Page 131 of The Body in the Backyard

“I don’t know if you two have met my sister, Wander, and my friend Gabe,” Riley said, trying to recall if Carmela and Andy had shown up at Nick’s surprise accidental-orgy birthday party.

“It’s great to meet you,” Andy said, enthusiastically shaking their hands. “I’m Andy, Riley’s college boyfriend, and this is my wife, Carmela. She’s Nick’s grumpy sister.”

“I don’t know why I should expect a childless hobbyist to understand the importance of rules, boundaries, and schedules,” Carmela said acidly, ignoring everyone.

Nick grinned. “Yet here you are, Carm. Begging a childless hobbyist to take care ofyourkid.” He turned to Esmeralda. “No offense, kid. You know I’m pumped to hang with you. I just like giving your mom shit.”

Esmeralda didn’t quite manage to hide her tiny smile.

“I’m already regretting this,” Carmela complained.

“Riley is great with kids. She’s supersmart and funny,” Andy began.

“Hey, man. You snooze, you lose,” Nick warned him.

Carmela had had enough. “Ugh. Fine. Just keep my daughter alive.”

Riley had a funny feeling tickling the pit of her stomach. “Where are you guys going?” she asked.

“My firm facilitated the build of the new Bibsom Pharmaceuticals. Mom is one of their guests of honor tonight for her work on Oblituspan.”

“It’s a new dermal filler that lasts longer than Botox but causes memory problems in sixty percent of the people who use it,” Andy added helpfully.

“Didn’t there used to be an after-school program for underprivileged kids there before you built a five-story office building and parking lot?” Nick asked his sister.

“What a coincidence! That’s where we’re going,” Wander said. “Would you like to ride with us?”

Carmela skimmed Riley’s sister from braids to recycled-tire sneakers. Then she looked at Gabe in his head-to-toe, body-hugging black. “Absolutely not.”

“Then we’ll see you there,” Wander said with a smile.

“You really do look great, Ry,” Andy said earnestly.

Nick slammed the door in his brother-in-law’s face and tossed Esmeralda’s tote bag to the floor. A violin case fell out.

The girls giggled.

Nick clapped his hands. “Okay, unicorn chipmunk skunks, this is my niece, Esmeralda. She’s cool and smart. Es, this is River, Rain, and Janet. They’re also cool and smart. And we’re about to have the best night ever.”

It turnedout that the best night ever started at Pretty Paula’s Nails, a small nail salon crammed into a strip mall between a pet store—their next stop to soothe the sting of not allowing Burt to accompany them—and a tax preparer.

They entered to the strum of a harp and took in the storefront. The interior reminded Riley of a 1980s neon Trapper Keeper.

“Nicky Santiago.” The woman Riley presumed was Paula got up from behind the turquoise-tiled desk and opened her arms. Best guess put her in her late fifties. She was tall, even without the platform wedges, and all soft curves and big hair. She wore jewelry like she was a display case, and her nails were talons that looked like they’d render activities like basic hygiene impossible. “Long time no see.”

“Heard you went straight. Had to see for myself,” Nick said as he returned her hug.

“You kids know this guy?” Paula asked, chewing aggressively on her gum.

All four nieces nodded.

“He’s one of the good ones, even if he did try to send me to jail.”

“Paula, this is my girlfriend, Riley.”

“Girlfriend?” Paula fluttered mile-long lashes and clapped a hand to her impressive chest. “Is Nicky Santiago settling down?”

“They live together too,” Esmeralda piped up.