Page 177 of Ice Princess

Dad’s at the sink, wearing pink rubber gloves as he washes all the dirty dishes and wine glasses. Mom’s sitting on one of the barstools, chattering excitedly.

“And that’s when Clarence said… oh! Gunner,wherehave you been? We were calling you. You missed your uncle’s welcome home party.”

“It wasn’t an official party,” dad says, giving mom an indulgent smile.

“Everyonewas here. The only person missing was you.”

“He was busy with his friends.” Dad smiles at me, the crow’s feet around his eyes deepening. “Did you end up seeing Rebel? I ran into her at the grocery store and had a quick chat.”

Mom pokes dad in the arm. “You were talking toher? You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“It was just a polite conversation. I am still, very much, on your side.”

Dad and mom smile at each other.

I battle the urge to run out the door, find Rebel and beg her to keep this secret buried forever. Is it too late to take it all back?

“Gunner?” Mom’s voice rings with concern. She pushes off the stool and patters over to me. Lifting a hand to my face, she breathes, “What’s wrong?”

“There’s something I need to tell you,” I announce gravely.

Dad stares at me with the eyes of someone who’s put many a criminal in the back of his cruiser. Soberly, he slaps the faucet down and snaps his rubber gloves off completely.

“Gunner, you’re scaring me,” mom says weakly. She sits down again, mumbling, “I have a feeling I should be seated for whatever this is.”

Dad places a supporting hand on her shoulder.

“Go ahead, son,” he says, his gaze steady on me. “We’re listening.”

I force the words out, starting from my encounter with Uncle Clarence after Grampa Clay’s funeral and ending with my discoveries about the land that really belongs to Rebel and her mom.

The revelation sits in the air, swirling like an ice cloud.

Mom blinks as she absorbs my words.

Dad’s arm drops away from mom’s back.

I rub my hands over my face frantically, rubbing until it hurts and my cheeks turn red. “That conversation after the funeral, all the harassment Uncle Stewart has done to Rebel and her garage, the sudden visit from Uncle Clancy, it’s all to keep that truth from getting out. Our entire family profited from Uncle Uncle Clancy’s fraud. We built everything we have on stolen money.”

“That-that’s ridiculous!” Mom stammers. “I know Rebel resents our family, but this is taking it too far!”

“Mom…”

“Why are you putting your entire inheritance at risk for a girl you won’t even be with in two months time? Can youfor oncethink with your brain instead of your?—”

“Do you have evidence?” Dad asks.

“Darling, you’re not taking thisseriously,are you? Why… surely if this were truth, someone would have flagged it a long time ago?”

“I have evidence,” I say quietly. “But more importantly, Rebel has evidence.”

Mom goes very, very still. “Are you saying that girl…who hates the Kinsey name… might go around telling people about this nonsense?”

“I don’t know what Rebel will do now…” My breath hitches because after giving it thought, Rebel might decide a relationship with me is too complicated and that scares me to my bones. “But is that really important right now? Shouldn’t we be more concerned about how to make this right?”

Mom suddenly grabs her head and moans.

“Carol!” Dad yells.

---