Page 133 of The Body in the Backyard

“Any new leads from Brian and Kellen’s background checks?” she asked, lowering her voice.

Nick shook his head. “The deeper we dig, the guiltier everyone looks. I might have to do something drastic.”

“How drastic?”

His phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen, smirking before showing it to her.

Mom: Why is your girlfriend’s sister protesting at my award night?

Riley groaned. “Your mother is never going to run out of reasons to hate me.”

“It’s what she does,” he said, thumbs flying over the screen.

“What are you saying to her?”

“That you’re sorry you couldn’t be there with your own sign and you want to know how many beagle puppies her business built its empire on the back of.”

“Nick!”

“I’m just kidding.”

“Aunt Riley?” Janet piped up from Riley’s elbow. “I’m hungry.”

“Perfect timing, unicorn chipmunk skunks. Time for dinner,” Nick said.

31

6:30 p.m. Sunday, November 3

“Mom says I have to be exceptional in all things. Normal is for losers,” Esmeralda announced from the back of Wander’s minivan.

Riley smiled out the window. There had been a time in her own life when she would have sold internal organs for a shot at normal. But after Nick, well, the man had opened her eyes to the delights of an abnormal life.

“No offense, Es, but your mom is full of sh—crap,” Nick said.

“Shcrap,” Janet repeated gleefully from her booster seat.

“Our mom says we have a responsibility to find out what brings us joy and follow it through life,” Rain said, kicking her feet in the air.

“You know what? This is one nieces’ night out. Let’s not try to undo a lifetime of parenting,” Riley suggested.

“Aunt Riley, how many boys or girls have you kissed?” River asked.

Nick’s gaze slid to her from behind the steering wheel.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m considering having my first kiss, but I want to go to an expert for advice.”

“Your aunt Riley is an expert kisser,” Nick assured River.

Riley’s expertise most likely paled in comparison to the legions of women that Nick had kissed. But shewaspretty confident in her abilities.

“Good. How do you not smash noses?” River asked.

“Ah. Excellent question. You have to tilt your head to one side, and your kissing partner has to tilt their head to the opposite side,” Riley explained.

Esmeralda was leaning forward, absorbing the information like it was periodic table flash cards.