Evelyn noticed Christina was missing her bandanna, and eye patch, and one of her shoes. Thank God her breeches had stayed on, since her niece chose a pair of pink-flowered underpants that morning.
“We will get you a new sword and everything else. Please answer me—did you swallow water?”
She shook her head, her ultrashort hair flinging out drops of water. “I did what you said and always keep my mouth closed and blow out my nose.”
Evelyn hugged her tight again, but Chris pushed against her. “I want to go home,” she said, her bottom lip trembling.
“Okay, Jellybean. Okay.” Just then, Evelyn realized that though she’d jettisoned her daypack, she’d forgotten to remove her hat and sunglasses before she dove into the water. She smiled at Christina. “Look! I lost my costume, too! We’ll go shopping together!”
Her niece pouted, not convinced.
“All right, kiddo.” Evelyn stood, pulling Christina to a stand. “Let’s go change our clothes.”
“I’ll go with you to Nantucket.”
Evelyn twisted around to see Clancy, soaked to the skin, standing tall and serious, his arm outstretched as he handed her the daypack. In any other circumstance, she would have hugged and kissed him and told him she was indebted to him forever. But all she did was accept the pack and shake her head. “Thanks, but no.”
He looked puzzled.
“I’ll call her doctor at home first. Back in Bloomington.” She grabbed her daypack, slipped it on, and picked up Christina from the boardwalk. Just then she noticed that a small crowd had gathered to watch the drama. “He’s fine,” she said to everyone. “We’re good.”
She turned to go, took one step, and stopped. Evelynslowly spun around on her squeaky sandals and sought out Clancy. He stood next to his colleague, hair dripping and his uniform clinging to every plane and swell on his gorgeous body, concern in those deep blue eyes, jaw set tight. In that moment she saw all of him—the fourteen-year-old she’d loved, the beautiful man he’d become, the quick-on-his-feet lifesaver, decorated police officer, and Eagle Scout, if only in a manner of speaking. It made her smile.
God, how she wished they’d met again under more normal circumstances.
“I truly thank you, Chief Flynn. For everything.”
She walked away, Christina’s head on her shoulder, both of them weighed down with seawater. She knew in her heart that she’d blown it. Not only had she failed to provide even the most basic safety for Christina, she’d made a spectacle of them both. As soon as they got back to the Sand Dollar, she would examine her niece to make sure she didn’t need medical attention. If she did, so be it. Christina’s health was the most important thing. But the ruse would be over the second doctors discovered she was a girl.
Evelyn would turn herself in.
But if her niece seemed okay, then Evelyn would get her in some dry clothes and start to pack. Either way, they needed to get off this island and go . . . somewhere. Anywhere but here.
* * *
Clancy strolled through the small parking lot and entered the Bayberry Police Department through the back door. As with every other moving part in this nineteenth-century building, finesse was required to get it to function as intended. Clancy jiggled the key while simultaneously lifting upward on the knob and the thick wooden door finally opened.
He took a moment to close his eyes and appreciate the relief of central air-conditioning flowing down the narrow hallway. The evening had turned hot and muggyand rain was in the forecast for tomorrow, which always threw Island Day organizers and vendors into a tizzy. Only minutes ago, an artist had called Clancy’s cell phone to express her disdain for the weather report.
“Isn’t there anything you can do about this?” She sounded completely serious. “As you might imagine, my origami creations don’t fare well in a downpour, and I forgot to bring my plastic rain shields
“We will get you a new sword and everything else. Please answer me—did you swallow water?”
She shook her head, her ultrashort hair flinging out drops of water. “I did what you said and always keep my mouth closed and blow out my nose.”
Evelyn hugged her tight again, but Chris pushed against her. “I want to go home,” she said, her bottom lip trembling.
“Okay, Jellybean. Okay.” Just then, Evelyn realized that though she’d jettisoned her daypack, she’d forgotten to remove her hat and sunglasses before she dove into the water. She smiled at Christina. “Look! I lost my costume, too! We’ll go shopping together!”
Her niece pouted, not convinced.
“All right, kiddo.” Evelyn stood, pulling Christina to a stand. “Let’s go change our clothes.”
“I’ll go with you to Nantucket.”
Evelyn twisted around to see Clancy, soaked to the skin, standing tall and serious, his arm outstretched as he handed her the daypack. In any other circumstance, she would have hugged and kissed him and told him she was indebted to him forever. But all she did was accept the pack and shake her head. “Thanks, but no.”
He looked puzzled.
“I’ll call her doctor at home first. Back in Bloomington.” She grabbed her daypack, slipped it on, and picked up Christina from the boardwalk. Just then she noticed that a small crowd had gathered to watch the drama. “He’s fine,” she said to everyone. “We’re good.”
She turned to go, took one step, and stopped. Evelynslowly spun around on her squeaky sandals and sought out Clancy. He stood next to his colleague, hair dripping and his uniform clinging to every plane and swell on his gorgeous body, concern in those deep blue eyes, jaw set tight. In that moment she saw all of him—the fourteen-year-old she’d loved, the beautiful man he’d become, the quick-on-his-feet lifesaver, decorated police officer, and Eagle Scout, if only in a manner of speaking. It made her smile.
God, how she wished they’d met again under more normal circumstances.
“I truly thank you, Chief Flynn. For everything.”
She walked away, Christina’s head on her shoulder, both of them weighed down with seawater. She knew in her heart that she’d blown it. Not only had she failed to provide even the most basic safety for Christina, she’d made a spectacle of them both. As soon as they got back to the Sand Dollar, she would examine her niece to make sure she didn’t need medical attention. If she did, so be it. Christina’s health was the most important thing. But the ruse would be over the second doctors discovered she was a girl.
Evelyn would turn herself in.
But if her niece seemed okay, then Evelyn would get her in some dry clothes and start to pack. Either way, they needed to get off this island and go . . . somewhere. Anywhere but here.
* * *
Clancy strolled through the small parking lot and entered the Bayberry Police Department through the back door. As with every other moving part in this nineteenth-century building, finesse was required to get it to function as intended. Clancy jiggled the key while simultaneously lifting upward on the knob and the thick wooden door finally opened.
He took a moment to close his eyes and appreciate the relief of central air-conditioning flowing down the narrow hallway. The evening had turned hot and muggyand rain was in the forecast for tomorrow, which always threw Island Day organizers and vendors into a tizzy. Only minutes ago, an artist had called Clancy’s cell phone to express her disdain for the weather report.
“Isn’t there anything you can do about this?” She sounded completely serious. “As you might imagine, my origami creations don’t fare well in a downpour, and I forgot to bring my plastic rain shields
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