Page 12 of Strangers She Knows

Isla Paraíso: a wedge-shaped island covered in golden grasses that rippled in the eternal west wind. The wide end of the wedge lay to the east, where a series of pocket beaches glowed with soft sands and gentle waves. From there the island rose, a strong slope ascending to the west side where high cliffs dropped into the aggressive ocean. The surf there ripped and roared in constant fury, trying to bring down the rock that dared challenge it.

Rae scooted forward as far as her seat belt would let her to gaze out the window.

Max dipped down as they got closer and took a wide circuit that offered a bird’s-eye view. “The geologists tell us that this massive hunk of rock separated from the coast and drifted out to sea.” His voice was warm and instructive. “But they don’t know why.”

Listening to him, Kellen smiled and relaxed. He was such a nerd. He knew a lot about the things he loved, and he loved geology, loved the earth’s movements and earthquakes and volcanoes that had created his family’s Mediterranean homeland and America’s West Coast.

He began a wide circle around the island. “See there? The caves dug into the cliffs, facing west? Those are the World War II military installations that watched for a Japanese invasion. The military burrowed into the cliffs with dynamite and concrete. Some of the caves have collapsed, but I’ve heard some are still there and you can still go down and sit in the watch rooms and scan for submarines and planes.”

“Wasn’t World War II like a thousand years ago?” Rae asked.

“A thousand years ago, like when Grandma was born,” Max said with a straight face.

“Max,” Kellen said.

“That’s what I thought.” Rae believed him.

“Max!” Kellen said.

He grinned at her, then faced forward again.

As the helicopter flew over a stand of redwoods, a herd of deer fled the sanctuary of the branches and galloped through the grasses.

Their beauty made Kellen’s breath catch.

Max said, “The environmentalists want the Di Lucas to turn this island into a wildlife sanctuary. Isla Paraíso is twenty-four square miles of unique plants, birds and mammals. There are species on the island that exist nowhere else in the world. Every year we have an intern come from UC San Diego to catalog the birds, animals and marine life.” He hovered above a cluster of rocks near one of the eastern beaches. “He camps there, in Paradise Cove. It puts him close to his work and it’s protected from the worst of the winds.”

“I assume he’s got a tent to keep off the rains?” Kellen asked.

“Yes, but it’s California in the summer. It doesn’t rain very often. That’s one of the main challenges.” Max followed the coast north. “There’s no water on the island, no wells or springs. The main house and the caretaker’s cottage both have cisterns that collect rainfall, and filtration systems that make it drinkable. Usually the winter brings enough water to fill those cisterns, but in the drought years we’ve had to bring water over from the coast. The island drops right off into the ocean. There’s no harbor. The water around it is deep. Hiring someone who can maneuver in close enough to offloadanythingis a challenge. You can imagine what it all costs.”

Actually, Kellen couldn’t imagine a number that high.

Max continued, “Turning this into a resort, even one that specializes in guests who care about rare wildlife and birds, is a risky proposition.”

Rae asked, “Is that why we’re here? To check out the island and make a decision?”

“That’s one reason,” Max acknowledged. “The Di Luca family believes a wildlife sanctuary is a strong possibility, for practical as well as ecological reasons.”

“So youdidn’tbring me here just to pick on me?” Rae asked.

Kellen turned and grinned at her. “That’s the other reason.”

Rae grinned back.

Ever since her meltdown, Rae hadmostlybeen her usual lovely, funny, charming self. They’d left Yearning Sands Resort and traveled to Bella Terra, California, to the Di Luca Winery in Pennsylvania, to Italy, Morocco, Spain, Mongolia—all in the space of three weeks, assuming Kellen had figured the time zones right—and then zoomed straight to Eureka, California, where they had picked up one of the Di Luca helicopters and flown to the island. Rae had clearly considered that her parents had lost their minds for creating such an agenda, but she’d treated them with warmth. It was as if the surge of hormones had retreated, leaving her sensible again.

At the same time, Kellen was constantly braced for the next outburst.

Max confessed he thought Rae had realized how absurd her tantrum was, and wouldn’t repeat it.

Kellen did not snort. Not out loud. But privately she thought Max was the master of wishful thinking.

“We’ll hang you by your thumbs every evening,” Max promised.

“Daddy, stop it!” Rae said with humor.

“The caretakers live there.” He dipped down again, toward the bottom end of the island, toward a cottage built sometime after World War II.

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