his hair.
Timmy raced past Abby and Mel and into the house.
“How about ‘excuse me’,” Abby joked, but Timmy was already out of earshot.
“We’ll have plenty of time to teach him manners,” Mel said with a wry smile.
“That’s her job.” Abby gestured to Mandy.
Mandy stopped before them and looked away.
“Well,” Abby asked. “How did it go?”
When Mandy didn’t answer right away, Abby felt her stomach sink. “Did you guys find a boat?” Mandy remained silent and shifted from side-to-side. “Mandy, what’s wrong?”
“Your brother found a boat. He has the pills. Timmy and I aren’t going to the island with you.”
Abby cocked her head. “Isn’t the boat big enough to fit all of us? If not, Jordan can make two trips, remember?”
Mandy nodded. “It’s big enough for you guys. I’m doing what’s best for us.”
Abby folded her arms, thinking of one way she could change Mandy’s mind. “You care what happens to Timmy, right? Going to the island is what’s best for him. We’re planning to open a school for the younger kids.”
“School!” Timmy blurted and made a face. “Forget it.”
Abby wondered how long he’d been standing beside them. Mandy shoved her hands in her pockets and turned away.
“What if…?” Abby began.
Mandy spun around. “There is no what if. We’re not going with you.” Abby had seen that expression before. When she first met Mandy, she mistook it for toughness. It was really fear.
Mandy told them about her grandparents’ cabin in Maine. Inside, she found a pen and paper and drew a map. “You’re welcome anytime.”
Abby knew then, Mandy and Timmy were leaving. She looked at the crude map. A cabin in the woods, next to a lake, far from this madness, sounded almost as good as Castine Island. She hoped Mandy would find the peace there that would allow her heart to heal.
She declined Mandy’s offer to shuttle her and Mel to the yacht club, thinking if they were going to split up, it might as well be now.
Mandy handed Timmy her motorcycle helmet. “You ready?”
When he put it on, it swallowed his head and came to a rest on his shoulders. “It’s too big!”
Mandy rapped the top with her knuckles. “Anybody home?” Her light-hearted tone did not match the grave doubt flickering in her eyes.
A moment later, the ultimate mainland survivors were gone, and it was just her and Mel, about to put their own survival skills to the test. Friends since the second grade, they were going after Jordan again—this time they’d greet him with a hug, not a headlock.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Convinced that the only witness to his covert activity was the gull hovering overhead, Jordan brushed away ash at the base of the flagpole and scooped out a little hollow. He placed the bag of pills in the hole and covered it up with dirt. He didn’t want to risk the pills dissolving while he swam out to a boat.
He walked to the end of the dock and stared at the cracks between the boards until his vision blurred. Mandy’s words would not let go of him. Why hadn’t she told him earlier the whole story of what had happened to her? He felt bad because he thought the way he had treated her was the reason she wasn’t joining them.
He knelt and dipped his hand into the water. An aching sensation spread from his palm to each finger and up his arm. Boston Harbor would not warm up until the dog days of August—three months away.
The closest boat was forty yards away. He stripped to his underwear and placed his shoes and his clothing into his backpack. When he slipped into the icy water, he grunted, expelling a breath of air. With the pack on his back, he dog paddled out to his target.
The frigid water quickly sapped his energy, and he panicked. Numb from the neck down, he imagined what Abby’s reaction would be when she arrived and found him doing the dead man’s float. He struggled to keep his chin above the water, clawing wildly to thrust his head up enough to take each
Timmy raced past Abby and Mel and into the house.
“How about ‘excuse me’,” Abby joked, but Timmy was already out of earshot.
“We’ll have plenty of time to teach him manners,” Mel said with a wry smile.
“That’s her job.” Abby gestured to Mandy.
Mandy stopped before them and looked away.
“Well,” Abby asked. “How did it go?”
When Mandy didn’t answer right away, Abby felt her stomach sink. “Did you guys find a boat?” Mandy remained silent and shifted from side-to-side. “Mandy, what’s wrong?”
“Your brother found a boat. He has the pills. Timmy and I aren’t going to the island with you.”
Abby cocked her head. “Isn’t the boat big enough to fit all of us? If not, Jordan can make two trips, remember?”
Mandy nodded. “It’s big enough for you guys. I’m doing what’s best for us.”
Abby folded her arms, thinking of one way she could change Mandy’s mind. “You care what happens to Timmy, right? Going to the island is what’s best for him. We’re planning to open a school for the younger kids.”
“School!” Timmy blurted and made a face. “Forget it.”
Abby wondered how long he’d been standing beside them. Mandy shoved her hands in her pockets and turned away.
“What if…?” Abby began.
Mandy spun around. “There is no what if. We’re not going with you.” Abby had seen that expression before. When she first met Mandy, she mistook it for toughness. It was really fear.
Mandy told them about her grandparents’ cabin in Maine. Inside, she found a pen and paper and drew a map. “You’re welcome anytime.”
Abby knew then, Mandy and Timmy were leaving. She looked at the crude map. A cabin in the woods, next to a lake, far from this madness, sounded almost as good as Castine Island. She hoped Mandy would find the peace there that would allow her heart to heal.
She declined Mandy’s offer to shuttle her and Mel to the yacht club, thinking if they were going to split up, it might as well be now.
Mandy handed Timmy her motorcycle helmet. “You ready?”
When he put it on, it swallowed his head and came to a rest on his shoulders. “It’s too big!”
Mandy rapped the top with her knuckles. “Anybody home?” Her light-hearted tone did not match the grave doubt flickering in her eyes.
A moment later, the ultimate mainland survivors were gone, and it was just her and Mel, about to put their own survival skills to the test. Friends since the second grade, they were going after Jordan again—this time they’d greet him with a hug, not a headlock.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Convinced that the only witness to his covert activity was the gull hovering overhead, Jordan brushed away ash at the base of the flagpole and scooped out a little hollow. He placed the bag of pills in the hole and covered it up with dirt. He didn’t want to risk the pills dissolving while he swam out to a boat.
He walked to the end of the dock and stared at the cracks between the boards until his vision blurred. Mandy’s words would not let go of him. Why hadn’t she told him earlier the whole story of what had happened to her? He felt bad because he thought the way he had treated her was the reason she wasn’t joining them.
He knelt and dipped his hand into the water. An aching sensation spread from his palm to each finger and up his arm. Boston Harbor would not warm up until the dog days of August—three months away.
The closest boat was forty yards away. He stripped to his underwear and placed his shoes and his clothing into his backpack. When he slipped into the icy water, he grunted, expelling a breath of air. With the pack on his back, he dog paddled out to his target.
The frigid water quickly sapped his energy, and he panicked. Numb from the neck down, he imagined what Abby’s reaction would be when she arrived and found him doing the dead man’s float. He struggled to keep his chin above the water, clawing wildly to thrust his head up enough to take each
Similar Books
