mystic caravan mystery 02 - freaky lies Read Online Free PDF

him even more adorable – if that was even possible. I was expecting that. Luke’s expression of disgust caught me off guard, though.
    “I am not dating a clown,” Luke said, immediately shaking his head. The morning sun glinted off his ashen highlights, momentarily distracting me. “I cannot date a guy who wears a red nose to bed.”
    “That’s what you’re upset about?” Kade asked, wrinkling his nose. “I would be more worried about the white makeup and razor-sharp teeth. He’d probably try to rip your throat out while you were sleeping.”
    The fact that Kade approached Luke’s dating life like anyone else’s made me happy. I knew he wasn’t judgmental, don’t get me wrong, but he seemed to go out of his way to encourage Luke’s romantic efforts. Of course, to be fair, if Luke were otherwise engaged, that would mean more time for Kade and me. That was a different argument for another time, though.
    “Clowns aren’t always in makeup and costumes,” I reminded Luke. “You’re not always in your master of ceremonies outfit, are you?”
    “No,” Luke sniffed. “I would be if people didn’t find it weird, though. I look good in that outfit.”
    Luke thought he looked good in every outfit. “Well, if you don’t like any of the clowns we have lined up for interviews we can drive around Lincoln when we go into town for supplies later tonight,” I offered. “I’m sure they have a basketball court or something. That way you’ll be able to see everyone without shirts and make sure we don’t make another hairy chest error like that time in Minnesota.”
    Luke shuddered. “Ah, yes, the Great Yeti Incident of 2014. No one wants a reoccurrence of that. Ugh.”
    “I’m almost afraid to ask, but … what is a hairy chest error?” Kade asked, moving his hand to the back of my neck so he could lightly rub it.
    “Luke doesn’t like hairy chests,” I replied.
    “I figured that out myself,” Kade said dryly. “For some reason this story is memorable, though. Why?”
    “Um … .” How much did he really want to know? “Well, you see … .”
    Luke cut me off. “Let me tell it,” he insisted. “You always tell it wrong.”
    “There’s no way to tell that story wrong,” I argued.
    “There is when you make me look like a goofball,” Luke shot back. “It’s really not a very interesting story. I was feeling low one day … .”
    “He just found out that Calvin Klein was discontinuing his favorite fragrance,” I supplied.
    “No one asked for comments from the peanut gallery,” Luke said, shaking his head. “Anyway, I was feeling low and Poet decided to brighten my day with a trip to a nearby lake. It was hot, and we expected to find a lot of bulging muscles and droopy swim trunks. It’s easier making a decision after seeing what someone looks like wet.”
    “Thanks for the tip,” Kade said, rolling his eyes until they landed on me. “I’m going to hate this story, aren’t I?”
    I honestly had no idea. “I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.”
    “The lake was full of people, as we expected, but mostly teenagers,” Luke continued. “I’m gifted when it comes to dating, but even I can’t make a teenager interesting.”
    “He just doesn’t want anyone looking at him and saying he’s the ‘seasoned’ half of the couple,” I said.
    “Shut up, Poet,” Luke chided, making a face. “No one could ever call me seasoned. You take that back. I am the maestro of moisturizing.”
    “I’m sorry,” I said, feigning contrition. “You’re young and handsome.”
    “Thank you … and I know.”
    “I’m going to be old and seasoned if you don’t finish this story,” Kade warned. “I’m already losing interest in it.”
    “It’s not a big story,” Luke said. “There was a hot dog stand, and I met a guy there – I love a good hot dog stand – and he was in shorts and a T-shirt, and he looked perfectly normal.”
    “I’m going to let the ‘hot dog stand’ comment