His mom huffs out a laugh. “Maybe things haven’t changed after all. Forgot that you inherited Diedre’s dry sense of humor.” Don’t tell my mom that; to her, Grandma Diedre is a humorless sack of unbending rules and wrong about everything. “How is your grandmother, by the way? She’s supposed to bring me back a souvenir from Nepal.”

I shrug. “Drinking yak milk and teaching ten-year-old girls to read English. She hasn’t had a hot shower since February.”

“That woman will not make it a year out there,” Ms. Karras murmurs. “No offense.”

Ugh. Tick, tick, tick … Ticking time bomb.

I try not to let that scary thought ruin my good mood.

When she holds up a hand to quiet us and answers a ringing phone, Lucky speaks in a hushed, exasperate voice near the side of my head. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Renting your services,” I whisper back, feeling a little powerful. Feeling … seductive.

Not in a sexy way. Just a powerful way. I think?

“I’m not for rent.”

“My money says otherwise.”

“Why can’t you just let things be?”

I swing around, and we’re way too close, both of us too stubborn to move. “You shouldn’t have rejected my offer to let me pay you back the normal way. Now I’m renting you out. By the way, I ran into Bunny Perera. She says you’re the sweetest guy in the entire world and a complete angel. Just super-duper wholesome and respectable.” I boop him on the nose where the oil streaks his skin and wipe my finger on his shirt.

His eyes narrow. Oh, he’s mad. Seething. Maybe something else.

I should probably be careful. The curse. All that.

But I tell you what. If this is seduction in a non-sexy way—I repeat, in a non-sexy way—it’s blissfully sweet. Okay, and it could be ju-u-u-st a little bit wrong, because he’s my childhood best friend. The tiniest, teeniest bit. Even if it’s not sexy.

Because it’s not. Probably.

But I try not to think about that too much.…

I just smile up at him. “Think I was listening to the wrong gossip about you before. Don’t worry. I’m on the right track now. See you at twilight, captain.”

Chapter 11

CAUTION! DEEP WATER. NO SWIMMING OR DIVING: Sign posted in the harbor. The waterline stops at the bottom edge of the sign, making it nearly unreadable from a distance when waves crash. (Personal photo/Josephine Saint-Martin)

Chapter 11

Boy-oh-boy, do I love golden hour. It’s the time either right after sunrise or before sunset when the light outside is great for photography. Everything looks nice and warm, the light is diffused, no harsh shadows. It’s kind of when the planet says, Go on: Take my picture Right now. Let’s remember this moment together.