A Murder for the Sages by Amy Lillard

Author:Amy Lillard
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2024-03-18T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Never let anyone treat you like regular glue. You are glitter glue, sister. Glitter. Glue.

—Aunt Bess

“What are you doing here?” The words came out more accusing than she had intended. Her voice was too shrill, her stance too defensive. But that was what Owen did to her. Every. Single. Time.

She would like to shake back her hair and blame her parents for it all. They were constantly singing Owen’s praises, unwittingly pitting the two of them against each other.

For now, she would have to be satisfied with taking off her helmet, shaking out her hair, and pretending she wasn’t dressed in crazy bicycle gear. She had kind of gotten used to the spandex around Yoder. But it somehow seemed like a secret she didn’t want Owen to know about her.

“Ah, Sis, you act like you’re not happy to see me.” Owen’s words were drawled in that smooth voice he seemed to always use when speaking to her. It was borderline condescending, the way you would speak to a twelve-year-old who you didn’t think had the sense to understand the words.

What a coincidence.

He pushed off from his car and walked toward them.

Sissy was struggling with the clasp on her bike helmet. So much for taking it off and shaking out her hair.

Gavin didn’t seem to be much better. He simply stood, straddling his bike, waiting for something to happen to let him know what was going on.

“Owen Yoder.” Her brother approached, right hand extended for Gavin to shake.

“Gavin Wainwright.”

Sissy stopped trying to undo the buckle on her helmet strap to watch and see how the handshake went. With Owen you could never know for sure. Sometimes it came out more like one of those fair challenges to see which man would win out.

But it seemed Gavin wasn’t playing. He released Owen’s hand and took off his own helmet.

From inside his basket, Duke struggled against his harness. He braced his little paws up on the edge of the basket and whined for Owen to pay attention to him. Everyone loved Owen. Even her dog.

“I take it you two are . . . friends.” Owen looked from one of them to the other.

Finally! Sissy got the buckle released and removed her helmet. She cast a sidelong glance at Gavin, who had turned a guilty shade of pink.

“Of course not,” she retorted. “I always go cycling with my mortal enemies.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her response was childish enough. But sometimes Owen and his stupid questions.

Gavin gave a small cough under his breath. “It’s good to meet you, Owen.”

Owen flashed Gavin that confident, I-never-do-anything-wrong smile. “I’m Sissy’s brother.”

“I figured.” Gavin nodded. “I can see the resemblance.”

Hush up! Sissy thought. Or you really will be my mortal enemy.

“At the risk of repeating myself,” Sissy started again, “what are you doing here?”

Owen took a step closer. Duke barked to gain his attention. “I see you still have this little mutt.”

“I shouldn’t have to remind you that he is a pedigreed Yorkshire terrier.”

Her brother scratched the dog under his chin.

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