shoulder, soft and strong but unsure. I start to cry. Where is my penny? Why can’t I find it? What if he sees?

“Come on.” He gently grasps my arm and pulls me to my feet. Snot drips from my nose, and when I wipe at it, I feel the dirt smear across my face. It’s better if I let him lead me inside. It’s the only way to get him away from here. To keep him from walking all over the grass. When he isn’t here, when he isn’t looking, I will return.

We shuffle back to the house. Tears stream down my face and drip off my jawline. They fall like rain onto my nightdress.

It is dark, and I am cold.

SEVEN

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Bea’s foot struck a Cheerio as she placed her cereal bowl in the dishwasher, and it skittered across the floor. Steve chased it across the smooth laminate boards. She laughed as the cat batted the Cheerio under a chair and then pounced on it from behind the leg.

“At least Steve likes it here.”

Jeremy slid the milk jug back into the fridge. “I never said I don’t like it.”

Her shoulders slumped. He hadn’t said it out loud, yet she could tell being in her dad’s house put him on edge. It wasn’t where she wanted to be, either. But it was only temporary. They had no choice.

“I know.”

“It’s kind of nice being around family. Family that actually cares about you, anyway.” Jeremy shook his head as if shaking off bad memories. “How does your stomach feel after eating? Is your morning sickness bad today?”

“Hot coffee, Jeremy.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Keep your voice down.”

His eyes twinkled. “Relax, he’s not even home.”

“I—I know,” she sputtered. “I’m just, uh . . .”

Her voice trailed off as she let out a long breath. Was she going crazy? Dad couldn’t hear them. He’d risen with the dawn and headed off to work before Bea had even opened her eyes. No matter how many hours of sleep she got, her body wanted more.

Jeremy stretched his neck. “You can’t keep it from him for long.”