Page 55 of No More Words

She showed him the chocolate ice cream sandwich she’d selected. “Got it.”

“Heard you were sucking face.” Lucas pretended to make out with his forearm.

“Jerk.” Olivia smacked the back of his head as she passed him. He snorted a laugh. “Thanks a lot, Lily.” She stuck her tongue out at her sister, opening the icebox, and selected a Drumstick.

Blaze came around the corner and grabbed a missile pop. His lips would turn red, then bright blue, and they’d all be making fun of him before they reached the cabin. Olivia noticed he’d stuffed the Red Bull in his pocket to hide the residual effects of their kiss. He dropped a possessive arm around her shoulders. “Ready to head back?” he asked everyone.

“Yeah, let’s bounce.” Lucas led their pack to the market’s single checkout line. Mr.Decker worked the cash register. They showed him their ice cream, Blaze’s Red Bull, and piled their change on the counter. Lily murmured her thanks to Olivia for covering her.

“That all?” Mr.Decker asked.

“Yes, sir,” Blaze said and the rest nodded.

“Are you sure?” Mr.Decker looked straight at Lucas.

Lucas glanced at Tyler, then Olivia. He nodded at Mr.Decker.

“Care to empty your pockets, Lucas?”

Lucas’s throat rippled. “No.”

Mr.Decker’s gaze moved over them before landing back on Olivia’s brother. He picked up the phone by the cash register. “Empty your pockets or I call the police.”

Lucas gulped.

Olivia’s skin tingled all over, and she wasn’t even the one in trouble. “What did you do?” she loudly whispered at Lucas.

“Nothing. Shut up.”

“Show him, Luc.” Their ice cream was melting.

“There’s nothing in my pockets,” he said angrily.

“Honest, Mr.Decker. I saw him,” Lily said in a little voice. “He didn’t take anything.”

Mr.Decker hesitated. He returned the phone to its cradle. “Follow me. All of you.”

The trek to the small office at the back of the market seemed like the longest walk Olivia had ever taken, even longer than the walk to the market from the cabin.

Mrs.Decker was sitting behind a desk with a couple monitors.

“Dot, play that recording,” Mr.Decker said, closing the door behind them. The office was cramped and stuffy. He turned one of the monitors so they could see. “Gather round, kids.” They huddled closer.

On the screen was a black-and-white image of the market. Olivia could see people in the aisles, moving about.

“There’s Lucas.” Lily pointed. “And me! Look, I’m on TV.” She grinned.

“I’ve been watching you all summer, Lucas. You take things off the shelves and stick them in your pockets, but you always make sure you put them back before you leave the store. They’re little things you might not think I’d notice have gone missing until I do inventory at the end of the month.”

Olivia squinted at the screen. Mrs.Decker replayed their shopping trip and Olivia saw that Mr.Decker was right. Lucas snagged three items and returned them someplace else in the store. And then he snagged a fourth and followed Tyler to the icebox. Anger spiked. Her hands fisted. She hadn’t realized what Lucas had been doing; otherwise she would have said something to him. Now he’d dragged them all into hot water.

Blaze gently touched her lower back. Their eyes met. His burned bright. He was fuming.

“So far, Lucas, you’ve been good,” Mr.Decker was telling them. “But I knew one day you’d be tempted enough to walk out of the store without putting it back.” He dipped his hand into the large front pocket of the market apron he wore and pulled out a torn Hot Wheels box. “Found this on the floor.”

Lucas’s face drained of color. Olivia’s stomach bottomed out. Mr.Decker’s order had finally come in and Lucas couldn’t resist.

“Lucas,” she lamented.

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