The girl shrank down in her chair, swallowed the doughnut, and pulled up the round collar of her T-shirt over her mouth. “Nothing.”

“Bree Elizabeth Morgan,” Mrs. Morgan said in the type of voice that no one with any sense would argue with. “You better spill it, young lady.”

“We only went up there a couple of times. I used the hidden key Grandpa showed me when we fixed the sign and then just left it unlocked.” It came out as a wail, a pitiful teenage I’ve-been-caught wail. “It was only a small group of us, but then a bunch of people heard and half of my class was there. It was like one of those movies, but I swear no one threw up on the couch and the bunny statue got knocked over by accident before they found the key to the liquor cabinet.”

“Young lady, we are going to go have a chat with your parents. Let’s go.” Mrs. Morgan’s chair squeaked on the linoleum floor when she pushed it back and stood, pointing her granddaughter to the door. “I’m so sorry about the confusion—and the video.”

“You’ve got to delete it and hand over this copy,” Ian said.

She nodded in agreement and then had the grace to look shame-faced as she and her husband led their wayward granddaughter out of the room, each of them talking over the other with the girl’s plaintive whining ribboning through it. Yeah, Ian had been there. Neither of his parents had put up with shit, but he’d tried his best anyway. It was his mom who usually caught him and set him straight, especially since his dad spent most of Ian’s childhood on the road.

Yeah, having a second family and banging whichever other puck bunnies he came across.

His good mood disappeared and before he’d exhaled, he was feeling just as salty as Shelby was looking sitting next to him. And what was that all about? They’d gone to bed happy, and then everything had gone to shit. It didn’t make a damn bit of sense, but then again, when did anything involving his life ever?

“My sister is going to ground that girl until she’s eighty,” Alan said, shaking his head. “Sorry for the trouble. Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll get you two back up the mountain. I’m happy to bring you over to the Wilkes place.”

“Actually,” Shelby said, her voice going up even higher than usual as she looked down at her hands clasped together in her lap. “I think it might be best if I head back to Harbor City.”

Ian flinched. “Why?”

She didn’t look over at him, instead keeping her attention on her hands. “I can prep for work and maybe go in Monday and get a head start before the new job officially starts on Tuesday.”