Anything But Extraordinary (Extraordinary Series Book 1)

by Mary Frame

  I have no idea if that’s accurate, but it is the heart line according to the book I was just reading. Plus she’s a pretty girl, and she seems sweet. Surely there’s love in her future.

  She bites her lip. “I have a date with a new guy tonight, actually,” she confesses.

  I nod, like I knew all along.

  “We’re having dinner at The Castle Cove Restaurant on the pier. We had to make reservations like a month ago. Do you think it will go well? What does it say?” She’s still looking down at her palms like she can read the answer there herself.

  Oh shit.

  “No,” I say, maybe a bit forcefully.

  “What?” She leans back, her eyes flying to mine, her expression slightly bewildered. “It won’t?”

  “Ummm.” Double shit. I shake my head slowly. “I’m not getting a good feeling about the restaurant tonight. I think you should stay away.”

  This is no lie; explosive diarrhea on a first date would be a terrible experience. I’m not sure if whoever took in the delivery at the restaurant decided to go ahead and sell the bad fish, but better safe than sorry.

  “Oh.” Poor Cassie’s expression is a bit defeated.

  “I think the location is the problem. Maybe convince him to take you to Stella’s? It’s not far, and it’s also a nice place,” I say, although the clientele there tends to be more geriatric than college-aged. But going somewhere without high expectations will reduce the stress of a first date anyway.

  “Right.” She nods, but her eyes are puzzled.

  I blather on a bit more about positive changes coming her way and other cryptic nonsense until she starts to relax.

  We talk for a bit longer. She’s a business major graduating next year, but she also enjoys playing the violin. It’s almost too obvious that she’s some kind of musician, given the calluses on her fingers.

  When I finish the reading, she seems happy even though I didn’t actually tell her anything, and I’m two hundred dollars richer.

  Paige returns home right as I’m shoving the money into the cookie jar in the kitchen, along with a big dose of shame that I’ve acted no better than my parents so soon after swearing off everything they taught me.

  I will never do this ever again.

  But I did help Cassie, right? And no one was hurt; she probably didn’t need that money. She’ll be back in her dorm in a few days, having completely forgotten about her reading, and Paige and I will be able to eat for another two weeks.

  The thought doesn’t soothe the sickness in my stomach.

  Chapter Four

  We pig out on burgers and fries and end up in a food coma in our PJs in the living room, watching reruns of I Love Lucy for hours.

  I don’t tell Paige about the college girl or the fake reading or the two hundred dollars I’ve stashed. She didn’t realize how dire our situation was anyway, no need to burden her further. And no reason to tell her and make her think it’s okay to run any cons while we’re here, because it’s definitely not okay and it will never happen ever again.

  Besides, this is what life is all about. Hanging out with Paige, relaxing, not fearing our parents’ recriminations or what they’ll do next.

  The laugh track from the TV is lulling me to sleep when there’s a sharp pounding at the door.

  I sit up quickly.

  Paige and I exchange a glance.

  We don’t have to talk. She nods and gets up to hide in the kitchen.

  What if Ruby sent someone to check on us?

  I stumble to the door. It’s dark outside. Who could be here at this hour? It’s raining, I hadn’t even realized. As I peer through the peephole, the sky spits fat drops of water into the street and patters steadily on the roof. It seems as though it’s always raining or overcast here. Hopefully it’s just the time of year.

  I’m surprised to see that the person standing on my doorstep is the same person who yelled at me on the boardwalk.

  It’s the runner. Cute butt man.

  More surprising is his outfit.

  He’s in a police uniform.

  My face burns with embarrassment as I remember our exchange from the other morning. What were my exact words? Oh yeah, What are you, a cop? He never answered the question, but apparently the answer is yes, yes he is.

  How did I not see it sooner? The military-esque haircut, the too-observant eyes, the confident way of moving that makes me want to rip my clothes off and . . . oh, right. Okay, that’s how I missed it.

  This is the last thing we need. What could he possibly want? Is this about that stupid trespassing thing? That can’t be it. He would have said something more at the time; he wouldn’t have just run away. What if he found out I gave a fake reading to Cassie and he’s here to arrest me for operating without a business license and impersonating a . . . psychic? I’m not sure that deserves a late-night appearance, but who knows.

  There are other options of course, since my past is a giant cesspool of illegal activity, but there’s no way my parents would call the cops. That’s not their MO. They would come after us themselves if they were so inclined.

  Schooling my features to remain calm, I take a deep breath and open the door. I can do this.

  Recognition lights his eyes, but it doesn’t disturb the professional mask he’s wearing.

  I open my mouth to say something, anything, like can I help you, how are you, do you know what time it is, what the hell are you doing here you asshole, but nothing comes out.

  Instead, I stare, openmouthed.

  “I’m Deputy Reeves.” He pulls the hat from his head, shaking water off the brim. “Do you mind if I come in?”

  My brain stutters on the deputy part before finally connecting with my tongue.

  “Of course not.” I step back and let him in and then shut the door, hanging onto the knob for support behind me while I face him.

  What is it with this guy and his effect on my brain?

