looked newer than others.
"Da says I play too hard. Mom...she's been gone a while."
"Does your dad hit you?"
She shook her head. Then brightened. "Hey! Let's go for a walk! There's a lake nearby with ducks and birds and squirrels and things."
Kyle stopped. Uh oh. "I'm supposed to stay inside." He looked at the window he had come out of and the broken boxes below. How was he going to get back in?
"I'll help you back up. But only if you walk with me first." Callie grinned, took his hand and pulled at it. "C'mon, let's go!"
He saw her green-blue eyes sparkle and with one last glance at the window he went with her. They walked to a dirt road trail that circled a lake shaped like a horseshoe. "Soooo, where are your real parents?"
He looked at her bright hair and then at their clasped hands. He pulled his hand away. "You aren't a spy, are you?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Why? Are you in trouble?"
"Not me. Not really," he said. "My mom's dead, dad...he's in Murderer City."
"Your dad's a murderer?"
"No! He's never killed anyone. I promise." He put a hand next to his mouth and whispered to her. "That's why I lied. People are after me too and I haven't killed anyone, either. Del and Tim say they are going to protect me."
Her eyes were big, and her mouth formed a large 'O'.
"Don't act so surprised. Someone might see," he warned severely.
She snapped her mouth closed and nodded.
"Are you afraid?"
She shook her head hard from side to side. "No. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met." She suddenly leaned forward and planted a solid, and wet , kiss on his cheek.
He wiped it off.
She pouted.
So he took her hand again.
They made their way around the lake, stopping to chase after a duck that quacked alarm and retreated into the lake. When he saw the duck he laughed.
"What?" Callie asked.
"Pa used to tell me something. He'd tell me to be like a duck."
She made a face at him that wrinkled her nose silly like. "Why would you want to be a duck?"
Kyle grinned. "Calm on the surface--kick like hell underneath."
She giggled. "Your dad sounds nice."
"Yeah..." Kyle trailed off. "He really was." On a whim he glanced at the trailer. A blue two-seater car that Del and Tim drove was driving up the distant road. "I have to go," he said urgently.
Callie followed his gaze and nodded. Together they ran toward the trailer, he slowed a bit for her but kept pulling so she'd keep up. They laughed at each other. Then they stopped. A boy a few years older than them appeared standing in the path. He had a scowl on his face and his arms crossed, light blond hair and a mole on his cheek. He looked a lot like Callie.
"Jeff!" Callie said. She looked afraid.
"What do you think you're doing, sis?" the boy said, angry.
Kyle stepped in front of her. "We were just going for a walk. What's it to you?"
The boy stalked forward and grabbed his shoulder, throwing him to the side. Kyle stumbled, tripping to the ground.
"I..." Callie said, not finishing.
Jeff hit her, right on the face. Not even a slap but a full on punch. Callie fell.
Kyle scrambled to his feet as fast as he could. Like a duck. He ran forward and threw his weight at the boy, shoving Jeff a few steps back. "Hey, back off! You didn't have to hit her." Kyle positioned himself above Callie, standing as tall as he could. He reached back, keeping his eyes on the older boy and offered her a hand. "Are you OK, Callie?"
His hand grasped air.
"Callie?" he asked again. Jeff smirked at him.
Her voice came out quiet and subdued. "You'd better go. You might get in trouble if Tim and Del finds you gone."
He refused to take his hand away, pushing it insistently at her. "I'm not going anywhere. Take my hand."
Still, only air.
"Get lost, before you get hurt," the older boy said, crossing his arms
"Da says I play too hard. Mom...she's been gone a while."
"Does your dad hit you?"
She shook her head. Then brightened. "Hey! Let's go for a walk! There's a lake nearby with ducks and birds and squirrels and things."
Kyle stopped. Uh oh. "I'm supposed to stay inside." He looked at the window he had come out of and the broken boxes below. How was he going to get back in?
"I'll help you back up. But only if you walk with me first." Callie grinned, took his hand and pulled at it. "C'mon, let's go!"
He saw her green-blue eyes sparkle and with one last glance at the window he went with her. They walked to a dirt road trail that circled a lake shaped like a horseshoe. "Soooo, where are your real parents?"
He looked at her bright hair and then at their clasped hands. He pulled his hand away. "You aren't a spy, are you?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Why? Are you in trouble?"
"Not me. Not really," he said. "My mom's dead, dad...he's in Murderer City."
"Your dad's a murderer?"
"No! He's never killed anyone. I promise." He put a hand next to his mouth and whispered to her. "That's why I lied. People are after me too and I haven't killed anyone, either. Del and Tim say they are going to protect me."
Her eyes were big, and her mouth formed a large 'O'.
"Don't act so surprised. Someone might see," he warned severely.
She snapped her mouth closed and nodded.
"Are you afraid?"
She shook her head hard from side to side. "No. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met." She suddenly leaned forward and planted a solid, and wet , kiss on his cheek.
He wiped it off.
She pouted.
So he took her hand again.
They made their way around the lake, stopping to chase after a duck that quacked alarm and retreated into the lake. When he saw the duck he laughed.
"What?" Callie asked.
"Pa used to tell me something. He'd tell me to be like a duck."
She made a face at him that wrinkled her nose silly like. "Why would you want to be a duck?"
Kyle grinned. "Calm on the surface--kick like hell underneath."
She giggled. "Your dad sounds nice."
"Yeah..." Kyle trailed off. "He really was." On a whim he glanced at the trailer. A blue two-seater car that Del and Tim drove was driving up the distant road. "I have to go," he said urgently.
Callie followed his gaze and nodded. Together they ran toward the trailer, he slowed a bit for her but kept pulling so she'd keep up. They laughed at each other. Then they stopped. A boy a few years older than them appeared standing in the path. He had a scowl on his face and his arms crossed, light blond hair and a mole on his cheek. He looked a lot like Callie.
"Jeff!" Callie said. She looked afraid.
"What do you think you're doing, sis?" the boy said, angry.
Kyle stepped in front of her. "We were just going for a walk. What's it to you?"
The boy stalked forward and grabbed his shoulder, throwing him to the side. Kyle stumbled, tripping to the ground.
"I..." Callie said, not finishing.
Jeff hit her, right on the face. Not even a slap but a full on punch. Callie fell.
Kyle scrambled to his feet as fast as he could. Like a duck. He ran forward and threw his weight at the boy, shoving Jeff a few steps back. "Hey, back off! You didn't have to hit her." Kyle positioned himself above Callie, standing as tall as he could. He reached back, keeping his eyes on the older boy and offered her a hand. "Are you OK, Callie?"
His hand grasped air.
"Callie?" he asked again. Jeff smirked at him.
Her voice came out quiet and subdued. "You'd better go. You might get in trouble if Tim and Del finds you gone."
He refused to take his hand away, pushing it insistently at her. "I'm not going anywhere. Take my hand."
Still, only air.
"Get lost, before you get hurt," the older boy said, crossing his arms
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