Page 27 of My Three Rivals

What is she up to?

But she didn’t move, her body leaning forward against the wicker chair, and I silently hoped it would rot out from under her and send her sprawling.

None of the workers were on site yet, but they would be soon, and Atticus would likely be down to greet them, too.

As I suspected, my partner arrived less than ten minutes later as the sky turned fully gray, no hint of the sunshine anywhere.

“Looks like rain today,” Atticus commented. “I hope they’ll still work.”

As he spoke, the first of the trucks carrying the crew began to arrive.

I wasn’t even sure what we were building this time. Another gym? A laundromat?

I had seen the blueprints like everyone else, but I’d long ago learned to tune out the writing on the page and read between the lines.

Atticus ventured off to speak with the foreman, and I stood where I was, watching as the operators climbed into the equipment to start them up. Another bolt of shame washed through me, my eyes darting toward the vineyards on my right.

Were we really screwing with her wine production?

A mumble of voices shot me back to the open field, and I looked toward the workers situated on their respective machines. It took me a minute to figure out what the problem was—none of the equipment was starting.

A low din of confusion broke out among the workers, and I stepped forward, meeting Atticus halfway.

“What’s going on?” I asked, perplexed.

“The machines aren’t working,” one of the construction guys informed us, confirming what I’d already seen. “Something is wrong with them.”

“Withallof them?” I demanded. “That’s imposs—”

Atticus and I stared at each other as I cut myself off, my jaw locking.

“Fuck. She didn’t!” Atticus gasped, his eyes popping as he came to the same conclusion as me. “I am so going to spank her silly!”

CHAPTER11

Tegan

I’d always believed in the concept of karma. “Nature abhors a vacuum,” I always said, which was why I tried my best to live a good life. “Do no harm, but take no shit” had always been my mantra.

But as I sat in my untrustworthy Mercedes, flooring the gas and imploring her to start, I was starting to believe that maybe karma was just a cosmic joke.

Of course the car wouldn’t start again now that I’d crippled all their machines. That was perfect karma. But I didn’t deserve it. I was the one in the right.

“Come on, Lola,” I begged the vehicle, flooring it one last time, but traces of gasoline wafted into my nose, and I knew I’d flooded the engine now. “DAMMIT!”

It had been my plan to take off before they could figure out I was responsible for tampering with the machinery, but now, that was out of the question unless I bailed on foot, giving them time to cool down before I returned and laughed in their faces.

There was nothing I could do but rush back into the house and hide myself away until the storm passed, and they weren’t quite so mad.

Jumping out of the driver’s side, I rushed toward the front door as Atticus and Wyatt stormed up the low hill toward me. The workers began to drive off the property, but I wasn’t standing around to watch it happen.

Shit!

“Oh no, you don’t!” Atticus called after me, but I ducked into the house, half-tempted to lock him out again but thought better against it.

Instead, I sprinted up the stairs toward my bedroom, hoping to lock myself in before they could catch me.

To my shock, Wyatt was already at the bedroom door when I landed on the top level, panting, having taken the back stairs ahead of me. Atticus appeared behind me, and I looked between them, shaking my head. I threw my head back and stared indignantly at him.

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