Page 85 of Scatter the Bones

Rooster grabs the whipped cream and smears some on his own pancake. “I didn’tmakeyou do anything.”

“Lilly said you guys had a sleepover,” I say to Heidi. “Looks like everyone had a good time.”

“We did.” She turns and flashes a wide grin. “We’re racking up those babysitting coupons for when Bit-Bit’s old enough to join the sleepovers.”

“Nooo,” Alexa whines. “No Bit-Bit.”

“She can too,” Grace says.

“You like that solo time, huh, Alexa?” Shelby asks.

“Ineedit.” Alexa throws a dramatic stink eye at her baby sister. “She screams. Alot.”

Murphy cracks up laughing.

“She does, Daddy!” Alexa yells.

“So did you when you were her age.”

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did,” Chance shouts, apparently trying to prove his point with zero evidence or logic, just sheer volume and certainty.

“How would you know?” Alexa shoots back.

Shelby bites her lip, turning toward Rooster and letting out a snort of laughter.

“Well, this seems fun.” I sidestep Heidi and grab another pancake. “But I need coffee.” The kids are cute and all, but all the racket is starting to make my skin itch.

The kids are still yelling and shouting at each other as I bust through the kitchen doors and sprint across the dining room to the coffee where Dex and Emily are busy filling their cups.

Emily spots me and lights up. “Morning, Jiggy. Is Margot with you?”

“Not today. Work stuff.”

Her smile dims. “Oh. Sorry.”

I shrug, pouring coffee into a mug. “She works hard.”

“I bet.” She glances down at her cup. “It must be such a difficult job.”

I nod quickly. “She’s good at it, though.”

“Oh, I know,” Emily says quickly, as if she’s worried she insulted me. “I mean, I can tell. She seems very kind.” Her lips curl into a wicked grin and she lets out a cackle. “And diabolical. I’ll never forget the sound of Rav screaming when he found that doll by his bed.”

“Absolute gold,” Dex agrees.

A wicked grin spreads over my face. “I didn’t help her plan that, either. She came prepared all on her own.”

“Well, she’s smarter than me.” Emily flicks a glance at Dex. “Rav still thinks I’m a moron for, you know…” Her cheeks flush red.

Showing up to amateur night at the strip club dressed in your rave outfit?

“Nah,” I say, lifting my coffee to my lips. “Takes guts to show up to amateur night looking like a sentient glow stick.” Might as well just address the neon elephant in the room.

Dark pinks flares over her cheeks.

Dex narrows his eyes at me.

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