  He stands in the shop entrance, just a few feet from the door. I didn’t turn on any lights, so the only illumination comes from a wall sconce behind him in the next room and the porch light filtering in through the window behind me. From my vantage point, his eyes are dark and dangerous, and the shadows sharpen his features.

  “Is this about the other morning?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything, proud that I’m actually able to speak finally.

  “No.”

  Another pause. I can sense him assessing me and I don’t think he likes what he sees.

  I’m wearing an old T-shirt, soft with age, and lumpy sweats that make my ass look like a root vegetable.

  In contrast, his uniform is impeccable, ironed, creased, and up to code—except for the spattering of water dusting his shoulders from the downpour.

  There are two kinds of cops in this world, the kind you can buy off and the kind you can’t. The first type is drawn to the job by the power it lends them. They use their authority to make other people feel small and to move themselves up in the world, by legal means or not.

  The cop at my door is not this type of cop. He’s too serious, too put together. He’s the second kind, which is almost more dangerous for people like me.

  “I’m here to talk to you about someone you spoke with earlier today. Cassie Graham.”

  Oh shit. Maybe he is here to arrest me.

  Stay calm. What would someone who didn’t break the law say right now?

  “Is she okay?” I ask.

  “She’s all right. A little shook up, but she’ll be okay.”

  “What happened?”

  His eyes narrow at me. “Don’t you already know?”

  My brain buzzes for a second. Does he suspect me of doing something to her?

  I stare at him, saying nothing, but this time it’s on purpose. If I open my mouth, I could dig myself into an even bigger hole. How much does he know?

  He finally speaks. “She says you predicted what happened to her and you’ll know who it was.”

  My breath catches at his words, and
the already nervous thumping of my heart increases.

  I predicted . . .

  He’s not here to arrest me.

  He thinks I’m Ruby. Of course he does. The only real thing I told Cassie was to stay away from the boardwalk. Maybe she went anyway, and something—other than food poisoning, apparently—happened to her. She told the cops I predicted this . . . whatever it is.

  I’m immediately thrust into a very serious problem. I can’t say I lied and took her money and gave her a fake reading. Not only did I impersonate someone else, I did business as someone else. Without a license. I’m pretty sure that’s ten shades of illegal. This guy doesn’t seem like the type that would laugh it off and let me go. What if I’m arrested? What would happen to Paige?

  My brain shuffles through options quickly and lands on the only one that makes any sense.

  I have to pretend to be Ruby.

  For the first time, I think it’s good that I have experience at deception and . . . well, basically bullshitting my way through situations.

  I shake my head at his question. “I didn’t think what I saw in the reading would come to pass so quickly,” I say, sealing my fate.

  Slipping into the lie is like slipping into an old shoe. It’s comfortable but a bit stinky.

  “What exactly did you see?”

  Violent diarrhea.

  I clear my throat and turn around to face him, tamping down my internal thoughts before I speak. “It wasn’t very specific. It was more a feeling that something bad would happen if she went to The Castle Cove Restaurant. What did happen?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t release that information, but a crime was committed.”

  A crime? So I was right. Not food poisoning, but something else. What are the odds that I would warn her away from a place where a crime would be committed against her?

  “Where are you from?” he asks suddenly.

  I blink at the sudden change of subject and have to think quickly about the things I know about the real Ruby. It’s not much. “New York.”

  “What part of New York?”

  “Upstate.”

  “What made you move to Castle Cove?”

  “I was looking for property near the ocean, and I found a listing for this address. Am I in trouble for some reason?”

  “No.”

  There’s another heated pause while we consider each other. His eyes are dark and intense. He doesn’t like me. It shouldn’t bother me. I’ve spent my whole life pushing down feelings. Like Mother always said, emotions make you weak. But I’ve never been good at that, and the vague sense of distrust emanating from Deputy Reeves is getting under my skin. I’m not trying to hurt anyone. I’ve done nothing to earn his scorn.

  Except lie straight to his face just now, multiple times.

  Dammit.

  “If you have no more questions, Deputy,” I move around him and open the door, “I have things to do.”

  He stands there for a long, tense moment, and then he brushes past me on his way out the door. “Have a good night.” I don’t think he means it.

  I watch him put his hat on and walk to his patrol vehicle. I try not to stare at his butt.

  It’s unfortunate such a nice ass exists on someone who is such an asshole.

  “What did you do?” Paige asks from behind me after I shut the door.

  Well, crap. Time to come clean.

  My shoulders sag in defeat. “This girl came to the door while you were getting the food. She wanted a reading and she offered two hundred dollars. She thought the shop was open and that I was . . .” I don’t have to finish that sentence. Paige can fill in the blanks. “I couldn’t say no.”

  Her eyes widen. “Two hundred bucks? I wasn’t even gone an hour and you made two hundred bucks?”

  “I’m so sorry—”

  “That’s awesome!” The words explode from her.

  Not the reaction I was expecting. “No, it’s not, it’s terrible. I shouldn’t have done it.”

  “How did you know something would happen to her?”

  “I didn’t. She said she was going to eat at The Castle Cove Restaurant, and I overheard someone there the other day talking about getting a shipment of old fish.”

