Page 119 of Married with Mayhem

I’ll never win a battle against the four of them. My only option is to hiss out a breath of fury and walk to the creek. The water is freezing and dark as ink with only a quarter moon tonight. I’ll never find the phone in the dark and it’s not as if it will work anyway.

When I return, Julian closes his book and watches me drop miserably back down on the sleeping bag. “Look, I’ll make sure you get a new phone.”

If I was less tired, I’d instruct my cousin to take his new phone offer and go fuck himself.

Tye is already passed out with a bottle of whiskey in one hand. Fort stays in his own little cowboy world beneath his hat. Only Getty smirks at me from the other side of the campfire.

Ignoring them all, I pull off my shoes and climb into the sleeping bag. A lack of rest will only make me less levelheaded and quicker to lash out.

But if I could actually manage to sleep with one eye open tonight, then I would.

26

SABRINA

Taking a redeye flight back to New York seemed like a good idea at the time. The prospect of spending the night in an empty bed and thinking about Monte was just too depressing.

The flight was long and uncomfortable and the plane landed just after sunrise. At least there was no global cyberattack to make the occasion extra special.

Since I was a bad mood, I decided to cheer myself up with a pretzel. Though I was at a completely different terminal than the last time I flew into JFK, somehow the vendor at the pretzel kiosk was none other than Bolton, my arch nemesis. He enjoyed telling me that he’d just run out of pretzels. I would have accused him of lying, but I could see the empty pretzel case for myself. So I informed him that he had mustard on his chin (which he did) and I left.

My plan was to call a car to take me to Daisy’s apartment but then Nico Castelli materialized out of nowhere and charmingly demanded to be my chauffeur. It was clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Turns out that Luca, still uneasy about the Lenny Lombardo episode, asked Nico to meet my plane. I’m sure he was also thinking this is what Monte would want. Nobody can ask Monte if this is really true because his phone seems to be turned off while he’s off galloping around somewhere in the Wyoming wilderness.

Monte warned he might be out of touch for a day or two but every time I call or text and receive no answer, I get a little crankier. Add to this my roller coaster of intense emotions, a very rough cross country flight wedged into a middle coach seat, and no sleep at all, it won’t take much to roll me over into temper tantrum territory.

But how can I be grumpy when I’m standing in Daisy’s tiny kitchen and she’s hugging me for about the fortieth time since my arrival?

“I’m so happy you’re here,” says my super sweet, adorable big sister.

My reunion with Daisy is the only bright spot in a rather unhappy twenty-four hours. First, I had to say an emotional farewell to Anni and Jane and then I had to confront a return to New York without Monte. At least Daisy and Big Man Bowie have made me feel like a visiting celebrity.

“Sorry I’m not great company,” I mumble as my sister squeezes me with excitement. She smells like cinnamon cake.

“Don’t say that.” Daisy kisses my cheek. “I’ve missed you so much. You and Anni both. I really want to visit Anni and little Jane again before I get too big.”

Daisy is known for being delightfully flighty and sometimes she says weird stuff. Still, there seems to be a vital revelation packed into her last sentence.

“Daisy!” I pull back and stare into her lovely face. “Are you pregnant?”

She beams and gives her belly a loving pat. “All the tests have been positive and I have a doctor’s appointment next week.”

The shadows hanging over the day temporarily vanish with my sister’s joyous news. We dance around the kitchen. I suggest naming the baby Little Man Bowie if it’s a boy. She presses my hand to her stomach because she wants to know if I can feel the slight baby bump.

We’re still celebrating when Big Man Bowie breezes into the apartment with grocery bags hanging from his big arms and a goofy grin lighting up his face. “Look who I found!” he exclaims and gestures to the open door.

We stop discussing names and baby bumps and exchange puzzled glances when the doorway remains empty.

“Where’d you go?” says Big Man Bowie and drops the shopping bags on the floor. He dashes back into the hallway and some scuffling ensues before he manages to push a rather red-faced Nico Castelli through the door.

“No need to be so shy,” says Big Man Bowie and slaps Nico on the back. “Have a seat. Dinner’s on the way.”

Daisy is overjoyed with the unexpected guest and rushes over. “Nico! You’re here again.” She flings her arms around him with a laugh. “Come in. Were you just walking past the building?”

Big Man Bowie swipes the shopping bags off the floor and moves them to the counter. “I almost tripped over him in the lobby.”

“Why were you in the lobby?” Daisy says.

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