Page 38 of Suits and Spark Plugs

“Oh,youcalled out? That explains it. Yeah, I’ve got your voice on mute.”

His lips pinched and he looked back to Sadie. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

She patted her legs and arms and wiggled around a bit. “I’ll live. No thanks to Liv. This whole thing was her idea.” She threw me one of her patented disgusted looks, and I sighed inwardly. What a bummer. We’d actually been getting along.

Kelly joined us in time to hear Sadie’s last sentence. “I find that bad ideas stick to Liv like—”

I cut her off. “What brings you two here? You’re not wearing snow gear,” I said.

Kelly grinned. “Connor comes down on Saturdays after the shop closes at noon with extra tubes and an air compressor from his shop.”

Embarrassment over my behavior made my cheeks warm. “That’s kind of nice.”

“I’m a nice guy,” he replied.

“Hello, remember me over here?” Sadie’s voice sounded shrill after listening to Connor’s low, relaxed way of talking and Kelly’s perpetually upbeat tones.

I turned to face her. “You know, your dance coach might be interested to know that you can do a pretty nice back flip,” I said with as innocent an expression as I could manage.

“I could have been really hurt, Liv.” Sadie’s eyes grew stormy.

“Too soon,” Connor whispered to me out of the corner of his mouth.

“Sorry, Sadie. I’m glad you’re okay, really.” I reached out to squeeze her hand, but she pulled away and folded her arms. That was another strike against me.

“You handled that like a pro,” Connor said when Sadie gave her back to me.

“Nice one.” Kelly smirked.

“I know, I know. I need to be nicer, but come on. Are you honestly telling me that I can’t tease my sister for being ambushed by a tuber going a smooth sixty miles per hour?” I asked. They shook their heads. “I can’t comment on the amazing tumbling move she accomplished thanks to his assist?” Lips twitched, but they shook their heads again. “Fine, I just have one question.”

“What is it?” Connor asked.

“You saw everything, right?”

“Yes.”

“Was it, or was it not, a killer whale having the time of his life in the snow?”

Kelly smirked and crossed her arms. “Here she goes,” she said under her breath.

Connor, however, took the bait. “Whales live in water.”

“Yes. If you’d spent more time in the classroom and less time under the bleachers you might remember that snow is frozen water.” I nodded.

His eyes crinkled up. “The bleachers were comfy, and it was definitely not a killer whale.”

“How sure are you? It could have been a killer whale on vacation. Snorkeling on dry land.”

“I don’t... what?” His eyes, always a warm honey, seemed to shift colors as he listened to me being totally absurd.

“It makes sense that if people use snorkels in the ocean, then underwater creatures would use them on land.”

“I see.”

“It’s science.”

“Mm-hmm. Does your science also tell you that your sister is leaving with that boy she was talking to?”

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