Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“That’s why she locked her door,” Emily said, looking sad. “I got on her about that, and now I feel terrible.”
Bodhi shook his head. “No. She didn’t tell you. There was no way for you to know. But it says a lot that her conviction was so strong, she risked your anger for her own safety. Most seven-year-olds aren’t so self-assured,” he told Keith. “You and Meredith are good parents.”
“Meredith certainly is,” Angela snapped.
“Oh, fuck off,” Keith railed at her, getting up and walking around the other side of the couch. “You don’t think I feel like shit enough?”
“You get to see her twice a year, Keith. Once in the summer, once at Christmas, and when you do, you bring your fuckin’ bimbo along instead of making your kid your entire focus? What the hell is that?” she shouted, getting up to face him. “Did you hear her tell that nice lady detective that if she didn’t play with him, he was gonna play with Margo? That’s my kid!” she roared at him. “Your daughter was protecting her cousin while you were out on the fucking lake with your fucking whore!”
“Giles is the one who brought him here. Why isn’t he in trouble?” he bellowed back.
“Giles had no goddamn clue, but you know what? Giles fuckin’ watches his kids! So does Josie, and so do I! You were the only one who wasn’t here, so guess which kid the sexual predator went after.”
It was really loud, and everyone was up and on their feet, more husbands and wives coming inside, so I stood and walked outside in the sun as all the kids dove into the pool. Everyone was screaming, and no one was making sure nobody was drowning. In their defense, though, all the kids were swimming underwater, doing laps, racing, and they were all like fish. I was impressed. I couldn’t swim at all when I was their general age.
“Jed! Are you watching?” Stella yelled.
“I’m watchin’,” I assured her, moving an Adirondack chair close to the edge so I could see her underwater.
Pretty soon all the kids were calling my name, and then they were throwing the beach balls out of the pool and I had to run and get them and throw them back in. They all squealed when I told them they had better look out for sharks.
“There are no sharks in a pool,” explained Thomas, very worldly and wise at six—he told me how old he was right off the bat.
“What if the bottom breaks open and a shark gets in?”
He shook his head like I was stupid. “Sharks can’t be in chlorine or fresh water. Everybody knows that.”
“Chlorine, I’ll give you, but you’re wrong about fresh water. Bull sharks can live in rivers and lakes. Look it up.”
He got out of the water and consulted his tablet; eight other kids were hanging on to the side of the pool, waiting for whatever he was going to say.
“What’s happening?” Angela asked as she joined me.
“Shhh,” I hushed her. “Thomas is looking something up.”
She sighed deeply and took hold of my bicep. “Thank you again, Jed, for checking on everyone. I promise that tomorrow you can relax and be off kid duty.”
I shrugged. “They’re all right. Which ones are yours, Angela?”
“Call me Angie, and Thomas is mine,” she replied, chuckling. “He was well named, as he doubts everything and never takes a word I say as gospel. Brandon, right there, who’s five, and my baby, Margo, who’s four.”
“No shit? Four?”
She nodded quickly.
“Man, she swims amazing for only being four.”
“Yes,” she agreed, dissolving into tears and leaning into me.
I put an arm around her and pulled her close. “Listen, he’s gone, and let’s face it, you were out here, watching, I saw you. And you weren’t doing it because you thought some piece of filth like Luke Stoker was here and you had to protect your kids from him, but just because pool, water, lakefront, stupid stone benches they could run into and—”
“I know,” she gasped, lifting her head, her gaze locking on mine. “The hell is with all the stone shit?”
I grinned at her. “Plus, I figure you like them, even though Thomas is really annoying,” I said, raising my voice on purpose so her son could hear.
He growled at me, which was adorable, and then groaned as he lifted his head.
“Well?” I baited him.
“Yeah, okay, fine. You’re right. They can live in fresh water, and they’ve even found some in the Mississippi River.”
“Told you.”
“But the pool won’t crack,” he said arrogantly.
“You’re a construction engineer, are you?”
He crossed his little arms and scowled at me.
“I would check for any fissures, because we don’t know what’s in that lake.”
They all turned and looked at the water.
“Oh my God, you’re so bad.” Angela laughed, stepping free but taking hold of my hand. “I can’t wait until my husband gets here tonight so he can meet you.”