It was with no small amount of reluctance that I followed Jonah into Moonshine. The smell of fresh coffee and pancakes on the griddle greeted us. Normally I wouldn’t mind an early Saturday family meeting. Whit cooked up the best waffles in Olamette County, and that was a fact. But even the promise of waffles for breakfast wasn’t enough to lighten my mood this morning.

Leah Mae had left town yesterday.

I was doing my best to act like nothing was wrong. Wasn’t about to let on that I was missing her already. How would I explain that? She wasn’t mine to miss. She was going back where she belonged. Better for everyone this way.

My head sorta believed that, but there was this feeling in my chest—an ache that wouldn’t go away—that said my heart disagreed.

I glanced at my phone again, wondering if she was going to say goodbye. That was probably what hurt the most. I hadn’t heard a word from her. I understood her not having time to come see my shop. She’d said she wasn’t sure, what with her daddy being sick lately. I wasn’t bothered by that. I’d hoped she would have at least sent me a text that she was leaving. But I hadn’t heard a peep.

All those thoughts of Leah Mae did not put me in the mood for socializing with my siblings. But Jayme had called Bowie to let him know we could get back into Dad’s house. So it was time to make a plan.

Bowie was already in a booth with a cup of coffee. Jonah and I slid in next to him just as Scarlett and Devlin wandered in. They both looked tired. I wondered if something had kept them up late, but quickly decided I didn’t want to know.

“Mornin’ y’all,” Scarlett said. “Clarabell, this girl needs caffeine, and lots of it.”

“Comin’ right up,” Clarabell said.

Gibson walked in and tipped his chin to Clarabell. He pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the table. Clarabell filled our mugs, then took everyone’s orders before going to check on her other customers.

I added sugar to my coffee, ignoring the look Jonah gave me. He was always giving me grief about how much sugar I ate.

“Well, let’s get things settled,” Bowie said. “Jayme said we can get back into Dad’s place as of today. There’s still a lot of stuff to sort through. Then it’ll be a matter of hauling things where they need to go. The dump, thrift store, what have you.”

“Sounds fair,” Scarlett said. “Then me and Gibs can get it ready to flip. We’ll need all y’all’s help with that work, too, though. Don’t forget.”

“We’ve got you,” Bowie said.

Jonah and I nodded. Gibson grunted and sipped his coffee.

“What day works for everyone to get started?” Bowie asked. “Tomorrow’s a holiday, and Monday’s the fifth, so that’s out.”

We all nodded. The fifth of July was a no-go for everyone in Bootleg. Clarabell would open Moonshine, and it was likely the Pop In and a few other places would open their doors—mostly for tourists who didn’t understand how things worked. But the day after the Fourth of July was not a day for working around these parts. Bootleg Springs took her Independence Day festivities very seriously. Which meant copious amounts of liquor and some serious post-holiday hangovers.

“Let’s plan for Tuesday, then,” Bowie said. “Meet here for breakfast first, then we’ll tackle the house. Get through as much as we can that day, then decide from there.”

Clarabell brought our breakfasts, passing out plates stacked high with food. My waffles looked tasty, but I still wasn’t in much of a mood for ’em.

“Sounds good,” Scarlett said.

“I’ll be there to help,” Jonah said.

Scarlett smiled at him. “You’re a good sort, Jonah Bodine.”

“Thank you, Scarlett,” he said. “I appreciate that.”

The door opened, and I glanced up. Felt a sense of discomfort in my gut. Judge Kendall walked in with his wife. He was a large man with a round belly. Balding with a short white beard. His eyes swept around the restaurant, pausing on our table for a moment. His wife clutched a little yellow handbag and kept her eyes on the floor. He nudged her forward, and she shuffled ahead of him to a table.

I’d always felt a bit odd seeing Judge and Mrs. Kendall. They didn’t live in Bootleg Springs year-round, but spent their summers here. Even kept on after Callie had disappeared. I felt bad for them. Felt bad they had to face the place their daughter was last seen—probably where she’d died. I wasn’t sure why they kept coming back to Bootleg year after year. But maybe facing it helped them, somehow. Hard to be sure.

My siblings chatted over breakfast, mostly about tomorrow. There was a lot going on in Bootleg for the Fourth, and Scarlett wanted to make sure we’d all turn out for the festivities. I’d go, but I doubted I’d be in the mood to celebrate any more than I was in the mood for my waffles this morning.

Clarabell left Judge Kendall’s table, and he rose from his seat. Walked over to us, and stood next to our table.

Whatever Scarlett had been about to say died on her lips as she looked up at the judge.

“Pardon the interruption,” Judge Kendall said. His voice was low and smooth—almost soft coming from the big man. “I just wanted you all to know that I don’t hold your daddy responsible for what happened to my daughter. I’m aware of what was found in his home, but my wife and I harbor no ill will against your family.”

“Thank you, sir,” Bowie said. “We appreciate hearing that.”

