“Crowbar gets all the girls,” I said. I pulled out the costume makeup Hayley packed for me. I prayed it washed off as easily as she promised it would. I started drawing lines to mimic Crowbar’s spots.

“Do you need help with that, too?” Parker asked.

“Why? Am I doing a bad job?” I moved closer to the full-length mirror that hung on the back of the door. My lines looked like his brindle fur. She slipped into the small space between me and the mirror. She was too close, but I didn’t move.

“No. I just figured it might be easier and faster if somebody does it for you.” She took the makeup pencil from me. “Your face like his?”

I nodded, choosing not to speak while we were this close. Her blue eyes were still piercing and her lips full. Her face had slimmed down over the years but had gained a few laugh lines around her eyes and mouth. Her makeup was perfect. I should’ve insisted on doing it myself but I selfishly wanted to be near her.

“Black nose?”

I rolled my eyes and nodded. “The works. Make me look like him.”

She laughed. “By the time I get done with you, nobody’s going to recognize you.”

“Most of the people here know Crowbar. I won’t get away with much,” I said. It dawned on me that her daughters weren’t with her. “Where are Vee and Rose?”

“Grayson has them for a minute. Look up,” she said.

I looked up so she could add eyeliner. I was only going to put face paint on, camouflage style like I was out hunting, but Parker was artistically painting my face. Having her this close to me was unnerving. I was already hot wearing the costume, but the nearness of her ignited my blood. “This fake fur prison is going to make the paint run.”

She gave me a look. “Stop whining. You’ll be fine. Unless you run five miles, you’re not going to sweat this off. Trust me. I have children.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“If you had them, you would know that it does.” She looked at the paint stick. “This is what we use. And it will wash off nicely with soap and water. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve dressed up as pirates or jungle animals. Okay. We’re almost done. Purse out your lips and don’t talk,” she said.