woman’s dress. She opened a paper bag and removed a second, devouring that one in the same fashion. Crumbs clung to her lips or fell into her lap. She swigged down coffee and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Seeming to notice Angel for the first time, she smiled.
Angel flinched, impaled by all that human beauty concentrated purely on her. It felt like staring into a supernova. She felt compelled to say something. ‘I like your necklace,’ was all she managed.
‘Thanks,’ the woman replied. Her voice was deep, far richer than Angel had expected. Stupid, but those green eyes seemed to reach inside her head, reading every thought she’d ever spun.
‘How are the pastries?’ she asked, and winced. Such a dumb question.
The woman laughed. ‘I need to brush up on my table manners, huh?’ She inclined her head towards the front of the building. ‘Did you arrive in the RV?’
Angel nodded.
‘Big family. Are they really all your brothers and sisters?’
‘Two of them. The others . . . they’re my mom’s boyfriend’s kids.’
‘Where are you headed?’
‘Yosemite first. For some bonding time.’ She heard the childish derision in her voice, and instantly regretted it. ‘Then on to Vegas.’
‘You don’t want to go?’
‘I . . .’ Angel shrugged. ‘I don’t know what I want.’
‘Feels like a big change.’
‘Yeah, I guess.’
‘Well, big changes are coming.’
‘What do you mean?’
The woman stood, brushing crumbs from her clothes. ‘Exactly that.’ She reached up to the back of her neck and removed the necklace. ‘Here. I think you should keep it.’
To have this flawless creature suddenly so close was strangely disconcerting. Her perfume was spicy and floral. Overpowering. Angel felt a prickling along her spine, as if a locust had been tipped inside her shirt and was crawling around on her skin. ‘No, I couldn’t. It’s—’
‘Oh, hush.’ The woman draped the necklace around Angel’s shoulders. ‘You can do anything you like. Life’s for living, and you never know how much longer you’ve got.’ Turning, she walked to the picnic area’s gate and let herself out.
Angel watched her disappear past the side of the diner. A few seconds later an engine roared and a black Chevrolet Chevelle, with two white stripes painted on the hood, accelerated hard down the road, leaving a cloud of tyre smoke.
Now, sitting on the rock beside Regan, watching the moonlight rippling on the water, listening to the sounds of a radio playing inside someone’s RV, Angel found herself wondering who the blond-haired woman had been, and where she had been going.
Big changes are coming.
‘You know, my dad can be kind of a geek,’ Regan said. ‘But he’s OK. If you give him a chance.’
‘I know.’
‘For what it’s worth, he loves your mom.’
‘I can see that. I can see he’s good for her.’
‘But?’
Angel shrugged. ‘I’m not sure there is one.’
Regan reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘That’s good. Because I—’ The girl stopped.
‘Because you what?’
‘Keep your voice down. Look .’
Angel raised her head, and that was when she saw the bear. The animal was on their side of the river, following the curve of the bank directly towards their boulder. It swung its muzzle from left to right as it approached, its head like a bullet between its shoulders.
Fear slid into her, squeezing her lungs.
‘Stand up,’ Regan whispered, and Angel could tell she was scared too. ‘Remember what Dad said. Let’s back up a bit. I don’t think it’s seen us.’
Angel pushed herself to her feet, willing her sneakers not to slip on the wet rock. Their RV was only fifty yards away. But the bear was closer. She heard it grunting now - a sound like a saw cutting timber.
It paused. Raised its snout to the moon. Lowered its head and stared at them.
‘OK, we’re leaving,’ Regan said.
‘Should we shout at it?’
‘Do you want to?’
‘No. I don’t think
Angel flinched, impaled by all that human beauty concentrated purely on her. It felt like staring into a supernova. She felt compelled to say something. ‘I like your necklace,’ was all she managed.
‘Thanks,’ the woman replied. Her voice was deep, far richer than Angel had expected. Stupid, but those green eyes seemed to reach inside her head, reading every thought she’d ever spun.
‘How are the pastries?’ she asked, and winced. Such a dumb question.
The woman laughed. ‘I need to brush up on my table manners, huh?’ She inclined her head towards the front of the building. ‘Did you arrive in the RV?’
Angel nodded.
‘Big family. Are they really all your brothers and sisters?’
‘Two of them. The others . . . they’re my mom’s boyfriend’s kids.’
‘Where are you headed?’
‘Yosemite first. For some bonding time.’ She heard the childish derision in her voice, and instantly regretted it. ‘Then on to Vegas.’
‘You don’t want to go?’
‘I . . .’ Angel shrugged. ‘I don’t know what I want.’
‘Feels like a big change.’
‘Yeah, I guess.’
‘Well, big changes are coming.’
‘What do you mean?’
The woman stood, brushing crumbs from her clothes. ‘Exactly that.’ She reached up to the back of her neck and removed the necklace. ‘Here. I think you should keep it.’
To have this flawless creature suddenly so close was strangely disconcerting. Her perfume was spicy and floral. Overpowering. Angel felt a prickling along her spine, as if a locust had been tipped inside her shirt and was crawling around on her skin. ‘No, I couldn’t. It’s—’
‘Oh, hush.’ The woman draped the necklace around Angel’s shoulders. ‘You can do anything you like. Life’s for living, and you never know how much longer you’ve got.’ Turning, she walked to the picnic area’s gate and let herself out.
Angel watched her disappear past the side of the diner. A few seconds later an engine roared and a black Chevrolet Chevelle, with two white stripes painted on the hood, accelerated hard down the road, leaving a cloud of tyre smoke.
Now, sitting on the rock beside Regan, watching the moonlight rippling on the water, listening to the sounds of a radio playing inside someone’s RV, Angel found herself wondering who the blond-haired woman had been, and where she had been going.
Big changes are coming.
‘You know, my dad can be kind of a geek,’ Regan said. ‘But he’s OK. If you give him a chance.’
‘I know.’
‘For what it’s worth, he loves your mom.’
‘I can see that. I can see he’s good for her.’
‘But?’
Angel shrugged. ‘I’m not sure there is one.’
Regan reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘That’s good. Because I—’ The girl stopped.
‘Because you what?’
‘Keep your voice down. Look .’
Angel raised her head, and that was when she saw the bear. The animal was on their side of the river, following the curve of the bank directly towards their boulder. It swung its muzzle from left to right as it approached, its head like a bullet between its shoulders.
Fear slid into her, squeezing her lungs.
‘Stand up,’ Regan whispered, and Angel could tell she was scared too. ‘Remember what Dad said. Let’s back up a bit. I don’t think it’s seen us.’
Angel pushed herself to her feet, willing her sneakers not to slip on the wet rock. Their RV was only fifty yards away. But the bear was closer. She heard it grunting now - a sound like a saw cutting timber.
It paused. Raised its snout to the moon. Lowered its head and stared at them.
‘OK, we’re leaving,’ Regan said.
‘Should we shout at it?’
‘Do you want to?’
‘No. I don’t think
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