Read Online The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri - Free Book Online Page A

breached, as if on cue, shooting out of the water like rockets, an explosion of spray as they plunged downward once more.
    Annie gasped.
    He gazed at her expectantly. “Humpbacks, on the move.”
    She didn’t know how she could top whales. “I have a boat,” she offered, pointing in the direction of the driftwood piles. “Do you want to see it? I was afraid the tide would have carried it away.”
    â€œThe tide doesn’t reach that high, not usually.” The waves drew foam-flecked lines on the beach.
    Annie was about to suggest a voyage to Antarctica to see the penguins, when Ella’s strident voice carried down from the bluff. “Annie, where are you?”
    â€œWho’s that?” Ronan asked.
    â€œMy sister. She’s twelve. We could hide and pretend we’re not here.” She didn’t like the thought of having to share Ronan with Ella.
    â€œShe’d come look for you. I’d better go,” Ronan said, his eyes wary now.
    â€œYou don’t have to—”
    He put a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone about me. I’m not supposed to be here.”
    â€œWhy?” He was the strangest boy. The strangest, most wonderful boy.
    â€œMy mother said. Promise.” His look was piercing.
    â€œI didn’t show you the coracle—” She didn’t want him to leave. There was so much more to show him, to say.
    â€œNext time.”
    â€œBut I don’t know where you live,” she protested.
    â€œI’ll find you. Remember. Promise.”
    â€œI promise.”
    He dashed down the tide’s edge, his footprints erased by the waves, and disappeared into the rocks.
    Ella appeared a few moments later. “What are you doing here by yourself?” she asked.
    â€œPlaying.” Annie wanted to tell her about Ronie, but she’d made a vow, and truthfully, she liked having a special friend of her own. Ella had a tendency to take over. Was Ronie still watching from the rocks? She picked up a length of seaweed and wrapped it around her shoulders with a toss of her head, strutting along the beach like a supermodel. “Look, I’m wearing a mermaid’s scarf.”
    â€œEw. Take it off. It stinks.” Ella wrinkled her nose.
    Ronie wouldn’t have said that. He would have laughed.
    â€œIt smells like the sea,” Annie said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a brinny-briney, seaside-finey smell.” She breathed deep as she let it slip from her hands. “Maybe I’ll sew a gown and go to the sea sprites’ ball!”
    â€œLet me guess, hosted by the sea people.”
    â€œExactly! You can come if you want.”
    â€œI’ll pass.”
    â€œI bet you’d change your mind if one of those boys in town was going.” She remembered the way Ella was looking at them.
    â€œI don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ella blushed.
    She hardly ever looked unsure of herself like that, so Annie backed off. It was interesting: she’d noticed that Ella spent a lot of time talking about boys (to her friends, not Annie, who overheard their conversations back home), but rarely spoke directly to them. “Are you going to help me with the boat?” Annie asked instead, then groaned. “We forgot to buy paint for it at the store.”
    â€œWe can use the leftovers from the cottage, if we ever paint the rooms.” Their mother hadn’t even taken the cans out of the bag. She stuck them in the closet, as if she wanted to forget the entire episode at the store, especially the woman, Maggie Scanlon.
    â€œAll it needs is a coat of varnish,” said a voice behind them. “Boats like that aren’t meant to be painted. They need to be allowed to show what they’re made of, the grain of their wood, their skin. They need to breathe.”
    An elderly man stood on the path above, leaning on a walking stick. He wore baggy twill pants,