Marcus said. "But that may make it easier for them to take Ashe whenever they please without fighting his father."
"I’m glad Anthony Hancock went home when they all thought Ashe was dead," Denise went to the coffeepot. "Want some, hon?"
"Sure." Marcus took a seat at the kitchen island and waited for the coffee to brew. He'd had a late night, after all. Marco was still sleeping after taking the execution. Marcus had been surprised by his oldest son's offer. Denise had responded to the news with a tightening of her mouth. Marco wanted to move up in Winkler's Pack instead of coming home eventually and joining with Marcus. Marco was twenty-one, though, and old enough to decide for himself.
* * *
"Wynn, it's all just a big plot." Dori had taken Wynn to the new school and now they sat behind it on a small, covered porch. They'd been inside the building a time or two while a crew of werewolf construction workers put up walls, built classrooms and a library. The new cafeteria was being built next door, which meant a gym was going in now. A weight room had already been installed—that's where Ashe and Sali were working out most mornings.
"But why did he keep it from us?" Wynn was upset that Ashe hadn't come forward before.
"I think they told him not to," Dori pulled at a blade of grass. A few stray clumps of the reedy stuff grew next to the concrete porch and Dori had yanked up a bit of it. "Are you sure you're not upset over Sali and me?"
"Huh," Wynn scoffed. "He was at the right place at the right time. You're welcome to him. Just watch out. And don't buy him any jewelry."
"Yeah. Sometimes he's a butt."
"Sometimes?"
"Well, we should probably agree not to talk about Sali."
"Yeah. So—Ashe can do some pretty serious stuff." Wynn lifted one of Dori's grass stems and chewed on it.
"Looks that way. We can't tell anyone, Wynn. It will get all of us in trouble."
"I know. At least we know again." Wynn wasn't happy that their memories had been altered.
"I feel bad for Ashe," Dori whispered. "And I hit him."
"You sure did. Sali said his jaw was sore afterward."
"I didn't mean to hit him that hard," Dori admitted. "But I was mad."
"Remind me not to make you mad like that," Wynn snickered. "And Ashe said I could go talk to him?"
"He said so."
"I think I will." Wynn stood and brushed dust from the back of her denim shorts. "Want to walk with me?" Dori rose without a word and followed Wynn.
* * *
"Let's go have lunch in Port A," Ashe suggested. He was doing all sorts of things that Sunday, most of which would get him in trouble. Sali had caught up with Wynn and Dori as they walked toward the Evans home, joining the girls as they'd made their trip to see Ashe. It was early afternoon and nobody had eaten lunch, so Ashe suggested they leave the house and go out to eat.
"Let me tell Mom," Sali pulled out his cell. Wynn and Dori did the same. Ashe, who still had paper and pen on the kitchen island, left a note for his mother. A few minutes later, they were inside Sali's import and on their way to the Aransas Pass ferry, which would take them to the barrier island. Ashe hadn't been invited to ride in Sali's car until then. He climbed out of the car once they were on the ferry and pointed out the dolphins to Wynn. She stood next to him, pulling long, white hair from her face when the sea winds whipped it about.
"Look," Wynn was bouncing on her feet as she pointed out the gray backs of three dolphins as they came up for air. Dori, standing next to Wynn, had Sali's arm draped over her shoulder. Ashe watched her and knew she was happy. He wasn't about to begrudge that. Besides, he was happy enough just to stand next to Wynn as she watched the dolphins, an expression of wonder clearly on her face.
"This is amazing," Dori said as they walked into Victoria's Restaurant. The glass windows operated like garage doors and all of them were lifted to allow the breeze off the water to circulate.
"Winkler's buying it," Ashe whispered when
"I’m glad Anthony Hancock went home when they all thought Ashe was dead," Denise went to the coffeepot. "Want some, hon?"
"Sure." Marcus took a seat at the kitchen island and waited for the coffee to brew. He'd had a late night, after all. Marco was still sleeping after taking the execution. Marcus had been surprised by his oldest son's offer. Denise had responded to the news with a tightening of her mouth. Marco wanted to move up in Winkler's Pack instead of coming home eventually and joining with Marcus. Marco was twenty-one, though, and old enough to decide for himself.
* * *
"Wynn, it's all just a big plot." Dori had taken Wynn to the new school and now they sat behind it on a small, covered porch. They'd been inside the building a time or two while a crew of werewolf construction workers put up walls, built classrooms and a library. The new cafeteria was being built next door, which meant a gym was going in now. A weight room had already been installed—that's where Ashe and Sali were working out most mornings.
"But why did he keep it from us?" Wynn was upset that Ashe hadn't come forward before.
"I think they told him not to," Dori pulled at a blade of grass. A few stray clumps of the reedy stuff grew next to the concrete porch and Dori had yanked up a bit of it. "Are you sure you're not upset over Sali and me?"
"Huh," Wynn scoffed. "He was at the right place at the right time. You're welcome to him. Just watch out. And don't buy him any jewelry."
"Yeah. Sometimes he's a butt."
"Sometimes?"
"Well, we should probably agree not to talk about Sali."
"Yeah. So—Ashe can do some pretty serious stuff." Wynn lifted one of Dori's grass stems and chewed on it.
"Looks that way. We can't tell anyone, Wynn. It will get all of us in trouble."
"I know. At least we know again." Wynn wasn't happy that their memories had been altered.
"I feel bad for Ashe," Dori whispered. "And I hit him."
"You sure did. Sali said his jaw was sore afterward."
"I didn't mean to hit him that hard," Dori admitted. "But I was mad."
"Remind me not to make you mad like that," Wynn snickered. "And Ashe said I could go talk to him?"
"He said so."
"I think I will." Wynn stood and brushed dust from the back of her denim shorts. "Want to walk with me?" Dori rose without a word and followed Wynn.
* * *
"Let's go have lunch in Port A," Ashe suggested. He was doing all sorts of things that Sunday, most of which would get him in trouble. Sali had caught up with Wynn and Dori as they walked toward the Evans home, joining the girls as they'd made their trip to see Ashe. It was early afternoon and nobody had eaten lunch, so Ashe suggested they leave the house and go out to eat.
"Let me tell Mom," Sali pulled out his cell. Wynn and Dori did the same. Ashe, who still had paper and pen on the kitchen island, left a note for his mother. A few minutes later, they were inside Sali's import and on their way to the Aransas Pass ferry, which would take them to the barrier island. Ashe hadn't been invited to ride in Sali's car until then. He climbed out of the car once they were on the ferry and pointed out the dolphins to Wynn. She stood next to him, pulling long, white hair from her face when the sea winds whipped it about.
"Look," Wynn was bouncing on her feet as she pointed out the gray backs of three dolphins as they came up for air. Dori, standing next to Wynn, had Sali's arm draped over her shoulder. Ashe watched her and knew she was happy. He wasn't about to begrudge that. Besides, he was happy enough just to stand next to Wynn as she watched the dolphins, an expression of wonder clearly on her face.
"This is amazing," Dori said as they walked into Victoria's Restaurant. The glass windows operated like garage doors and all of them were lifted to allow the breeze off the water to circulate.
"Winkler's buying it," Ashe whispered when
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