Secrets in a Still Life by Kari Ganske (mobi ebook reader .txt) 📕

Colleen shot up and turned on the car. She rammed it into gear and made a tire-screeching U-turn while I tried to not throw up beside her. We raced down the hill after the car. How the heck did I lose my license when crazy drivers like Colleen and Nana K got to keep theirs? Mysteries of small towns.

"Cheese and crackers!" I exclaimed, holding tight to the handle above my seat as Colleen careened around a turnout of the neighborhood. "Would you slow down? We are supposed to not draw attention to ourselves."

Colleen eased up on the gas. "Sorry. This is all so exciting! And I don't want to lose him."

"You mean in all this traffic?" I gestured to the practically empty road around us. The Vandenburg car's taillights were clearly visible about a block ahead. "We don't even know it's Mike in that car."

"Who else would it be? The kids aren't old enough to drive. And it obviously isn't Missy," Colleen said.

I gaped at her.

Colleen shrugged. "What? It's true."

I mean, she wasn't wrong.

The Vandenburg car—something sporty and splashy—turned onto the Weather Streets. This neighborhood, unlike the one where the Vandenburgs lived, was an older neighborhood with mature trees, old Piney Ridge family names, and a mix of ranchers, Colonials, and split-levels. No cookie-cutter houses here, much like my parents' neighborhood. The lots were spacious, most having been fenced in over the years to accommodate pets and small children, and the porch lights were lit. I knew if the blood rushing in my ears would slow, I'd be able to hear the laughter of families enjoying the early evening air on their back porches.

Mike rounded the corner from Snowfall Way onto Sunshine Court. Colleen followed at a safe distance; no need to go too fast since Sunshine Court dead ended. We saw the car in front of a modest rancher at the end of the cul-de-sac. I whipped my eyes to the front porch in time to see a male—must be Mike—entering the house. The curtains were drawn in the front window, so we couldn't see in. Darnit.

"Who lives here?" I whispered.

"No idea," Colleen whispered back. She followed the circle of the court and parked her car opposite Mike's, facing the open end of the street. Smart move in case we needed a quick getaway.

"Now what?" I asked, still whispering.

"We wait a minute. Maybe we'll see some naughty shadows in the window. Or maybe they'll come out and go somewhere else," she said.

"Why are we whispering?" I asked.

Colleen laughed. Then said in her normal voice, "You started it."

I laughed too and felt a little lighter. "Well, there's one thing for sure. He was, and still is, lying about poker night."

We sat for a few more minutes staring at the house. No movement, no noise, no nothing.

"This is boring," I said. I was used to the hustle and bustle of big cities, the shouts and crowds of village markets, the shrieks and cries of the never-quiet jungles. This was equivalent to watching paint dry or waiting in line at the motor vehicle administration. Or organizing the desktop icons at the firehouse. Everything here in Piney Ridge was so quiet and so slow. No, not just slow, but still. Practically moving backward.

"So tell me about your plans," Colleen said, turning her attention to me instead of the quiet house. "I feel like we haven't caught up since you've been back."

I shrugged. "The more plans I make, the more this whole thing feels permanent."

"What's wrong with that?"

I could hear the hint of umbrage in her voice. Like me, Colleen had been born and raised in Piney Ridge. Unlike me, Colleen never had any desire to leave. She'd always loved the small-town vibe. So much so, in fact, she won the Miss Teen Crab Princess crown when we were in high school. She wore that sash around like she was mayor—taking her duties and appearances very seriously. Unfortunately, a terrible case of stomach flu blasted through the contestants, effectively canceling the state-level competition and Colleen’s rise to Teen Crab power.

"Nothing is wrong with it," I answered her question. "It just isn't for me. Toe-may-to, toe-mah-to and all that. I need to get back to my life. This feels like a layover."

"At least you won't be laying over at your parents' house much longer. Can't say Connie and George in the next room is very conducive to an adult relationship, if you know what I mean." Colleen waggled her eyebrows.

"And who would I even be having an adult relationship with?"

"I know a certain firefighter who's single. And who you used to have a huge crush on."

I rolled my eyes and looked out the window so Colleen couldn't see the blush creeping up my neck. "That was a lifetime ago," I mumbled.

"Listen, the way he looked at you the other day says he's interested too."

I shook my head. "The only thing he's interested in is seeing how much more awkward I can be. I'm like a one-woman circus, and Piney Ridge has front-row seats."

"So? All I'm saying is a hot guy is interested in you—for whatever reason. Don't squander it."

I snorted and was about to respond when movement in the house caught my eye. "Look!"

Colleen turned her head to peer out the window.

"They're moving around back. I really wish I could hear what they were saying. Let's get closer," Colleen said.

Before I could react and tell her it was a terrible idea, Colleen had scrambled out of the driver's side and ran halfway across the street. She moved in a low crouch, which totally drew more attention than if she walked like a normal person. When Colleen reached the other side, she looked back and motioned impatiently for me to follow her. I sighed, grabbed my crutch, and got out of the