Since this question was directed at Ruby, Spencer kept quiet and allowed her to answer it—mostly because he was as curious about the answer as his parents. A month ago, if anyone had asked him about Caleb’s well-being, he’d have answered the same way he always had: Caleb was a man who would land on his feet every single time. There were too many people willing to catch him, dozens of safety nets spread out should any of them fail. Even when life was hard for him, he refused to take things any way but easy.

Spencer wasn’t so sure about that anymore. On the surface, Caleb was fine: the same happy, carefree man he’d always been. But Spencer knew just how misleading surfaces could be. He’d always known it. No two show dogs were created equally. Identical twins could be polar opposites on the inside. A woman’s gorgeous exterior might not even hint at the beauty she carried within.

Ruby wrinkled her nose and considered the question for a good thirty seconds before answering. “I haven’t known him his whole life the way you have, so it’s difficult to say. When he’s working—when he’s training Wheezy or teaching Caesar new tricks—he seems fine. Productive. Happy, even. It’s only when…” Her voice trailed off and she glanced at Spencer, as if unsure whether she was supposed to continue.

He nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.

“He’s overcompensating,” she said. “That’s what it feels like to me, anyway. Like he has to prove not just to the world but to himself that he’s okay. I used to see it a lot back when I did beauty pageants. The most confident girls—the ones with the biggest, brightest smiles—were usually the ones who were one ripped seam away from a complete mental breakdown.”

The silence that fell over the kitchen caused Ruby to press a hand to her cheek and take a step backward. “Oops. That was more than you wanted to hear, wasn’t it? I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately, and—”

Spencer’s mom put a hand on Ruby’s shoulder and drove her into one of the stools set up against the breakfast bar. From the look of determination and delight on his mom’s face, he knew what was going to happen next.

“I’m going to make you an iced tea,” she said. “And then you’re going to tell me everything Caleb has been up to.”

Chapter 12

By the time Ruby was done telling Mrs. Wilson everything she knew about Caleb—in addition to a few innocent lies to pad out the tale—it had begun to grow dark outside. There was no sign of Spencer, the boys, or Wheezy, but this place was huge. They could be anywhere.