Page 22 of Second Chance Savior

Why did I feel this itch under my skin to get a rise out of her?

I couldn’t pinpoint when the shift had happened. WhenCharlie and I had started to grate on one another. Had it been last summer? The one before?

She finished setting up her sisters and walked past, side-eyeing me. “Are you just going to stand there?” she asked.

“I thought I’d sit this one out. I can fetch arrows.”

She turned fully toward me, skepticism written all over her face and in the fist she perched on her hip. “Figures.”

“What figures?”

“You saw my target. You just don’t want me to be better than you at something.”

I laughed. “That is not why.”

“Prove it.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“Chicken?” she taunted.

I gave my brother a pointed look.You see? This isn’t my fault. He just shook his head and fired off another practice shot.

“I bet you dish duty for the rest of your visit that I can beat you,” she said.

“Don’t do it,” my brother muttered.

Neither of us looked at Ross. I crossed my arms. “Dish duty for two weeks. I don’t want you whining too much when you lose.”

Charlie’s eyes glittered. She didn’t hesitate. “A month. Take it or leave it. Or are you too scared?”

“Fine. Rock, paper, scissors for who shoots first.”

“No need,” she said. “I’ll shoot first.”

“That confident?”

“Taking a page from your book.”

“I love that I inspire you.”

Her cheeks flushed pink, and she smiled viciously. “Let’s do this.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

River

I snapped back to awareness.I’d been asleep. Dreaming of something.

Arrows hitting a target.

Someone had tucked a blanket around me, all the way up to my chin. I doubted it had been Agent Somerton.

My bag was beside me. Laptop on the coffee table where I’d left it. I sat up, rubbing my face, and checked the time. Almost eight hundred hours. I hadn’t meant to nap for that long, but I’d set up notifications on my phone if anyone had opened a door or window in Brynn’s house.

That wasn’t what had woken me. The house was still secure.

But I did smell coffee. Someone was up.

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