Lost in the Never Woods(61)

Peter sank on his heels and buried his fingers in Bucky’s golden scruff, his face splitting into a wide smile.

Bucky, in kind, sat back on his rump, his tail sweeping back and forth as his tongue lolled to the side.

As soon as Peter ducked out of sight, Jordan’s eye bulged as she emphatically pointed down at him and mouthed in silent exaggeration, WHO IS THAT?

“Oh, uh, this is Barry,” Wendy said. “He’s from out of town, just visiting his relatives for the summer.” The lie was simple enough, as long as Jordan didn’t ask too many questions. She hated lying to Jordan. It didn’t feel right at all, but Wendy couldn’t just tell her the truth, especially in front of Tyler. “I’ve been showing him around town. Being neighborly and all that.”

Wendy hoped Peter wouldn’t say anything strange, but, apparently, she didn’t need to worry.

Peter sat cross-legged on the ground, distracted and chuckling as Bucky licked at his face.

Jordan gave Wendy a knowing look. “Uh-huh, neighborly.” The smirk on her best friend’s face let Wendy know exactly what she was thinking. But, just to be sure, Jordan mouthed, He is SO cute.

Heat rushed to Wendy’s cheeks. “Jordan,” she hissed. She felt silly and embarrassed under Jordan’s not-so-subtle interest.

Jordan’s smirk only grew, but she kept her thoughts to herself. However, when she spoke again, her tone shifted. “My dad told me he saw you in town earlier,” she said, drawing her attention away from Peter to look at Wendy. A delicate crease appeared between her manicured eyebrows.

Wendy knew—without Jordan outright saying so—that meant Mr. Arroyo had either seen her going into, or coming out of, the police department. “I tried to go by your house before work, but no one answered. I also tried texting you, like, a million times,” she added, her smile beginning to fade.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Wendy mumbled. Normally, Jordan would have been the first person she ran to, especially about something as major as being called to the police station. Wendy didn’t blame her for being suspicious or worried, or whatever she was right now. “I meant to text you back, but I’ve been kind of … distracted.” It wasn’t like Wendy, and she owed Jordan more than that.

Jordan quirked an eyebrow. “I can see that,” she said. More heat flooded Wendy’s face. Luckily for Wendy, Jordan glanced at her watch. “Ugh, I have to get to work,” she grumbled.

“Yeah, we were about to leave, too,” Wendy said, taking the out.

Jordan fixed her with a stern look. “Now, you.” Jordan took a step closer and dropped her voice to a quieter tone. “Will you please call me later? Or stop by? I’m off at five o’clock,” she said, eyes searching Wendy’s—for what, Wendy wasn’t sure.

She could feel Peter watching her, too.

Wendy nodded. “Yeah, of course,” she said, her voice small. She knew Jordan was worried about her. She had been so distracted by Peter and everything else she had suddenly found herself thrown into, that she was forgetting about the person who was always there for her.

Jordan gave a curt nod. “Good.” She tugged on Tyler’s arm, breaking him from the trance of his iPhone. “It was nice to meet you, Barry!”

Peter continued to scratch behind Bucky’s ears, murmuring happily to the dog.

Wendy nudged him with the toe of her shoe. “Barry.”

“Oh yeah,” he said, glancing up to flash Jordan a smile. “Nice to meet you, too.” Bucky climbed out of Peter’s lap and waddled off after Jordan and Tyler. Peter stood, let out a wistful sigh, and gave a small wave. “Bye, Bucky.”

Jordan waved at them over her shoulder. “Later, Wendy Lou Who!” she sang before disappearing around the building.

Wendy rolled her eyes. It was a terrible nickname Jordan had picked up, in reference to Wendy’s least favorite live-action Christmas movie.

Peter was grinning at her.

“What?” Wendy asked.

“Later, Wendy Lou Who!” Peter said, imitating what Jordan had said, except in Jordan’s voice.

Exactly her voice. Hearing it come out of Peter’s mouth startled Wendy so much that she actually jumped. “How did you do that?” she demanded.

Peter looked at her as if that were a very strange question to ask. “What? I told you, I’m good at mimicking things. Like the crickets, remember?”

“Well yeah, but I didn’t realize you could do people’s voices that well, too!” She frowned at him. “That was dead-on! And kind of creepy,” she added.

“Want me to do you?” he asked, lips hooking into a grin.

“God, no.”

At the table, what was left of Wendy’s ice cream was a melted puddle, so she dumped it and the rest of their trash. Wendy squared her shoulders, summoning her nerve. She plucked at the hem of Peter’s shirt. “Come on,” she said, leading the way across the street to the road that wound back to her house. “We’ve got a shadow to find.”





CHAPTER 14

Into the Woods





Peter and Wendy stood side by side at the small white fence that separated her backyard from the woods. A breeze snaked its way through the trees, lightly brushing against her cheeks, her neck, her wrists. She took three slow, deep breaths, eyes stinging as they stared, unblinkingly, into the depths of the forest. Peter was watching her out of the corner of his eye. She could feel his apprehension, but she lifted her chin and blew out one last breath between pursed lips.