A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1) - Darynda Jones Page 0,70
“Yes.”
“I built that. Among other things.”
“That’s my favorite wall.”
“Really?”
“And my bedroom.”
“Oh.”
He kept his gaze steady until she asked, “Hey, why did you work construction when your dad’s a mechanic?”
“I work for my grandfather in the summer. On my mom’s side.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.” The wind had picked up so that even in the covered porch, Auri’s hair was being flung about. “Thanks for working on this with me.”
“Of course. We’re partners.”
The smile that spread across her face couldn’t have been stopped if Moses himself had commanded it. Jesus, maybe, but Moses didn’t have quite enough clout to dampen her joy.
“Guess I should go before my dad freezes to death.”
“That would suck.”
“Yeah, it would.”
He turned to walk away, and she’d thought of him almost nonstop all night. And Sybil. And the students at Del Sol High she was going to have to face today.
She took one last glance in the mirror and considered her options. Not about her coloring. Nothing to be done about that. But about the students at Del Sol. The mean ones, anyway.
The way she saw it, she had three. Options, that is. She could face the students at school and be mocked and ridiculed for being a narc once again. She could beg her mom to let her help with the search. Or she could run away, change her name, and become a Vegas showgirl like her grandmother had been.
Decisions, decisions.
She grabbed her backpack and walked out to steal a gulp of her mom’s coffee.
“Hey, bug bite. How’d you sleep?”
“Great. Kind of. I don’t know. I kept waking up.” She noticed the patient smile on her mom’s face and grew wary. “What?”
“Who was the boy?”
“What boy?” The delicate arch of a single brow convinced Auri not to try to scam her mom. She plopped her backpack on a chair with a huff and dropped into the chair beside it. “I think I’m in love.”
Was that it? Was it her feelings for Cruz that had her so hesitant to face the day at Del Sol High? She’d never liked anyone so much she was afraid of losing them. Well, besides her mom.
That very woman had been taking a sip of coffee when Auri had professed her love, and she sipped and gasped at the same time. Then she spent the next ten minutes hacking up a lung. It would have been hilarious if Auri’s insides weren’t being eviscerated by shards of glass.
“Mom. Stop,” she said after an eternity. “This is serious. I need to skip school.”
Her mom sobered, but it would take her voice a little while longer to recover fully. “Sorry. That had nothing to do with you. I just swallowed wrong.”
“Right. So, can I skip school?”
“Absolutely not.”
“I can help with the search party. She’s my friend.”
“Still thinking absolutely not. Not only would you be more hindrance than help—”
“Mom!”
“—but your asthma has been sketchy lately. We can’t risk an episode.”
“But I feel fine.”
“All the more reason to keep you healthy.”
“Oh, wait,” Auri said, flattening a palm on her chest. “I think you’re right. I think I’m having an episode.” She gasped, then coughed for good measure.
“Good try, kid. What’s his name?”
Auri sank against her chair. “Cruz.” She ducked her head. “Cruz De los Santos.”
“Really?” she said as though impressed. “Is that Chris’s son?”
“Yeah. I met Mr. De los Santos last night. He’s super nice.”
“Yes, he is. And as soon as a I run a complete background check on this kid, including his credit report and his immunization history, you can go to Caffeine-Wah and have coffee with him.”
“And have your spies report our every move to you?” she asked, the betrayal cutting deep. Ish. Not like a gaping chest wound or anything. More like a really painful paper cut. Then she thought about the owners of Caffeine-Wah and melted. “How are Richard and Ricky? Have you seen them yet?”
“Saw them yesterday. They send their love.”
Auri drew in a deep breath, crossed her fingers, and asked, “The eyeliner trick?”
Sun’s shoulders sagged. “Not yet.”
Auri wilted right along with her. “You’re just going to have to bring them in on charges of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit murder. Then you can force them to show you.”
“That’s a great idea. Nothing like abusing my position for personal gain.”
“Exactly. Why else be a sheriff?” she asked with a snort.
“Are you sure you’re okay after yesterday?”
One shoulder rose of its own accord. “I’m okay. Another day, another dollar.”
Her mom’s brows did a squiggly thing. “And how does that apply to this