CHAPTER ONE
Olive had three pet peeves: loud chewers, the word "moist," and...in the number one spot... love. And yes, she'd given it a try, several times in fact, and still had the occasional eye twitch to prove it, as she'd come out a big loser.
"You're breathing funny," Katie said. "You ate something with nuts in it again, didn't you."
Another example of how love hadn't worked out for her. Olive loved peanuts, so of course she was allergic. "No, and I'm fine," she said into her Bluetooth. Look at her, the master of the little white lie. After years of honing the skill, she could fool just about anyone, even her lifelong BFF. "And actually, I'm great. Totally great. Like one hundred percent great."
"That's sarcasm, right?"
Katie Turner-Brooks had an eidetic memory, could solve complicated mathematical problems in her head and recite years-old conversations verbatim, but sarcasm eluded her.
"Excuse me, it's called manifesting," Olive said. "Because I really want to be great." And not halfway to a panic attack...
"Then you will be."
Katie had never understood it wasn't that easy for Olive. She'd been a seriously awkward kid who'd been desperate to belong, and not much had changed. She exhaled and took in her view as she drove along Lake Tahoe, toward the small mountain town of Sunrise Cove on the north shore, trying not to feel like that lost girl all over again. "At my last stop for gas, I bought salami, an energy drink, and a chocolate cream pie, if that helps explain my emotional state."
"What are you worrying about? Almost no one remembers that time you ran over the town hero."
At Olive's silence, Katie sighed. "Aaaand, I still can't tell a joke right. I read a book on it and everything."
"It was a little funny." Emphasis on little. "But we both know everyone remembers what I did." Noah Turner, aka the town hero, was a lot of things. Voted most likely to make something of himself. Beloved son. Katie's twin brother.
And let's not forget Olive's high school pretend boyfriend.
"Why do you care what anyone thinks?" Katie asked.
"I don't. I'm just tired of not having my shit together."
"Gotta fake it to make it, babe," Katie said. "You once told me that."
The memories evoked an emotion that clogged Olive's throat, so she distracted herself by taking in the view. The sky was so bright and clear, the water such a deep blue, the mountains blanketed by endless pines, topped with caps of snow, all of it so stunning that if all of it hadn't been humming and teeming with such vibrance, it could've been a painting.
Into her silence, Katie said, "You also told me that no matter how many times you break, you can still put yourself back together."
"Yeah, well, past me had more hope. And it'd be great if you could try and forget all the dumb stuff I've said."
"How do I differentiate?"
Olive laughed. "Look at that, a joke!"
"Who said I was joking?"
"Ha-ha."
"Whatever." Katie cleared her throat. "Thanks for coming to help me with little Joey. The library gave me leave for as long as I need, but it'll still be so helpful to have you so I can spend more time at the hospital with Joe. It means a lot."
"Of course." Katie rarely asked for help, even though she'd given Olive everything her own parents hadn't been able to: safety, security... acceptance... "I'm all yours, whatever you need."
Noah and Joe, Katie's husband, were work partners, both ISB special agents—Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service under the Department of the Interior—working out of the Yosemite station, about three hours south. They'd been investigating a series of car burglaries and thefts that had culminated in an ugly, dangerous high-speed chase. One of the suspects in the car had opened fire on Noah and Joe, blowing out their windshield and then two of their tires, causing their vehicle to flip.
