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Chapter 2

All the roads just outside of Petersburg looked the same to Bethany Three times she missed the turnoff for her new home--an old farmhouse that had been converted into a livable space The road was narrow, marked only by aused to suburban America, she ay out of her ele several h

And thank God for snow chains Her sedan would never ravel road to the old farmhouse otherwise But the place was beautiful--the snow-capped ers itched to put it on canvas

Just like her fingers were itching to do so a boy’s face was obsessive on a stalkerish level, and good God, if her ain? She’d have a stroke

Freezing drizzle smacked Bethany’s face when she hopped out of the car and nearly busted her ass on the slick driveway as she skirted around her uncle’s Porsche Doctors ar cookies greeted Bethany as she dropped herinside the door She shook off the frozen rain and took one step forward

"Bethany?" Herout like an alar her eyes, Bethany kicked off the shoes and placed the tips of her soaked flats on the edge of the carpet Ha Take that, Mom Happy with her lame attempt at rebellion, she followed the sweet smell to a kitchen worthy of the Food Network

Mom liked to cook Clean Cook some more, and keep a near-fanatical eye on Bethany One look and everyone knehy her hter’s virtue

Jane Williaht and at age sixteen, got knocked up young Bethany never ical dad and really didn’t have the desire to search him out Her real dad was the one who’d raised her--the only one who mattered

Herthe same mistake In other words: she went private-eye on Beth’s social life like nothing else But since Bethany turned sixteen last ured she’d loosen up eventually

Hopefully

Moh while Beth’s two-year-old half brother watched There was h on Phillip’s face than in the bowl, but he seeood time He looked over at her, and the shock of his red hair and the splatter of freckles on his cheeks made hi they shared

That and a love for raw cookie dough

Darting around the table, Bethany scooped up a handful of dough "Yuiggled, clasping a h Chunks fell to the floor Oh, no Code Red in the kitchen

Strands of dark hair fell out of her hed "Look at what you’ve done, Elizabeth"

Popping the sugary goodness in her rabbed paper towels off the stainless steel countertop "It’s not going to rot the floor, Mom"

As Bethany cleaned up the mess, Phillip reached for her with chubby arh chair Cradling the little guy against her hip, she glided around the kitchen like she was dancing

Pressing her forehead against his flushed one, she grinned "What’s going on, little butt?"

He roared with laughter at that, but her h on the cookie sheet "I wish you wouldn’t call him that"

"Why?" Bethany made faces as she twirled around the island "Little butt likes being called little butt, because he has such a little butt"

A smile cracked her mom’s face "Hoas your first day?"

Bethany leaned back, avoiding a face full of dough that had probably been in Phillip’s mouth Yuck "It was okay A much se," her mom admonished "Were the kids nice?"

Kick butt, she mouthed at Phillip

"Butt," he repeated

Bethany nodded as she dipped him over her arm "Yeah, they seemed pretty cool" One in particular see down that road "Do you knohat cool is, little butt?"

"Uh huh!" He nodded for extra effort

Grinning, she stopped beside her h hit the table "Have you talked to Dad? Does he like the job in Fairfax?"

Her h and placed it on the napkin A clean house was a happy house--her mom’s official motto Bethany loved to turn on the TV show Hoarders whenever her mom was in the room She went apocalyptic

"Your father would be happy anywhere, as long as there were ledgers and counting involved" Love filled her set an apartment halfway, just to cut back on the time"

Bethany frowned "That blows"