The Comeback Kiss by Lani Diane Rich Read Free Book Online Page B

morning?”
    Oh, for Christ ’ s sake. “ We weren ’ t making out. And how did you hear about that, anyway?”
    Izzy pulled out a cherry red lipstick and ducked her head so she could see her reflection in the bottom of a hanging po t.
    “ Melissa Moss was in there this morning — buying a pregnancy test, like she needs one. She does that every month like everybody doesn ’ t know she ’ s a virgin and as if anybody cares. Anyway, she saw you guys through the window. It was all over the school by second period so I ’ m guessing when you get home, the answering machine will be a smoking, charred shell of what it once was.” She pulled away from the pot and smacked her lips, then casually retracted the lipstick back into the tube. “ Speaking of smoking and charred, what ’ s the word on Vickie ’ s shop?”
    Tessa shrugged. “ Office fire. That ’ s all I know. I ’ m just glad you ’ re not working there anymore.”
    Izzy shifted on her feet, a strange expression on her face. “ They don ’ t know how it started? Seems kinda weird .”
    “ Yeah,” Tessa said. Weird didn ’ t begin to describe the events of that morning. “ So, how was Margie ’ s?”
    Izzy shrugged. “ Fine.”
    “ And your grades?”
    “ Excellent.”
    “ Good, because the moment your grades slip —”
    “ You ’ re making me go back to full days at school and blah blah nag blah.” Izzy gave Tessa a look that was both irritated and loving. “ You do know why all the adults on Charlie Brown sound like that, don ’ t you?”
    Tessa crossed the kitchen and hung her apron up on the pegs by the door. “ Because the rotten kids they ’ re responsible for have made them clinically insane?”
    Izzy gave a short laugh, then leaned casually over the butcher-block island in the middle of the kitchen. “ So... is Finn really a private detective like everyone says? That ’ s so cool.”
    Tessa w atched her sister for a moment. She ’ d learned a long time ago to be wary whenever Izzy was casual. “ Yeah,” she said. “ He is.”
    Izzy nodded. “ And when do I get to see the man who steamed off my sister ’ s panties in broad daylight?”
    “ A: The state of my panties are none of your business; and B: Never.”
    “ Big party poop.” Izzy grinned at Tessa, then her smile dimmed a bit as she glanced toward the door to the dining area. “ How ’ s Max doing?”
    Tessa shrugged. “ He ’ s Max.”
    Izzy nodded. “ Well, I ’ m starving. I ’ m gonna go scam a burger and fries for me and Sosie.”
    “ Sosie?”
    “ Yeah,” Izzy said, rolling her eyes. “ She ’ s meeting me here so we can pretend to study for our history test but really talk about boys. I told you —”
    Tessa held up her hand. “ Yeah, yeah, I remember. Just don ’ t be home too late, okay?”
    Izzy grinned, jaunted across the kitchen, and launched the door to the dining area open with her hip. “ And you and me? Are so gonna talk later.”
    She blew a kiss to Tessa and disappeared. Tessa stared as the door flapped back and forth in her sister ’ s wake, wondering what the kid was up to. Typically, Izzy ’ s brand of trouble was a lot like Tessa ’ s had been. All about the fun, no thought for the consequences. But something in Izzy ’ s face had set off a warning bell in Tessa ’ s he a d, and she ’ d learned long ago that instinct was the only thing that counted for anything in parenting.
    Or sistering. Whatever it was she ’ d been doing for the last ten years.
    She grabbed her coat from a peg at the back of the kitchen and pushed out through the side door into the crisp day. The sun was bright enough to make her squint but did little to ward off the harsh chill of the Vermont winter. She stuffed her hand in her pocket and ran her fingers over the set of keys there. She heard a noise behind he r and her heart skipped a beat as she twirled around, giving no time for her brain to shut down the fervent wish that she ’ d find Finn