  Her eyes gleam. “That’s pretty lucky.”

  “Or unlucky.”

  “Don’t you see, Charlotte? This is the answer.”

  “The answer to what?”

  “To all of our problems. You can be Ruby.” There’s a gleam in her eyes I don’t like.

  “Um, no, I can’t be Ruby.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Ruby is coming back.”

  “In like four months. Think about how much we could make in four months. Enough to fix the car or get a new place to live, and then we just have to leave before the real Ruby gets back.”

  “This isn’t how things are supposed to be,” I say.

  “But you know I’m right. There’s even a cop that thinks you’re Ruby. This town is too small. You can’t go back to being Charlotte. And we can’t leave yet. We have no money, no car, and nowhere to go. We’d be crawling back to them within days. Is that what you want?”

  I shake my head with a groan. “You know that’s the last thing we’d do.”

  She smiles. “So you get to be Ruby. Can I be Trixie, your young but stylish assistant?”

  “No. If we’re doing this, I’m the only one that can get in trouble. You still get to be Paige, my annoying and way too smart for her age sister.” I rub my eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening,” I mutter.

  Paige grins. “It’s going to be so much fun.”

  Chapter Five

  “Your daughter is useless,” my mother told my father on a sunny day in June.

  That’s how they always referred to me. “Your daughter,” as if neither one were willing to claim me as a product of their loins. How could I be, they would lament. I was nothing like either of them.

  Sure, I had my father’s brown eyes and my mother’s wide mouth, but I was too soft. Too emotional. Too easily attached to others. Boring. They never cared how much I did to help them. Never cared that I basically raised Paige on my own, never mind that I was only eight when Paige was born.

  “Just have her go out with one of their sons. She can get intel on the family, like she did in Newbury. She was good for it.”

  Mom laughed, a high-pitched, mocking sound.

  They talked about me like I wasn’t sitting right there, in the shade of the palm tree only ten feet from them. They laid on fluffy chaise lounge chairs, basking in the sun. The mansion we were renting had a lagoon-style pool with a working waterfall. Blissful, they said. This was everything they’d worked for and what they deserved, they said.

  It felt like hell to me. But pretty much everywhere we went was hell, ever since I’d gotten old enough to have thoughts of my own. The only good part of my life was Paige.

  The pool was pretty to look at I supposed, but I couldn’t swim. I just wanted to read in the shade, not listen to my parents throw shade.

  “She won’t be able to get any of those boys to ask her out,” Mom said. “They’re good-looking and popular. Two of them are on the football team and one plays lacrosse. And have you seen her lately?”

  My face flushed in shame. Sixteen, and I looked more like thirteen. It’s not like I could help it. I was too thin, barely any curves, and the smattering of adolescent acne didn’t make the picture any prettier.

  “Put some sexier clothes on her.” Dad had no shame in whoring out his eldest daughter. “She’ll be fine. Some guys like that younger look, you know? Their father does anyway. Maybe it’s in the genes.”

  They laughed while I cringed.

  “What about Paige?” Mom suggested. “She’s better looking.”

  My blood ran cold in the hot sun.

  I had to get Paige out before she got much older. I just needed more money. It was hard to hide things from my parents. They were already suspicious of everything and perceptive to
boot.

  But with those words, I couldn’t remain silent. Talking about me was one thing; talking about Paige was where I drew the line. I stood and walked over to them.

  “Leave Paige out of it. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “Of course you will.” Mom stood up and got in my face. “You know what else you can do? Learn how to swim!”

  She pushed me in with a laugh loud enough to hear even under the cool water of the pool, even in my dreams.

  ~*~

  “Shit.” I sit up in bed, breathing hard. It wasn’t a dream. I mean, it was a dream, I’m not flailing in the pool, but there’s water all over the bed and dripping onto my lap.

  I look up and a drop hits me on the forehead. There’s a water spot tinting the formerly white ceiling above me, which is already turning brown.

  Oh, no. I can’t believe this.

  Ruby didn’t leave any provisions for leaky ceilings.

  “No. No, no, no, no,” I mutter, the single word becoming a mantra. I climb out of the damp bed and step onto wet, squishy carpet. I press my palms against my forehead. This can’t be happening.

  “Paige!”

  I run downstairs and grab pots and pans and towels and I’m frantically running around the top floor of the house in a T-shirt and panties, hunting down leaks, when Paige finally emerges from her room.

  “What’s going on?” Her hair is a rumpled mess and her eyes are still puffy with sleep.

  “We’ve sprung a leak.” I toss her a towel.

  It’s still raining a little outside, but it’s slowed to a drizzle. The water seems to be restricted to the bedroom and the hallway. The office is all clear and dry.

  Small mercies.

  By the time we’ve set up all of the pots and bowls and sopped up as much water as we can, I’m ready for a drink.

  I’m going to have to find a way to get in touch with Ruby to have this fixed. This isn’t a minor repair. Maybe her accountant person can help me fix this mess. In the meantime, I’ll have to sleep with Paige. Ruby’s going to need a new bed and everything.