Page 17 of Rainbow Kisses

Shit.“No, I’m not.”

Okay, that was a total lie. And there was that huff-snort again, which made me want to squirm in my seat like I was Maddy’s age.

“Does she always talk that much?” Maddy continued. “I mean, oh my god, like, she never shut up.”

“We had a lot to talk about.”

“Does she always get so involved in everyone’s business? Seriously, like, doesn’t she have her own life?”

“She helps her family run the team. Pretty sure that counts as having a life.”

“That just means she got her jobbecauseof her family. Must be nice not to have to worry about money and stuff.”

I didn’t say anything right away, because I heard the hurt and frustration in Maddy’s voice. Life with Linny had never been easy, even though she had to know how much her mom loved her. Linny had always struggled with money. I’d helped as much as my sister would let me, but she only let me give her money when Maddy needed something. Clothes. Medicine. School supplies.

“Yeah, her family has money, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t work just as hard as everyone else.”

I glanced over to see Maddy looking at me with narrowed eyes. Those eyes were way too sharp for a twelve-year-old.

“You like her.”

She sounded so much like Linny, I shook my head, which Maddy took to be my answer.

“Yes, you do.”

“She’s a nice person, so yeah, I like her.”

“No, you want her to be your girlfriend.”

Since I’d promised Maddy I wouldn’t lie to her, and I had already totally lied to her just a few seconds earlier, I didn’t respond to her statement. “What Iwantis to get us settled here, and Rain’s going to help us do that.”

“Why would she do that? She doesn’t really know us.”

“I told you I played here before. I got to know Rain then. But I was friends with her brothers, Rowdy and Rebel, first.”

“Why do they have weird names?”

I barked out a laugh. “Wasn’t there a kid in your class named Blue Sky?”

“Yeah, but her parents are stoners, and they had her when they were, like, eighteen.”

Fair enough. “Rain’s parents definitely are not stoners, and their other son is named Rocky.”

“Seriously? That’s just stupid.”

“Well, when you meet the Colonel and Raffi, you can tell them that.”

I obviously couldn’t hear her roll her eyes, but I know she did. “Like I would ever. I’m not stupid. You need this job.”

I had to laugh again as I pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. “Mads, stupid is not a word I would ever associate with you. You’re way smarter than me.”

Her snort echoed through the car. “Yeah, well, you’re the only person who thinks that.”

“Your mom thinks you’re brilliant. And I’m pretty sure Rain doesn’t think you’re stupid.”

Another sideways grin. “And I’m pretty sure you like her more than a friend. You’re not really that great of a liar, Uncle Bri. Like, you really shouldn’t even bother.”

The next morning,I walked out of the school feeling like I’d just failed a job interview.

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