Page 34 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

Athena smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’m trying to encourage her to make an app that’ll help her compare old missing persons photos. Ones that’ll transform the kids into what they’d look like today. Then create a database with all kinds of helpful stuff.”

“It’s already been playing out in my head for the last ten minutes.” Athena looked far away. “I have so many ideas.”

Maven grinned. “Go, friend.”

Athena glanced at Maven. “I was going to go to the lawyer with you.”

“Yeah,” she said. “But I don’t need a ride anymore.”

“You don’t?” she asked.

“She doesn’t,” I replied succinctly, even if I did have something to do after this.

Just the thought of spending more time with Maven was way more appealing than meeting my mom at the Home Goods store to pick out fucking linens.

Personally, I was perfectly okay with my Amazon sheets, but my mom was appalled.

This sounded like the perfect excuse to get out of that…

“Okay then.” Athena stood up. “It was very nice to meet you all. Thank you for the save back there.”

She pointed at Scott and Sheldon who were now at their old table with their drinks, glaring at our group.

That made me angry all over again.

They really did know how to be assholes, didn’t they?

It also made me even angrier that last night I’d heard Scott bragging to another cop how Chief Austin had closed Maven’s bakery down because of a health violation.

Bogus or not, why would he fuckin’ be excited about that?

What kind of shitty, stereotypical villain boasted about something like that?

Conversation waned at the table after Athena left.

It was Gable who asked, “How’s she really doing?”

Maven smiled sadly, and I couldn’t help but reach for her hand underneath the table.

The hand that was still clutching her hardback.

Taking it out of her hand, I sat it on the table between us and regathered her hand in mine.

Her eyes went to the book and froze.

“Oh, that’s the book Hollis was reading the other day,” Quincy said as he absently took a drink of his coffee. “Didn’t she get Mom to read that? I remember the fancy yellow cover.”

“It’s an author based in Kilgore, Texas,” Maven said softly. “It’s fun to read a book set around your area. I love her references to tornados, heat, and the surrounding areas.”

My brothers looked at me, confusion marring their brows.

The mention of her reading had shut her down.

Why?

“I think that’s why Mamasauce—my mom—loves her, too,” Atlas admitted. “Something about ‘not making Texans look stupid with fake, Southern accents.’”

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