She was pretty sure Chris’s new opinions on parenting were thanks to Genna-with-a-G, who had opinions on lots of things. She didn’t seem to be a bad person as far as Zoey could tell. Just...opinionated. And Chris was still in the glow of new love—Zoey tugged on her overalls—so he was hanging on his new fiancée’s every word.

“I’m in the truck, Momster!”

Zoey ground her teeth together, biting back her annoyance. Hazel was trying to get a reaction, and she wasn’t going to give it. She headed to the door, turning off all the lights her daughter had ignored on her way out. Sure, Hazel claimed to love the planet, but she was a teenager and therefore allergic to turning off light switches.

“Mom! Let’s go!” Hazel had opened her window to call out.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Zoey slid into the truck. She knew Hazel preferred being seen in their red compact car, but she had a house call today and needed the work vehicle. “We’re going.”

She’d barely started to turn the truck around when Hazel stopped her. “Do you have your work schedule with you? All the parts you need? Did you pack your lunch?”

This kid was a better business manager than Zoey was.

“Parts are in the back. My schedule’s in my tote bag, along with my lunch.”

“You know,” Hazel said in a singsong voice, “I’m not always going to be here to take care of you.”

“What does that mean?” Chris and Genna-with-a-G had made it clear Hazel was welcome to spend more time with them in their shiny new house.

Hazel’s eyebrows gathered together. “Um...it means I’ll graduate high school eventually? Unless you’re planning on locking me in my room, I’ll be off to college somewhere and...you know...living my life. And you’ll be here, conducting fashion crimes all on your own.”

Zoey chuckled at Hazel’s repetition of the threat she’d made to Mike the day before. “I’ve been advised that locking you up is against the law, so I guess I’ll have to learn to live without you managing my every moment, or my wardrobe.” A surprising pinch of emotion made her blink. “But let’s not rush the clock, kid.” Zoey pulled up in front of the school and tugged Hazel’s ponytail before she hopped out. “Try to stay out of trouble today, okay?”

Hazel shrugged as she stood. “I don’t start it, but I’ll finish it if anyone...”

Zoey held up her hand. “Take the high road, Hazel. I can’t get called off a job again, and you need to be in class.” She pointed at her daughter. “I mean it. No more punching people.”

“As a wise woman once said...” Hazel wagged her eyebrows playfully. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She turned to jog into the school.