Page 25 of Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder

“That good, huh?” the boy asks.

“Yeah,” I say, feeling suddenly shy. “Thank you.”

“Here,” he says, and he takes the bag from me. He reaches in and pulls out a Band-Aid, a really big one. “Put this on.”

I pull off my coat, shivering in the wind, and feel around on my back. I wince when I make contact with the cut. I hold out my hand, and the boy unwraps the bandage quickly, passing it to me with careful hands.

I manage to get it on okay, even though I can’t see back there very well. I’ll check in the mirror when I get home and fix it if I need to. I smile up at the boy.

“Thank you,” I say again. “That was the best sandwich I’ve ever had, and I was having the worst day ever.”

“You want to know what my mom always says?” the boy says.

I nod. I want to know anything he wants to tell me.

“She always says you’ll never come across anything in life that’s too difficult for you. Never more than you can handle.”

Never more than I can handle. I like that. I swallow, finally working up the courage to ask what I’ve been wondering. “What’s your name?”

“Aiden,” he says. He gives me a little smile too, and it’s the best smile in the world. “Now hurry on home, okay?”

I nod. “I’ll go home.” So I head out of the alley, waving at him over my shoulder as I go. I wave until I round a corner and I can’t see him anymore.

The journey home feels a lot shorter than normal, probably since I have that delicious sandwich in my tummy. I skip up the stairs to our apartment, humming to myself. I ease the front door open slowly so I don’t wake Mama, slipping inside and sighing with relief at the warmth.

She stirs, though, yawning and stretching. “Hi, baby,” she says, one eye peeking at me. She waves me over, and I skip over to where she’s lying on the couch.

“Hi,” I say.

“Did you find some breakfast?” she says, wrapping one arm around me and letting her head fall back onto her pillow.

“Yes,” I say happily. My tummy is full of the most delicious meal I’ve ever had, thanks to Aiden. I wrap my arms around Mama and snuggle into her.

“Good,” she murmurs. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, Mama,” I say, smiling.

8

IN WHICH AIDEN AND JUNIPER FIND A VERY DEAD BODY

My mother is fond of saying that the Good Lord will never give us more than we can handle.

Usually she says it when we’re all seated around the table at one of the few family dinners we have each month, and it usually comes up because Caroline is griping about this problem or that. My mother is a woman of faith—in a higher power, yes, but also in things sheshouldn’thave faith in, like infomercials and clickbait articles—and most of the wisdom she imparts can be traced directly back to the Bible.

My father, on the other hand, doesn’t have time for any of that. If you ask for his advice, you’re going to get the gospel according to Bernard Milano, and it’s probably going to be expletive-laced. He’ll tell you you can get through anything if you’re patient and you never give up.

This evening, I think both my parents are wrong. Because I don’t know what any higher powers are thinking, and I don’t know what kind of faith they have in me, but Icannot handleJuniper Bean wearing that dress.

And no matter how patient I am, I don’t think it’s going to get any easier.

In her most boundary-defying move thus far, Caroline showed up at the house at five-thirty. She brought a camera with her, and she was wearing a smile so big I thought it might sprout wings and fly right off her face.

“Absolutely not,” I said when I opened the door to find her there. I tried to shut it before she could get inside, but she was expecting this; she darted past me before I could stop her.

“You are such a little liar,” she whispered to me, looking around—I assume to check that the coast was clear. “You said she wasn’t pretty. But she’s gorgeous!” Then she and her totally unnecessary camera went to the couch, where she’s been waiting for the last ten minutes.

Juniper has just appeared at the top of the stairs, though, and Caroline is already snapping picture after picture, like she’s a proud mom sending her little girl to prom for the first time. She gushes on and on about the dress, and Juniper replies modestly that it’s just something she wore to a wedding one time—which I think probably ended up making the bride look dull in comparison.

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