Page 113 (1/2)

Winter Blues

Takes place after Resisting Mateo, but a fewHome…

“Red pepper, please”

I flick a glance over at Meg She’s standing at the stove, happily doue because she’s a far better cook than I a over my way; I don’t knohich spices she tossed in that pan, but I already want to dive in and eat my way out

Now she holds a hand out to redient

“I’ my knife down over the slice of crisp red pepper on the chopping board

“Why are you so slow?” she asks dramatically

I pause into raise an eyebrow at her in disbelief “Do you rele them? And I was like ‘you probably shouldn’t do that’ and you were like ‘Maria isn’t here to stop me’ Remember that?”

Shaking her head dismissively, she tells me, “That sounds made up I don’t think that happened I le the excuses for ho you are”

I dis up the pepper Once finished, I take them over and duo”

“Good girl” She gives me a little wink

“Don’t praiseboard to the sink to rinse it

“It’s only hot if Mateo does it, huh?” she teases

“Being Mateo does help

“Do you think Mateo couldhot?” she asks conversationally

“Probably But he would never juggle He’s not the same kind of crazy as you”

“It’s like we’re curating all the different kinds of crazy in the world Just between the three of us, we have a large portion of the market cornered I wonder if the baby will be a new kind of crazy we haven’t encountered yet”