Veiled (Ada Palomino 1)

“Hey, are you all right?”

I nod, licking my parched lips as I slowly turn around to face her. Everything seems so swimmy, woozy, like I’m underwater.

“Got dizzy,” I manage to say. “It’s the Coke crash.”

She frowns at me. “Why are you out here?”

I blink a few times, trying to get my thoughts together. “Nothing. Thought I saw someone but it was nothing.” I take in a deep breath and give her a broad smile. “Okay, I think I’ve got some makeup waiting for me.”

We head back into the store.

CHAPTER TWO

My head is still swimming when Amy drops me off at home and I blame it on getting my period rather than the mysterious dream man I saw in town. I give her a wave with my Sephora bags and watch her drive off, standing next to the For Sale sign on our front lawn.

I hate that our house is for sale. It adds another level of uncertainty to my life, not knowing if I’m going to spend half my school year here, or in an apartment with a roommate I don’t know. I know the market is slow right now and my dad is asking for a bit much, maybe because deep down he doesn’t want to move either, but our neighbors sold their house in just a month, so who knows what will happen.

Speaking of neighbors, one of my new ones has spotted me as she exits her house, the driveway full of boxes. They only moved in yesterday, a retired couple, who had a group of brawny movers helping them and providing mucho eye candy as I watched through my bedroom window.

Normally I would march right into my house and feign ignorance, but with my mom gone someone has to step up as woman of the house.

“Hello,” the woman says to me, coming over to the fence and holding a pan of what looks like brownies. She’s gorgeous even though she has to be in her mid-sixties. Her hair is curly and pulled back, a stunning shade of grey, and her face is pale and freckled giving her a youthful appearance.

I walk over to her and smile, always feeling a bit awkward in these types of situations. You know, the ones that require being polite and normal.

“Hi,” I tell her. “You must be our new neighbors.”

Well. Duh. Good one, Ada.

“We are,” she says, smiling with perfect teeth. “I’m Dawn.” She offers her hand and I reach over the low fence to give it a light shake.

“Ada,” I tell her.

She nods over at the For Sale sign. “Though perhaps we won’t be your neighbors for long.”

I sigh. “Yeah, believe me I’d rather not move.”

“Lived here long?”

“My whole life,” I tell her, feeling my heart pinch. I swallow and attempt a shrug. “Though I am starting college next month so I guess it’s time for me to hit the road anyway. My older sister moved out and it’s just my dad and me.” I don’t know why I’m blabbing on to this woman but there’s something about her that makes me think she’d understand. I pause. “My mom died a few years ago and I think the house just holds too many memories.”

Her face softens. “I’m so sorry. That must be so tough. I lost my mother when I was younger . . . you never quite get over it.”

Great. But hell. At least she’s telling me the truth. Everyone else makes it sound like death is something you forget with time.

“Here,” she says, passing the brownies over the fence. “I’m not the best cook even after all these years, but you can bet I can bake the shit out of brownies.”

I can’t help but smile. I like her already. I take the pan, the Sephora bags sliding down my arms. “Thanks. These aren’t special brownies, are they?”

She laughs. “No, I’m sorry. But those are my specialty too. My husband and I moved from Washington so we’re used to being knee-deep in pot brownies on the regular.” She tilts her head as she looks at me and I feel like she’s really taking me in, seeing everything. “You should come over sometime. I mean, I know it’s probably the last thing a girl like you wants to do, hang out with a bunch of old geezers. But I promise you we’re fun. Do you like music?”

I frown. “Who doesn’t like music?”

She shrugs. “Weirdos.”

The perfect answer.

I’m about to tell her that would be great, though I’m not sure if I’d actually follow through with it or not, when an old beige Mercedes pulls up to their curb and Dawn turns her attention to it.

A tall man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap comes out of the car and strolls toward us, holding a bouquet of flowers. I wonder if this is her husband.