Page 106 of Uncharted

“Italian food, gnocchi with extra bread,” Calvin says.

“Brussels sprouts fried in maple syrup with pecans.” Sam squeezes my hand. I forgot we talked about brussels sprouts on one of the first days. I can still taste the way my mother made them.

“Brussels sprouts? That’s good to know, Sassy.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re all wrong,” I say, blinking up at them.

“Really? What is it then, Haley?” Sam pulls me all the way onto his chest.

“Here, right now. Comforting me in the storm. Showing me how you’ve listened to my endless drivel about food. What I like. Because I would like all those places. Rome, Paris, Morocco, Maine?—”

Zane cuts me off. “What about you, Calvin? You didn’t say where?”

“I can’t say now. But when we get the engines running and get back to the mainland, any mainland, I’ll just have to take Chiefie there.” He winks a green eye at me.

There’s another flash of lightning, but it is far off in the distance. The storm will pass soon. Zane hands me a cloth from the cleaning cubby he made last week. And Easton reaches up, getting my sleeping clothes. Zane and Calvin move around, cracking open the louvers, and the post-storm breeze blows in. It’s going to be a good night for sleeping.

The guys were all so wonderful, so kind, loving, but that horrible little gremlin in the back of my brain clicks on. It’s the feeling ofI left the stove onorI left the car running, but this is far, far worse: How can this last when we get home? When they have the rest of the world of girls to choose from?

Chapter46

Buried Treasure

Easton

My gut clenches. It’s Haley’s turn to stay at camp with Pepper and Penny, and none of us like the idea of her staying here by herself for the day. Every time her turn has come around, we have made up an excuse to have one of the guys stay with her.

Haley walks away from the treehouse down to the outhouse, and Zane turns to me and asks. “You want to stay?” I’ve been helping with the wiring, but that’s almost done. Really, Dante’s a bigger help with the things they’re doing down in the engine room. I do know how to swab an engine room floor now. Although, now that the crash patch has been fixed again, there’s hardly anything to mop up. “Yeah, I’ll stay with her. But we need an explanation.”

“I’ve got you,” Dante says.

I cock my head at him. “And?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I wasn’t worried, but now I am. I sit in one of the director’s chairs we’ve brought over from the yacht and sip at a cup of island tea—leaves from the pandan plant that Haley found a few weeks ago. It’s not coffee, but that’s long gone. We’ve all gone through caffeine withdrawal a second time. And honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever pick it up again. But I’ve come to like the pandan plant’s vanilla-like flavor.

Haley’s light footsteps patter back down the trail. She loops her arm around my shoulder. “How’s the tea?”

I lean over and kiss her cheek. “It’s good.” It’s not a classic tea, more like warm, flavored water. But I’ve become quite fond of it. I pull her into my lap, and she nuzzles into my neck.

“I’ll miss you today,” she murmurs.

I give her a squeeze and wait for this grand plan of Dante’s, the one he hasn’t shared with us yet. He has cleaned the counter and has the fire going in the wood stove. His back is turned to Haley and me when he sighs loudly. I cock my head at him because there’s no way she’s not going to see through his middle school drama performance.

Haley gets up from my lap. Dante better pull his plan off. She puts her hand on Dante’s shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Getting set up to smoke some fish for when we come back.”

“Okay, I’ve helped you a bunch of times. I’ll do it today.”

“Sassy, you should go to the Rock Candy for the day. I’ll stay.” What in the hell? He could have just said that to start with.

“And do what, exactly? Work on my tan? You’ve been helping with the engine. It’s my turn to stay at camp and keep watch. With the new viewing platform that Zane made, I can do it. I can even drive the WaveRunner now.” She turns to Zane. “I did a good job last week, didn’t I?”

“You did, but...” Zane runs his hand through his hair. Calvin and Sam were on the ship last night. Calvin’s been working nonstop in the engine room. He’s not close to getting it going. At least, that’s what he says. But he’s closer than he was back in September.

“Oh no, not you too? What if I want to hang with the girls and have a spa day? Just me, Pepper, and Penny.” Haley purses her lips at Zane.

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