Judge Kendall nodded. “Truth be told, we’d like it if they stopped the investigation all together. It’s so difficult on my wife. She’s in a fragile state, and this has brought up painful memories.”

“I’d imagine so,” Bowie said.

The rest of us stayed silent, allowing Bowie to speak for us.

“My daughter was… troubled,” Judge Kendall said. “I’ve told the police many times. It runs on her mother’s side of the family, I’m afraid.” He glanced back at his wife who sat staring at the table. “We tried to get her help, but even Bootleg wasn’t enough to cure her.”

Callie Kendall had been my age, but I hadn’t known her well. Talking to girls, other than Leah Mae, hadn’t been my best skill in those days. But she’d been around at the lake or wherever us kids had been hanging out during the summer. Troubled wouldn’t have been a word I’d have used to describe Callie, although you never knew what people were hiding. Pensive, maybe. Anxious, sometimes. But also sweet and friendly. Her father had always maintained that she’d committed suicide, and there was something about that I couldn’t quite swallow.

Of course, if the alternative was that my father had killed her, I wasn’t sure which was worse. Suicide was a terrible, tragic thing. But finding out my father really had murdered a sixteen-year-old girl would have been horrifying.

“I guess we’ll see what the police decide about all of it,” Scarlett said.

Scarlett thought the judge was wrong about Callie. I could see it in her eyes. She was a fireball, but smart enough not to start trouble with Judge Kendall. But I could tell she was itching to say more.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your breakfasts,” Judge Kendall said. “I just didn’t want to let the silence between us stretch on any longer than necessary. What Callie did was tragic, and I hope the police will let it lie so my wife and I can have some peace.”

“Thank you, Judge,” Bowie said. “Y’all take care.”

With a tilt of his head, Judge Kendall went back to his table.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Scarlett said in a low voice.

“I guess that means he won’t be pushing to search Dad’s property again,” Bowie said.

“You should all still keep your distance,” Devlin said quietly. “Just go about your business, and let the Kendalls go about theirs.”

We shifted in our seats and went back to our breakfasts. But no one seemed to feel like talking. I reckoned we all felt guilty that one of our own might have cost this man so much.

Gibson was the first to leave, just a minute or two after the judge went back to his seat. His plate was still half-full but he muttered something about having to work, tossed some cash on the table, and left. Bowie finished up his breakfast and excused himself to leave. Jonah and Devlin left to help Dev’s Granny Louisa with something at her place, which left me and Scarlett.

“You’re quiet this morning,” Scarlett said. “Course, I guess you’re always quiet.”

“I reckon.”

“Waffles not treating you so well?” she asked.

“They’re fine, I’m just not hungry.”

“Are you coming out for the Fourth?” she asked. “You didn’t say anything when we were talking about it before.”

I shrugged. She was probably about to talk me into it, but right now, I didn’t much want to. “Maybe. Do you need a solid answer, or can I just show up if it works out?”

She trailed a finger through the syrup on her plate and licked it. “I guess you can just show up if you want to. But I kinda think you’ll want to.”

My Scarlett-alarm went off, but I could sense it was already too late. She was up to something. There was nothing else for it but to play her game. “And why do you think that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, her voice light. “I invited Leah Mae Larkin and she said she’d come.”

My eyebrows drew in and I gave her the side-eye. “Leah Mae left town.”

Scarlett’s mouth turned up in a devilish little grin. “You’re certain about that?”

“Well, yeah,” I said. “It’s not like I drove over there to see or anything. But today was her flight. I do know that.”

“Seems she had a change of heart,” she said. “Called me yesterday to see if she could extend her stay. Her cabin was booked, but I had a last-minute cancellation on another one, so I set her up there yesterday afternoon.”

I had no idea what Scarlett could see in my face. I was trying very hard to keep everything I was feeling from showing, but there was so much. So many emotions racing through me, quick as a lightning strike. Relief, mixed with worry, topped off with something that was awfully close to elation.

I cleared my throat. “Sounds like it worked out for both of you.”

“Sure did,” she said. “And since she’ll be all alone for the holiday, I told her she really ought to come out and celebrate with everyone.”

All alone. Did that mean her fiancé had left? I wanted to know, but I didn’t want to ask. Wasn’t sure if I should ask. I picked at what was left of my waffles.

Scarlett groaned. “Why don’t you just ask me?”

“Ask you what?”

“You are such a pain in the ass,” she said. “Ask me about Kevin, or whatever his name was. The guy she was with.”

“Why would I ask you about him?”

She rolled her eyes. “So that’s how we’re playin’ it? Fine. Because you’re my brother and I love you even though you’re stupid, I’ll tell you. He’s gone. He left yesterday. And you best be in town tomorrow for the Fourth of July, or I will come over and haul your ass out of that damn workshop. And if you get really stubborn, I’ll sic Gibs on you.”

“All right, all right. I’ll be there.”

“Good,” Scarlett said with a self-satisfied grin and licked the last of the syrup off her finger. “Then my work here is done.”