Page 40 of Bourbon and Lies

Getting up, he walks out toward the riverbank, right to where Laney is dangling.

The water is waist level here, but the current is so light, the surface looks like it’s barely moving. With her head tilted backenough that the ends of her strawberry blonde hair dip into the water, the sun shines down on her face, making her glow. I love my brother, but I loathe every step he takes that gets him closer to her.

“Uncle Grant, can we please, please start the scavenger hunt now?” Lily says as she plops onto the towels we’ve laid out.

“Sure, my little flower,” I say, watching as Lincoln says something apparently really funny to Laney. I bite down on my molars, trying to focus on something other than the way she’s looking at him. “Why don’t you go tell your sister we’re going to start, and the winner gets to drive Griz’s golf cart.”

“Oh my gosh,” she rushes out. At the top of her lungs, she yells, “LARK! Lark! Winner gets to drive the golf cart!

Lark comes running to where we’re sitting and says, out of breath, “I’m so ready, Uncle Grant. Let's have it.”

I glance beyond them, back toward the quiet river hosting the loudest distraction that’s come to Fiasco. She glides through the air again on the tire swing as Lincoln pushes her, both of them laughing, and I wish it was me. I’ve never been jealous of my brothers. We have our own lives, and different outlooks on what’s important, but we always put each other first. No matter what. And in this moment, I want nothing more than to shove my brother aside and be closer to that beautiful liar.

Chapter 20

Grant

“I found the spider.That should make me the winner,” Lark says as she shoves another spoonful of her mint chip ice cream in her mouth.

“Yeah, but I’m the one who got him to go on the stick and brought it back to my pile. So that makes me the winner,” Lily argues as she licks around the cone, gathering up every last rainbow sprinkle.

“Alright, girls,” Lincoln chimes in as he tosses his empty cup into the trash behind them. “It’s late, and I can tell we’re about ten minutes away from a fight that I don’t have the energy to break up. So”—he claps his hands—“let’s thank Laney for the company. And Uncle Grant for the ice cream dinner.”

I get a squeeze from both of them just before they start bickering about who gets to pick their “before-bed show” on Netflix.

Linc gives me an exasperated look that makes me chuckle. “I was off by a few minutes, I guess.” After we hiked our way frommy house to the river, we circled back and hopped in his Jeep for ice cream at The Fiasco Creamery.

Lincoln’s attention goes to Laney on my right, giving her one of his charming smiles. “Laney, thanks for hanging out with us today. The girls think you’re way cooler than the rest of the adults they know.”

“They’re probably right,” she jokes back. She glances at me, and with a nod in my direction, adds, “Although, their Uncle Grant might have me beat.”

“You sure you’re good to walk? I can drop you guys back.”

Before she can answer, I jump in. “You’re in the other direction. We’re good.”

The look in Lincoln’s eyes tells me he knows I just want to be alone with her.

We stand just a few feet apart from each other, watching as they leave, the girls waving until they’re buckled in. “I can’t remember the last time I just went with the flow and had so much fun doing it.” Turning to me, she smiles softly. “Thanks for letting me tag along with your family time. It felt...” She takes a big inhale, and on the exhale, says, “Good.”

I spent most of the day trying to steal glances of my new neighbor without obviously glaring at the way my brother talked and flirted with her. He was always good at that. Making people feel like they belonged. Feel wanted. That’s never been me.

I rub the back of my neck because the two of us just standing here with the fireflies blinking at us in the distance makes me want to stand closer. Or hold her hand as we start walking.

Dark roads take on a whole new meaning here. There’s not a single star out on a clear night like tonight that you can’t see. “There’s no light pollution out here. It’s so dark,” she says as her arm brushes against mine.

I pull out my phone to turn on the flashlight.

She laughs, then sighs. “Good idea. I don’t think I’ve ever walked along a dirt road at night before. And I’ll be honest, it was never on a bucket list. But now that I’ve done it. This might be one of my favorite walks.”

“It’s probably the company.”

She barks out another laugh. A few seconds tick by before she says, “That’s part of it.”

I don’t say anything in response because I meant what I said last night. Friendship would never be enough, and I’m riding a fine line between walking away or just saying fuck it. But I’m knocked out of my thoughts by the quick shuffling of dirt on asphalt, followed by a roster of swear words that come pouring from her mouth. “Goddamnit, motherfucking fucker…”

Shining the light on her scuffle, she reaches for her foot. I can’t see her clearly, but it’s hard not to start laughing. “Are you okay?” I ask with a smile.

“My cheap-ass flip-flop broke.” With a small laugh, she holds on to my forearm and lifts her foot. They’re dirty, but there’s also a small slice along her big toe down to the ball of her foot that’s bleeding.

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