with stones.
‘‘Nice job,’’ he said.
‘‘Thanks.’’ She took another stone from the pile she’d made and tucked it into place. ‘‘I know how to do this, and I have the badge to prove it.’’
‘‘I believe you.’’ He started snapping off twigs to use for kindling.
She glanced up. ‘‘How about the monster story? Do you believe me in that case, too?’’
He spoke with care. ‘‘I believe someone wanted you to see a monster.’’
Putting the last rock in place, she sat back on her heels and ran her fingers through her wet hair. ‘‘If that was a trick, then it was the most professionally rigged stunt in the history of Big Knob. Whoever did it needs to work in Hollywood. Seriously.’’
‘‘Another good reason to find out who did it. We can set him or her on a new career path.’’ He cracked a small branch against his knee and hoped he looked manly doing it.
‘‘Let me help.’’ She stood and came over to pick up one of the dead branches. Then she cracked it over her knee as neatly as he’d just done. ‘‘Where are the matches?’’
‘‘In the kayak.’’ He needed to remember that she’d been a top athlete in school and could probably best him at most things. If he’d imagined that he’d be in charge of the operation and thereby look like a hero, he’d been dreaming.
‘‘Since you know where the matches are, why don’t you let me finish this part?’’
He couldn’t argue with her reasoning, so he laid down the branch he’d been working on and walked, shoes squishing in the sand, back to his kayak. Once there, he unloaded everything—matches, food, wine and blankets. Especially the blankets.
She had a fire laid in the pit by the time he came back with his load of stuff. He set it down and tossed her the matches. ‘‘I have a couple of blankets,’’ he said.
‘‘Damn, I wish you’d mentioned that before. I’m freezing.’’ She struck a match and touched it to the wood. The kindling didn’t catch. She tried another match, and another. ‘‘It’s not catching. Maybe you should use some magic.’’
What the hell? If it didn’t work, he’d look silly, but they could laugh about it. He pointed toward the fire. ‘‘Abracadabra.’’
To his astonishment, the fire leaped to life.
‘‘All right, Jeremy!’’ She stood and gave him a high five. ‘‘We could have used you at Girl Scout camp. Every time we failed to start the fire with one match, we got a lecture from Mrs. Rhodes.’’
‘‘We were supposed to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. I couldn’t do that, either.’’
‘‘But look at you now.’’ Her gaze traveled over him, warm and admiring. ‘‘I’m dying to know how you do that.’’
Me, too. ‘‘I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.’’ He was beginning to wonder how many things that abracadabra worked for.
‘‘Okay. Secret order of magicians and all that. Well!’’ She clapped her hands together. ‘‘I’m ready for one of those blankets. I see we have a pink flowered one and a blue snowflake one. I assume I get the pink.’’
He’d thought so, too, when he’d packed them. But now that the blanket might be touching her bare skin, he changed his mind. ‘‘Take the blue.’’ He picked it up and handed it to her. ‘‘It’s softer.’’
‘‘I’m impressed with a man secure enough to own a pink flowered blanket, let alone wrap himself in it.’’
Jeremy shrugged. ‘‘It’s a hand-me-down from my family. My mom knew I needed a spare blanket to carry in the kayak and she wasn’t worried about the color.’’
‘‘Well, neither am I. Thanks for giving me the softest one.’’
As he considered what he was about to say, his heart beat faster. ‘‘Listen, about the blankets, I’m not sure what your plan is, but I think it’s counterproductive to wrap them around our wet clothes. In five minutes we’ll be just as clammy as we were before.’’
‘‘I had the same
‘‘Nice job,’’ he said.
‘‘Thanks.’’ She took another stone from the pile she’d made and tucked it into place. ‘‘I know how to do this, and I have the badge to prove it.’’
‘‘I believe you.’’ He started snapping off twigs to use for kindling.
She glanced up. ‘‘How about the monster story? Do you believe me in that case, too?’’
He spoke with care. ‘‘I believe someone wanted you to see a monster.’’
Putting the last rock in place, she sat back on her heels and ran her fingers through her wet hair. ‘‘If that was a trick, then it was the most professionally rigged stunt in the history of Big Knob. Whoever did it needs to work in Hollywood. Seriously.’’
‘‘Another good reason to find out who did it. We can set him or her on a new career path.’’ He cracked a small branch against his knee and hoped he looked manly doing it.
‘‘Let me help.’’ She stood and came over to pick up one of the dead branches. Then she cracked it over her knee as neatly as he’d just done. ‘‘Where are the matches?’’
‘‘In the kayak.’’ He needed to remember that she’d been a top athlete in school and could probably best him at most things. If he’d imagined that he’d be in charge of the operation and thereby look like a hero, he’d been dreaming.
‘‘Since you know where the matches are, why don’t you let me finish this part?’’
He couldn’t argue with her reasoning, so he laid down the branch he’d been working on and walked, shoes squishing in the sand, back to his kayak. Once there, he unloaded everything—matches, food, wine and blankets. Especially the blankets.
She had a fire laid in the pit by the time he came back with his load of stuff. He set it down and tossed her the matches. ‘‘I have a couple of blankets,’’ he said.
‘‘Damn, I wish you’d mentioned that before. I’m freezing.’’ She struck a match and touched it to the wood. The kindling didn’t catch. She tried another match, and another. ‘‘It’s not catching. Maybe you should use some magic.’’
What the hell? If it didn’t work, he’d look silly, but they could laugh about it. He pointed toward the fire. ‘‘Abracadabra.’’
To his astonishment, the fire leaped to life.
‘‘All right, Jeremy!’’ She stood and gave him a high five. ‘‘We could have used you at Girl Scout camp. Every time we failed to start the fire with one match, we got a lecture from Mrs. Rhodes.’’
‘‘We were supposed to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. I couldn’t do that, either.’’
‘‘But look at you now.’’ Her gaze traveled over him, warm and admiring. ‘‘I’m dying to know how you do that.’’
Me, too. ‘‘I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.’’ He was beginning to wonder how many things that abracadabra worked for.
‘‘Okay. Secret order of magicians and all that. Well!’’ She clapped her hands together. ‘‘I’m ready for one of those blankets. I see we have a pink flowered one and a blue snowflake one. I assume I get the pink.’’
He’d thought so, too, when he’d packed them. But now that the blanket might be touching her bare skin, he changed his mind. ‘‘Take the blue.’’ He picked it up and handed it to her. ‘‘It’s softer.’’
‘‘I’m impressed with a man secure enough to own a pink flowered blanket, let alone wrap himself in it.’’
Jeremy shrugged. ‘‘It’s a hand-me-down from my family. My mom knew I needed a spare blanket to carry in the kayak and she wasn’t worried about the color.’’
‘‘Well, neither am I. Thanks for giving me the softest one.’’
As he considered what he was about to say, his heart beat faster. ‘‘Listen, about the blankets, I’m not sure what your plan is, but I think it’s counterproductive to wrap them around our wet clothes. In five minutes we’ll be just as clammy as we were before.’’
‘‘I had the same
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