Page 13 of Forever and Other Lies

“Come on, Brennan,” she called as she raced past him down the sidewalk.

Derek caught up and seized Jayna’s arm. He pulled her into the bushes bordering the adjacent property. They crouched down, peering through the branches as lights came on in Ophelia’s house.

Ophelia swung open her front door and let out a shriek. The woman placed a hand against her fuzzy housecoat, just over her heart. Her gaze fixed on the glowing eyes of the three snow mounds on her front lawn. “Who’s out there? If that’s you again, Bobby McDermott, I will call your mother. You know I will!”

“She definitely will, poor kid,” Derek whispered.

The porch lights of the house they hid in front of switched on. Jayna sucked in a breath.

As Shamus stepped out onto his front porch, he spotted them. Derek greeted him with a swift wave before holding a finger in front of his mouth.

With a nod of understanding, Shamus turned his attention to his alarmed neighbor. “What seems to be the trouble, Ophelia?”

“Look!” She pointed to her front lawn.

Shamus let out a loud guffaw. “I see the mothership has sent down drones to retrieve their queen.”

“Are you saying that I’m an alien queen?” Ophelia braced her hands on both hips.

“Well, it would explain a lot. You are far from human.”

“I’m far from human? You’re the one who’s not human. You’re a caveman!” Ophelia yelled in her grating voice. “A bagpipe-playing caveman and a bad one at that!”

“A bad one?” Shamus bellowed back. “I’ll show you a bad one!”

Shamus slammed his door as he stomped back into his house.

“Let’s go,” Derek grabbed Jayna’s hand again and made a dash for her truck. The sound of doors slamming followed by bagpipe music filled the air.

“Shamus, you stop that incessant noise right now!” They heard Ophelia scream as lights came on in the surrounding houses.

“We just woke the entire neighborhood.” Jayna moaned. “And reignited the Ophelia-Shamus feud.”

“Mission accomplished,” Derek held up his hand for a high five and she punched him in the arm instead.

They reached the truck just as a police cruiser turned the corner. It slowed and came to a stop. The window rolled down and Burke leaned out, shining a flashlight on both of their faces. “Well, well, well. I shouldn’t be surprised, yet somehow, I am!”

“What’s up, Burke?” Derek inquired, all innocent-like.

“That’s what I was about to ask you.” The cop’s eyes narrowed.

“We’re just out for an evening stroll,” Derek maintained eye contact.

“Is taking an evening stroll illegal?” Jayna stepped next to Derek.

“Dispatch received a complaint from Mrs. Meddler. Apparently, someone built menacing snowmen on her front lawn.”

“That’s against the law as well?” Jayna’s brows shot up.

“No, but disturbing the peace is. She said that same someone also banged loudly on her door.”

“We wouldn’t know anything about that,” Derek deadpanned. “Like we told you, we were just out for an evening stroll.”

“I thought you two hated one another?” Burke continued the interrogation. “And if you weren’t involved, then why are your knees wet?” He shone the flashlight down, illuminating Derek’s wet jeans.

“Jayna pushed me into a snowbank. Like you said, she hates me.” Derek shook his head. “She’s real mean.”

“Why are her knees wet, too?” Burke moved the flashlight over her legs.

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