understand. She’s used to me making my own decisions.”
Willie’s shoulders lifted as he inhaled deeply. “Very well then. We shall be leaving for camp within the hour.”
He disappeared to the front of the house and I stuck my head in the kitchen hoping to find Josie. She was there, stirring something in a large bowl with a big wooden spoon. I motioned for her to meet me outside.
Sara spotted me. “Is there something you need, Timothy?” she said, wiping wet hands on her apron.
“Uh, I was looking for Willie?”
“He just went outside. You didn’t see him?”
“I must have missed him. I’ll go look around.”
Josie removed her apron and picked up a bucket. “I’m going for water, Sara.”
I moved out of her way as she pretended to ignore me. Sara’s eyes were on me, and I feigned disinterest as well.
“I’ll check the front of the house,” I said, before leaving.
And of course, I headed straight for the water pump.
“You look so handsome, Timothy,” Josie said when I joined her. She dropped her bucket on the ground and I shot her my winningest smile.
“I just wanted to say goodbye before I left.”
She giggled and her dark eyes shone. I loved how her face lit up when she saw me, and I felt mine shine for her as well. I had a sudden and unexpected surge of disappointment that I wouldn’t be able to see her every day any more.
I crooked my finger. “Come here.”
She reached for my hand and pulled me into the cover of the forest.
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered, “but I’m so proud of you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” I said, and I wasn’t lying. I leaned in and kissed her cherry red lips.
“You’ll stay safe,” she said through our kisses.
“Of course.” I was so tuned in to what was going on between us, I never heard the footsteps approaching.
“Josephine!”
We snapped apart at Sara’s stern voice.
Busted.
Chapter Eleven
CASEY
I got cleaned up and dressed quickly in denim shorts and a cotton blouse. I left my bed unmade, and my steel-blue quilt a knotted mess. My discarded clothes from the day before lay on the floor. Normally, I’d take the time to tidy things up, but not today. I stood in front of my mirror debating what to do with my hair, and settled with pulling it back into a low knot.
When I went downstairs I found my mom and dad sitting together at the kitchen table, a coffee pot and two half empty cups between them. Mom’s eyes were rimmed red and dad was grasping her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
I cleared my throat. “G’morning.” No emphasis on the “good.”
“Casey come sit down,” Dad said. “We want to ask you a few questions.”
Didn’t I get the third-degree last night? “Can I get breakfast first?”
Dad nodded, and Mom blew her nose. I gathered up a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice before joining them. I scooped up my first bite of cereal, and the crunching of the flakes and granola filled my ears.
“Casey,” my mom began, “if there’s anything you’re not telling us about Tim, please tell us. We promise that you won’t get in trouble.”
“You’re not protecting him by keeping his confidences,” my Dad added.
I could barely swallow my next bite. The pain on my parents’ faces broke my heart.
“I wish I could help,” I said shaking my head.
They stared at me stony-eyed, like they didn’t believe me and hurt because they didn’t understand why I wouldn’t help them.
I finished breakfast, brushed my teeth and went outside to wait for Nate. Usually, I spent either the mornings or afternoons working for my mom at her interior-design business--making appointments, filing, data entry, that kind of thing--but with Tim’s disappearance, she put her projects on hold. In fact, she hadn’t even changed out of her pajamas.
The step was warm
Willie’s shoulders lifted as he inhaled deeply. “Very well then. We shall be leaving for camp within the hour.”
He disappeared to the front of the house and I stuck my head in the kitchen hoping to find Josie. She was there, stirring something in a large bowl with a big wooden spoon. I motioned for her to meet me outside.
Sara spotted me. “Is there something you need, Timothy?” she said, wiping wet hands on her apron.
“Uh, I was looking for Willie?”
“He just went outside. You didn’t see him?”
“I must have missed him. I’ll go look around.”
Josie removed her apron and picked up a bucket. “I’m going for water, Sara.”
I moved out of her way as she pretended to ignore me. Sara’s eyes were on me, and I feigned disinterest as well.
“I’ll check the front of the house,” I said, before leaving.
And of course, I headed straight for the water pump.
“You look so handsome, Timothy,” Josie said when I joined her. She dropped her bucket on the ground and I shot her my winningest smile.
“I just wanted to say goodbye before I left.”
She giggled and her dark eyes shone. I loved how her face lit up when she saw me, and I felt mine shine for her as well. I had a sudden and unexpected surge of disappointment that I wouldn’t be able to see her every day any more.
I crooked my finger. “Come here.”
She reached for my hand and pulled me into the cover of the forest.
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered, “but I’m so proud of you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” I said, and I wasn’t lying. I leaned in and kissed her cherry red lips.
“You’ll stay safe,” she said through our kisses.
“Of course.” I was so tuned in to what was going on between us, I never heard the footsteps approaching.
“Josephine!”
We snapped apart at Sara’s stern voice.
Busted.
Chapter Eleven
CASEY
I got cleaned up and dressed quickly in denim shorts and a cotton blouse. I left my bed unmade, and my steel-blue quilt a knotted mess. My discarded clothes from the day before lay on the floor. Normally, I’d take the time to tidy things up, but not today. I stood in front of my mirror debating what to do with my hair, and settled with pulling it back into a low knot.
When I went downstairs I found my mom and dad sitting together at the kitchen table, a coffee pot and two half empty cups between them. Mom’s eyes were rimmed red and dad was grasping her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
I cleared my throat. “G’morning.” No emphasis on the “good.”
“Casey come sit down,” Dad said. “We want to ask you a few questions.”
Didn’t I get the third-degree last night? “Can I get breakfast first?”
Dad nodded, and Mom blew her nose. I gathered up a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice before joining them. I scooped up my first bite of cereal, and the crunching of the flakes and granola filled my ears.
“Casey,” my mom began, “if there’s anything you’re not telling us about Tim, please tell us. We promise that you won’t get in trouble.”
“You’re not protecting him by keeping his confidences,” my Dad added.
I could barely swallow my next bite. The pain on my parents’ faces broke my heart.
“I wish I could help,” I said shaking my head.
They stared at me stony-eyed, like they didn’t believe me and hurt because they didn’t understand why I wouldn’t help them.
I finished breakfast, brushed my teeth and went outside to wait for Nate. Usually, I spent either the mornings or afternoons working for my mom at her interior-design business--making appointments, filing, data entry, that kind of thing--but with Tim’s disappearance, she put her projects on hold. In fact, she hadn’t even changed out of her pajamas.
The step was warm
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