Page 5 of The Mechanics of Broomstick Racing

“Ugh, his sister is right here!” Karah tugged on Zephyr’s mailbag. “Stop torturing my brother. We redheads blush easily. It’s not sporting to tease us.”

Like a coward, Neil used his sister’s interruption to escape. He vanished into the retro diner, the door swinging shut behind him. With a pout, Zephyr dropped his delivery back into her mailbag. There went her record time. Again.

She hopped to the ground, left her broomstick leaning outside against a diner window, and allowed Tawny and Karah to pull her inside Frank’s. It was a busy morning—the staff were bustling and spinning around the room, orders balanced perfectly on the palms of their hands. The bar was busy, and she caught the shadow of a very tall man through the order window—the chef Zephyr had yet to meet. Had she gone to school with him, too?

Perhaps it was best to put off meeting him or anyone else until she got a good look at her high school yearbook.

Zephyr scanned the white and red-upholstered chairs. There was nowhere to sit. Nowhere except for a single booth with a single, glaring occupant.

Neil shook his head as the trio of women approached. “Nope. You are not sitting here.”

Karah took a seat across from him, yawning. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you boss me around, baby brother.” Tawny quickly took the seat next to Karah. Zephyr didn’t mind. Tawny was not one for confrontation.

Zephyr tapped Neil’s shoulder. “Move over, please.” He still sat on the outer edge of the bench, lamenting his lost solitude. She added when he ignored her, “I will climb over you.”

He grunted, moving down to sit next to the window. Zephyr slid next to him, slouching back and throwing her right arm over the top of the bench. Her arm grazed Neil’s broad shoulders. Accidentally, of course. He stared at her intrusion. “What is this, our third date?”

“Third date?” Zephyr laughed, but she didn’t move an inch. She was comfortable. After her fall, her limbs needed constant stretching, and she wouldn’t shrink for anyone. “What century are you from, where an arm over a shoulder is third-date material?”

“We’re the same age. Actually, you’re older.”

Zephyr blinked at him. Did he know when her birthday was? How odd.

Tawny added helpfully, “That’s just how she sits, Neil. Her first week at the Post, I thought she was making a move on me every time we sat in the breakroom together.”

“Who says I wasn’t?”

Karah fiddled with the sugar packets. “He’s just embarrassed because he used to—ow! Did you just kick me?”

Neil picked up a menu and flicked it open. “No.”

A beautiful woman with long black hair streaked with white interrupted the siblings’ squabble, giving them all a tired smile and asking for their orders. The group ordered pancakes, each getting a different topping. Zephyr never could resist chocolate, but when she saw the caramelized bananas on top of Neil’s stack, she regretted her order. Neil caught her stare and shielded his plate with his arm.

Rude.

Karah’s phone buzzed, interrupting Zephyr’s attempt to steal a bite of her brother’s plate. Karah stared down at the screen and frowned. She silenced it twice, but the caller kept trying until Karah muttered a few choice words and answered.

“We’re supposed to be talking through lawyers,” she whispered furiously. Karah covered her face with a hand while Tawny stood up to let her out of the booth. “If you want to know anything about Levina’s new school, you need to call her yourself!”

Neil watched his sister struggle to escape the booth and run outside, giving Zephyr the perfect opportunity to snag a forkful of his pancakes. He rolled his eyes at her unsubtle thievery. As Zephyr chewed, she sought to distract him from her crime. “What’s up with Karah?”

“Family matter,” he said shortly.

She allowed the dismissal. It was what she had expected. Tawny squirmed in her seat and stood. “Let me pay the bill before the next rush.”

Zephyr fished out her wallet and handed it to Tawny. “Here. Let me get it.”

“Oh, but you’re new in town. Let me treat you.”

“She’s not actually new in town,” Neil countered. “She just came back.”

“I also used to be a celebrity. I’ve been on billboards. Let me cover the bill.” Zephyr stared Tawny down until she sighed and took the money.

Tawny vowed, “Fine! But I’m taking you out somewhere. Eventually.”

“Looking forward to it.” Zephyr nodded at Neil. “I’ll cover his tab, too. I ate off your plate, and I intend to try again. Also, I want to compensate you for the stunning view you’re providing this morning.”

Neil choked on his coffee.