Page 59 of Strangers She Knows

Kellen signaled Max with wide eyes and a shake of her head.

Max walked around the desk and took Olympia’s arm. “Let me prep the helicopter for flight and tell the Di Lucas in Bella Terra I’ll be coming in to their airport. Are you packed?”

Olympia snapped back into her usual brisk mode. “I am packed. Your lunch has been made and is in the refrigerator—sandwiches, a vegetable plate with appropriate dips and a refrigerator cake. I made bread. It’s in the freezer. The ham is sliced, separated, vacuum-sealed and frozen in servings appropriate for the three of you. Each container of soup is marked and holds four servings—Rae is eating like a stevedore. I have not left you to go hungry!”

Kellen stepped forward. “Olympia, that’s wonderful. Thank you so much for your service, and I hope when you reach the mainland, you’ll no longer be haunted by the ghosts of the past.”

“Puleaze. I’m not haunted, I just…” Olympia lifted her chin. “I don’t like living in an old house where unhappiness walks the halls.” She said it as if that made total sense.

Kellen nodded as if she understood.

Max said, “Then we can go.”

“Right now,” Olympia answered.

When Max and Olympia were out of the house, Rae sneaked around from the corner where she’d been hiding and grabbed Kellen in a tight hug. “Mommy, are we going to starve to death?”

Kellen chuckled. “No, dear, it sounds as if Olympia left us with plenty of food prepared.”

“But I’m eating like a stevedore.”

“Do you know what a stevedore is?”

“No. What?”

Kellen didn’t say anything.

Rae sighed in disgust. “I’ll look it up. In the dictionary.” She made it sound like a dirty word. “But when the food runs out, then what? Daddy can barely make a PB and J and you can’t cook.”

Stung, Kellen said, “I can. I can Army cook. I can open cans.”

“I hate tuna fish.”

Kellen smoothed Rae’s bangs off her forehead and thought she needed them trimmed, and knew she couldn’t do it. She would never trust herself with scissors so close to Rae’s eyes. “I know.”

“And your hand is better, but you can’t use a knife. That’s final.”

The kid could be bossy. “This probably changes our plans, but not right away. We’ll talk when Daddy gets back, figure out our next move.”

“Maybe go home?”

“To Yearning Sands? Do you want to?”

Rae squirmed. “Yes. No. I don’t know. I like it here.”

“I like it here, too.”

“But I miss it there.”

“I miss it, too.”

They heard the helicopter hum, and walked to the window to watch the R44 rise off the ground and zoom toward the mainland.

Rae slipped her hand into Kellen’s. “It’s scarier out here without Daddy.”

“Yes. But even with a bad hand, I can protect you,” Kellen promised. “I’m a heck of a fighter.”

“I’m learning, too!” Although Rae hated boxing lessons as much as Kellen hated piano lessons. “I didn’t mean we’d have to fight anyone. I just meant it felt lonelier.” Rae hesitated, looked at Kellen, looked out the window, looked at Kellen. “There’s something I wish I could…”

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