A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1) - Darynda Jones Page 0,106
okay in person.”
If fireworks had burst from her chest, she wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised, her elation was so powerful. “You know, you’re making my room ice over.”
“I know. I have to get back, anyway.”
“You have to go?” She rose onto her knees.
“Yeah. I promised my dad I’d only be gone thirty minutes. Can I come by tomorrow when you get out of school?”
“Yes. Please do. How long are you suspended for?”
“Don’t know yet. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
“Okay. Let me know.”
“Will do,” he said, still studying their fingers.
She leaned closer. “Thank you. For today.”
He shook his head as though embarrassed. “I’m so sorry for what they did to you.”
“I’m not.” When he looked at her in surprise, she said, “It was really a setup to reveal who my true knight in shining army jacket was.”
“Ah. So, it was a setup.”
“Yep. Sorry I had to go to such extreme measures.”
“Was it worth it?”
“Every bit and then some.” As her grandpa always said.
“Are you guys gonna kiss now?” Jimmy asked. “I can leave.”
Laughter erupted out of both of them, but before she could change her mind, Auri leaned out the window and brushed her lips across the corner of his mouth.
He let her, then ducked, got on his bike, and took off.
“That was a good kiss.”
She giggled and turned to Jimmy. “The best I’ve ever had.”
Sun was on her way home with a boxful of file folders and reports—she was going to go through every tip and every piece of evidence herself—when her phone rang.
“It’s Mom,” Elaine said.
“Yes, I figured that out when your title popped onto the screen.”
“Right, well, you should know there’s a boy at Auri’s window. What do I do?”
“Are you kidding me?” She groaned aloud. “Okay, tell Dad to go to the kitchen—”
“Yes.”
“—grab a steak knife—”
“Yes?”
“—and make you a sandwich, because holy cow, Mom. I don’t care if there’s a boy at the window. Now, if there’s a boy inside the house, yeah. That’s when you take the steak knife and pay the guy a visit.”
“Oh, well, there’s one of those, too.”
“What?”
“Do you want me to keep an eye on them?”
“With every fiber of my being.”
Elaine breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m on it.”
Hell yes. Definite advantages to living in your parents’ backyard. Auri didn’t stand a chance, poor kid. Sun couldn’t have stopped the giggle that bubbled out of her if she’d tried.
“Oh, wait, the boy at the window left. And the boy inside is wearing a hospital gown.”
“Jimmy Ravinder.”
“Oh yes. He’s so sweet. Shouldn’t he still be in the hospital with that gown and all?”
“I’m thinking yes. I’m stopping at the Roadhouse, then I’ll be home.”
“Okay. I made stew.”
“Thanks, Mom. You know you don’t have to cook for us.”
“Stop it. Take your time. I’ll keep an eye on them.”
Sun couldn’t help it. She texted her daughter. “Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there?”
“A boy at your window.”
After a long—very long—pause, Auri called. “Grandma?”
“Grandma.”
“He’s gone now.”
“Great. What about the one in the house?”
“Mom, don’t get mad.”
“Auri . . .”
“I’m putting you on speakerphone. It’s Jimmy.”
“I actually figured that part out. The hospital gown gave it away.”
“Oh, my god, does she have binoculars?”
“Eagle eyes, baby. She sees all. Also, the house is probably bugged. You have to remember your grandfather was in military intelligence. Now why is Jimmy there? In a hospital gown?”
“He escaped.”
“I figured. Does his mom know where he is?”
She heard Jimmy yell in the background, “No, she doesn’t!”
“I’ve texted her,” Auri said, then she lowered her voice. “Have you heard anything?”
“No, sweetheart, but I’m on my way home. I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Okay.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too,” her daughter said, followed by Jimmy, speaking way louder than necessary.
“Love you, too!”
She laughed before hanging up and going inside the package store for a bottle of wine. It had been a long day and promised to be a long night, and she didn’t keep alcohol in her house as a general rule.
An older man was working the counter. Tall. Lanky. He’d clearly lived a hard life. There was no one else in the package store, but there were two young men who looked barely legal in the hall that led to the cantina. They were waiting for the restroom as she was perusing the tall shelves for just the right bottle of Moscato when she overheard them talking.
“Hey,” one said to the other. “I’ve decided to go to the sun. Want to come?”
“Dude, you can’t go to the sun. It’ll burn you alive.”