Valley of the Moon by Bronwyn Archer Read Free Book Online

never said it’d be black tie! I thought there’d be like four people here! Four girls.”
    Piper shook her head. “Oh, ye of little faith. I emailed the invite to everyone on the Northern California tennis roster. Worked like a charm.” She sighed. “Maybe too well. Now go up to my room and change before anyone sees you. Into a dress, please. And show some cleavage. And would it kill you to put on some makeup? I need a wingman, not a lumberjack, okay?”
    “Isn’t Maya here?” I asked.
    “Yes, but she’s been talking to the same dude for like an hour. And he has a brother. And I think we’re in love. Meet me outside by the pool in five or you’re dead to me.” She jabbed a freshly manicured finger into my shoulder and wobbled out of the kitchen.
    I ran upstairs, dropped my backpack in one of the guest rooms, and sprinted down the hall to Piper’s room. I picked my way through her heaps of rejected outfits and made my way to the closet, where I spied a simple black dress that looked New Years Eve-y. I took off my clothes and pulled the dress over my head. It had thin straps and a V-neck, but at least it fell almost to my knees, so I wouldn’t totally freeze.
    I stood in front of the huge mirror in her bathroom in her size ten suede wedges. I was a size eight-and-a-half in shoes, but they’d have to do. Because it was New Years and there were boys, I did my usual work makeup routine times two: darker around the eyes, extra blush, a double coat of mascara, and lip gloss. I pulled out my ponytail and pinned the sides of my hair back with the bobby pins I found embedded in her shag bath mat. Seriously, your poor housekeeper, Piper. I was no neat freak, but Piper was a disaster.
    Of course, having a pathetically tiny wardrobe makes it a lot easier to keep your bedroom clean.
    I stowed my stuff back in my room and went downstairs. Outside, Piper and Maya sat by the pool with two guys who looked like identical twins.
    Maya squealed when she saw me. “Lana, finally! Where have you been?”
    I gave her a huge hug. “Ugh, the usual. School, work, school.” She wore skinny black jeans and a loose, lacy peasant top. She had her long brown hair coiled into a glossy bun on top of her head.
    “I miss you,” she said, squeezing my hand. “My mom says hi. She’s worried about you. She thinks you’re working too hard.” Maya Hidalgo and I had been close friends ever since her dad Cesar started working at Valley Imports years ago. He was a master restorer of classic cars. She went to the local public school. She’d known me in my pre-Crawford family, pre-Briar days but I never got to hang out with her anymore.
    I never got to hang out with anyone anymore.
    “Not tonight, Maya! We can just chat and hang all night!” I grinned at her. She got a weird look on her face. Like she was desperately trying to tell me something with her eyes.
    Piper cleared her throat behind us. “Lana, may I present Evan and Wyatt? They’re brothers.” Both boys stuck out their hands in unison. I shook them one at a time. Both of them had short, light brown hair, huge grins, and square jaws. Perfect. Your only friends found boyfriends. On the same night. You will never see them again.
    “Nice to meet you, Lana,” one of the boys said. “We’re a year apart, so any twin fantasies your friends are having are totally ruined.” Piper and Maya giggled uncontrollably.
    “I’ll make a note,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Hey girls, I think I’ll go grab a soda.” Wyatt whispered in Piper’s ear and she nodded.
    “Lana, since you’re going inside, could you do me the hugest favor and put a box of toilet paper in the downstairs bathroom? Blanca keeps it in the laundry room. Wyatt said it was all gone.” Piper smiled sweetly at me.
    “Yep. You do not want to know what I had to wipe with,” he said.
    “You’re right, bro. We don’t,” Evan replied.
    I could hear them all cackling behind me as I made my way back into the house. There