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didn’t seem to mind it at all. Amy was as fair and pretty as she was tiny in

build. She had bright blue eyes and flaxen hued blonde hair that trailed past

her waist. She never dyed it, cut it, or fussed with it and the result was

something straight out of a fairy tale.

“Did you get an infestation of rats in your apartment?”

“Rats?” Romi blinked at her brother.

Jack smirked right back at her. “Yeah. Rats. They nibbled your toes in the

night.”

“That’s enough of that,” Deb warned seriously. “Don’t put that image in

my head!”

“Yeah,” Emily bit out. “That’s disgusting. Everyone can see that she tried

&nbs

p; to unplug her kitchen disposal with her toes.”

Romi groaned, but she had to bite down on a smile. “Mom said it looked

like I stuck them under a running lawn mower. You guys are too awful.”

“Clearly it was hiking boots,” Amy pointed out rationally. She sipped on

the slushy drink. “I had the same experience when I went camping with my

family as a kid. My mom bought me these brand new boots and they

weren’t broken in. I did have socks, but they were way too big and my feet

pretty much looked exactly like that after.”

“You’re right. It was boots,” Romi admitted. “I went on a pick with work.

I had to borrow a pair of boots because I came in sneakers, and apparently

that wasn’t safe, so I kind of brought it on myself.”

“A pick? What’s that?” Romi’s dad, Travis, turned from the barbeque,

tongs in hand. He snapped them a couple times for emphasis.

“Just, like, where you go to someone’s barn or house or whatever and

look for or try to buy their antiques.”

“I hope you didn’t go alone!”

“Of course not.” Romi watched her dad’s face relax. “I had help.”

“Help?” Jack leaned forward.