BooksBarbecue
Back Point Last Seen
Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Elle jumped and looked toward the open garage door.

Tamalyn stood there, hands on hips. “I went up to the house but no one was there.” She stared accusingly at Elle, as if being in the house was a duty she had shirked. “I brought your grocery delivery.”

42

ELLE STOOD ON THE porch of the house and watched Tamalyn bicycle laboriously back up the road toward the store. “That kid has issues.”

“She’s in love with Adam,” Rune sang like a delighted second grader.

Adam picked up two of the grocery bags and headed into the house.

“Of course she is.” Elle picked up the remaining bag and followed. “But it’s more than the usual teen angst. I recognize that. She’s angry about something.”

“That you’re living with Adam,” Rune said.

“Maybe. There have to be underlying issues.” She put her bag on the table beside Adam’s and watched him put groceries away.

“Sure,” Rune said. “She’s a teenager.”

“You’re the psychic. What’s wrong?” Adam asked.

“I don’t have to be psychic to know. It’s the usual. Her father died. Her mother remarried, the new family moved here from Silicon Valley. Her stepfather is a noted novelist who gets a lot of attention. Her mother is the head of a computer-development team. She works remotely, and she had a baby—” Rune developed that sloppy grin people get around charming toddlers “—who is currently the cutest eighteen-month-old I’ve ever seen.”

“Tamalyn is displaced,” Elle said, “feels ignored and lonely—”

Rune continued. “She also used to write angsty poetry, but since her stepfather is a commercial author who rakes it in, she gave it up with the fury of an artist betrayed by reality.”

Elle winced. She had written her share of teen poetry.

Rune watched the food disappear into the cupboards and the refrigerator. “I never ate breakfast,” she said wistfully.

“Hey, Rune, want to stay for lunch?” Adam asked, and at Rune’s nod, he began to make sandwiches.

Elle laughed at Rune. “Subtle!” She hummed as she assembled a vegetable plate and opened a tub of Angelica Lindholm’s Own Curry Dip. When she saw Adam looking at her in surprise, she sidled up to him. “We’ve got company!”

Adam looked at the egg salad he had spread on a piece of bread. “It’s only sandwiches.”

“And chips!” Elle pulled a bag out of the pantry and turned to the observant Rune. “Can’t you make Tamalyn talk to you?”

“I’m a psychic, not a magician.” Rune was more than a little sarcastic. “No one forces a teenager to talk.”