Page 39 of Steinbeck
Her breath caught and he lifted his head.
“You okay?”
Her stupid eyes burned, her throat tightening.“Yeah.”
He studied her for a moment, frowned, then let her go.From down the lakeshore, the fire had bloomed into a bonfire, the cinders alight in the darkness.The family had gathered, and Oaken’s deep tones carried down the beach.
“My family likes you.”
“I don’t like lying to them.”
He took her hand again and led her back toward the fire.“Maybe you’re not.”
What?She glanced at him.
“At the very least, I think our cover is intact.”He looked down at her and winked.
“Really?That’s why you kissed me?”
“Mission first,” he said, his voice holding a laugh, but he tightened his hold on her hand as they entered the ring of firelight.
Boo sat beside Oaken, clearly caught up in her husband’s music.
Jack sat next to Harper, eating a chocolate chip cookie.She stared into the flames as if thinking, lost somewhere else.
Penny lounged with her back against Conrad, who straddled a bench, looking up at the stars.
Grover stood, hands on his hips, contemplating the fire.Mama Em perched on a nearby bench, holding a roasting stick, the firelight on her face as she smiled at her oldest son.“Those are supposed to be for the s’mores.”
“It’s your fault for being such a good cook, Mom,” Jack said.
Mama Em rolled her eyes.
“You two have a nice walk?”Penny asked.
“It’s quite the place you have here,” Emberly said.“Why aren’t you full right now?”
“We will be this weekend.It’s the last weekend before school starts.And we have a wedding scheduled next week,” Mama Em said.“So it’s a nice breather.Grover and I are going to the fair tomorrow to listen to Oaken.”She looked at Stein.“You two should join us.The fair is a great date.”
“They’re not dating.”
The voice stilled Emberly, silenced the group, and she looked over to see?—
Austen.Her auburn hair down, wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, looking tan and strong and not at all frayed and on the run—the last clear memory Emberly possessed of Steinbeck’s twin sister.
And Austen probably possessed the same memory, because her gaze landed hard on Emberly as she walked into the family circle.
“Austen!I didn’t know you were back in town.”Her mother got up.
“What do you mean they’re not dating?”Conrad said.Penny sat up, frowning.
Austen met her mother’s hug, her gaze on Stein, something accusatory in it.
Stein tightened his grip on Emberly’s hand, as if he heard the little voice inside her sayingRun.“Austen?—”
“This is Phoenix.She’s a thief and a spy, and the last time I saw her, she was running from Cuban authorities after setting a truck on fire.”
Oh.Right.She’d forgotten the fire-and-bullets part of their history.
