Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Every few feet, Skyla would tell them to gather around, and she'd stretch her arm for a selfie, complaining enough about the angle until Kiel took the phone from her. Being tall had its perks, but it also had its drawbacks. This was one of them.
Kiel ignored the “stay on the trail” signs and followed everyone else as they climbed onto the rocks. The waves were larger, angrier. They crashed into the massive boulders with such ferocity and speed, no one would be able to survive if they were hit by one.
“Don't you dare go down there!” His mother's voice boomed over the sound of the ocean. He thought about testing her. Kiel wanted to see what she would do if he, an adult, went to where the water and rocks met.
And then Ciara was by his side.
Kiel sighed. He would never put her or Skyla in harm’s way.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and told her to pose. She leaned in and grinned.
“Send it to me?”
He did as she asked and then took a series of photos of the area.
“I think Mom and Dad are looking at places here.”
Ciara's statement caught him off guard. “Why do you say that?”
She shrugged. “I heard Dad on the phone asking about payments.”
Kiel knew otherwise but couldn’t tell his sister she was wrong. Their parents would have to break the news to the twins eventually.
“It'd be nice to have a summer home.”
“Yeah, it would.” He could definitely get on board with that. Especially at the beach. He much preferred sand over snow. Sun over dreary skies. He was getting ahead of himself. His parents weren’t looking to buy a house here. Ciara likely heard their father talking to his commanding officer about relocation expenses.
“Can you imagine Dad as a landlord?”
“Nope.” Kiel laughed. Emmett Collier liked control.
Ciara and Kiel continued to climb along the rocks, while the other members of their family walked the path. Kiel pointed at an opening in one of the rock formations and told his sister to look.
“I don't think I've ever seen a starfish in the wild.” Ciara got her phone out and took some photos.
“Me neither. Should we tell Skyla?”
“No,” Ciara said instantly. “She'll whine about breaking a nail or something.”
Kiel laughed and agreed with her. As much as he loved his sister, Skyla could be a pain in his ass.
They went as far as they could and finally climbed back to the top. Their mother gave them a once-over, checking for any bumps, scrapes or bruises, and declared her children alive and well before they made their way back to the car.
On the drive back to Seaport, once they reached the summit of the bridge, Kiel could see the pier—well, one of them—where he had run into Eloise the day before. He sighed. Unfortunately, it was audibly loud and caught his dad's attention.
“You should go out.” Although the statement was directed at Kiel, Skyla spoke up.
“Oh, that would be fun.”
“For Kiel,” their dad said. “You're a minor.”
She opened her mouth to say something but closed it just as fast. Kiel stifled his laughter as best he could.
“I'm sure she has a fake ID, Emmett. All the kids do these days.”
The silence in the car was deafening. Kiel could hear his heartbeat, right along with Skyla's. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she had a fake ID. He did at her age. It was like a rite of passage.
“And if she does, I don't want to hear about it,” Emmett gruffed out, signaling for the first exit.
“I think you're right, Dad. I might go out later.” By later, Kiel meant now. Each time he had run into Eloise, she was packing up for the day. He wanted to see her before she disappeared for the day.
They drove along the narrow, one-way streets that were lined with houses built too close to the roads. A few were for sale and Kiel wondered if what Ciara told him earlier was true—were his parents looking to buy a second home? Part of him hoped so. He liked the idea of having a place to vacation. But that niggling thought in the back of his mind told him otherwise.
Their mom commented on almost every house and how quaint and historic they were. Except when they drove a few blocks away and the houses changed, her tone did as well. “See, these houses look too modern,” Mom said. “I think I'd want one of the historical homes. Something with history that we can talk about when people come over.”
“They're probably haunted,” Ciara said. “Think of all the soldiers and pirates that have come through here.”
Skyla elbowed Ciara. “Hush.”
“She's not wrong,” Kiel mumbled and leaned forward. “There's a ghost tour in Seaport. Do you want to do it?” he asked Ciara, who nodded. Skyla either didn't believe in the supernatural or was terrified of things that go bump in the night.