Page 8 of The Truth

“Are you hurting badly?”

Aubrey knew. She always did.

“Not too badly, actually. The pool helped quite a bit today. More from story time. I read theWonkus McBubbles,with the climbing moves worked in. It’s probably my favorite of all of them; the kids’, too.”

“But that’s the most physical book, right?”

“Yes. But it’s worth it. The mayor’s youngest two were in there. They are so cute.” Ayla didn’t regret it, but her body did. The mayor was following them home now; he’d made a promise to his little brother Guthrie to make sure Aubrey—and Ayla—made it home just fine.

Guthrie had been hovering over Aubrey all night, while they waited on word about Genny.

Aubrey sighed. “Let’s get home. You can take a hot bath tonight, and pain meds, see if they help.”

“I’m more worried about you.” Ayla studied her sister’s face in the dim light. “This is something I’ve dealt with before. You want to talk yet—Aub!”

Ayla was terrified they were going to turn over or something, but Aubrey just yanked the SUV to the side of the road. Then it stopped. They were okay.

She was glad Aubrey had driven—Ayla… didn’t know if she’d have gotten them out of the way in time. She wasn’t as confident a driver as her sister. Her heart… threatened to explode out of her chest.

Genny’s brother’s truck. It had swerved in front of them—barely.

Then Ayla saw the house. And it just didn’t lookright.

“Our house! Look!”

Their front door was in the front yard. Why was it in the front yard like that? And all of Aubrey’s flowers—her sister loved flowers. But they were all pulled up now, all along the sidewalk. Aubrey had worked so hard planting those flowers, humming and singing the entire time. Ayla had just sat on that little bench and watched, happy her sister was sohappy.

“Is that paint? Who would do this? Why?”

Aubrey pulled into the driveway, stopping in the farthest corner.

“Stay in the car.”

“I don’t think you should get out.” What if someone else was in there? They could hurt her sister.

“I need to see what they did. It’s… it’s our home.”

And her sister was holding on by a thread. How much more could Aubrey take?

George was there, standing near the wreckage. “Aubrey, Ayla, stay in the car. I’ve already called the police.”

But Aubrey was already getting out of their SUV.

Ayla just followed her sister. If Aubrey was going to face this head-on, so was she.

6

Gunn had just driftedinto a restless sleep when hard hands shook him awake. “Gunn, wake up, damn it. I need your keys.”

Gunn flipped over and looked at his older brother. Guthrie was there, a wild look on his face. “The hospital? Is Genny okay?”

“It’s not her. I need to get to Aubrey. Someone trashed their house while we were at the hospital. She is talking to the police now. I need to get to her and her sister.”

Gunn was already standing. “Let me change into jeans and shoes. I’m going with you.”

He didn’t like the idea of those women facing this alone. Not if he could be there to help them.

It took him less than two minutes to get dressed. “Let’s roll.”

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