Free The Dead of Winter (Seasons of Jefferson: Book 2) by Julie Solano, Tracy Justice

to get out there to keep an eye on things.Sometimes that girl doesn’t know her own strength.I back against the wall and scoot myself along until I reach the entrance of the intersecting hallway. The door to the courtyard is in sight.
    Taking in a deep breath, I head toward the door. I’m fatigued from the long walk, and a little wobbly as I make my way across the wide hallway toward the exit. I hope I didn’t miss the show. I’m a little worried Jenna may take it too far, but I’d love to see the looks on their faces when they see how wrong they were about the cause of the accident. They have no idea what really happened down river. Knowing them, they’re going to be hanging on every word. They’ll make sure the whole town knows about the shootout and Pistol’s disappearance. Jenna’s brilliant. She’ll stop the drinking theory these girls are spreading all over town. She definitely knows how to set a backfire.
    When I finally make it to the door, I peer through the glass to see if the girls are outside. My warm breath steams the cold window, blurring my view of the courtyard. I quickly rub out the fog with my hand and press my face harder against the glass, scanning left to right across the garden. Just seeing it again, reminds me of the time we spent out there during the fall when Kaitlyn was going through her shoulder surgery.
    A sweet memory crosses my mind. It’s Peyton and me snuggling on the wooden bench tossing quarters into the wishing pond. I’ll never forget the look on her face when I told her I had a gift for her, and pulled out that old, brown roll of quarters tied up in a polka dotted bow. I’d been saving those treasures since I was eight. She’s the first girl I ever wanted to spend them on. It was money well spent, too. There are some unbelievable wishes lying at the bottom of that pond. She still tells me it’s the nicest gift a boy ever gave her.
    I snap back to reality when the corner of my eye catches movement near the footbridge. Stealthily, I open the door and slide outside, losing my breath as an icy gale of wind blows through the courtyard. I have to wipe my tearing eyes so I can find my way to the path. Now that I’m out here, it feels so dreary. This place held a lot more life back in the fall. It hadn’t yet lost its vibrancy. Now, it’s almost unrecognizable. The spirit is all but gone. All that’s left is the twiggy remnants of the rose garden, and colorless leaves lining the cobblestone path to the small pond.
    As I near the water, splashing and screaming draw my attention upward. I pick up my pace so I can get a better look at which girl it’s coming from. Caught off guard by the energy it takes to move in this condition, I double over to take a breath. Lord knows I don’t want to pass out. Last time I fainted, disaster struck.
    Seconds later, I look up to see it all unfold in slow motion. Jenna is standing in the middle of the bridge. She has a long blonde ponytail in one hand, while pinching a pointy chin with the other. I can actually see the white outline of her hand pressing into Tiara’s cheeks.
    “You think you’re not going in there too?” Jenna spits in her face. “I’ll show you exactly how it feels to drown in December! Let’s hear you talk about other people’s tragedies now, you gossiping slouche!”
    There’s a little wrestling around as I watch Tiara try to gain footing on the icy bridge. There’s no way she’s going to win this battle with Jenna. Just seconds later, one strong and final push, sends Tiara tumbling into the water. She lands right between Chelsea and Amber, who continue to bob and scream, clenching their chests as their teeth rattle wildly from their shivering.
    “Jenna, let’s get out of here, now!” I cry out, knowing that the commotion is likely to catch someone’s attention.
    “One second, Caden! I’m just starting to have fun here!”
    “I think we’ve already pressed our luck enough for one day. NOW, Jenna!”
    Of