Page 80 of It Happened on the Lake

“Well, you did.”

“I’m sorry.”

Mollified somewhat, her ruffled feathers smoothed, Dawn asked, “And you’re sure you’re okay?” She actually sounded concerned.

“Beat up and bruised, but yeah, I’ll be fine. No permanent damage.” Again, that was a bit of a lie. After witnessing the horror of what happened to Cynthia Hunt, Harper doubted she’d ever be the same. She changed the subject. “So, how’reyoudoing?”

“Oh, fine, I guess.”

“School?”

“I said, ‘fine.’ But you know, it’s school.”

“College. More fun than high school.”

“If you say so. How does Jinx like it on the island? I bet he loves it.”

Harper’s stomach knotted. Oh God, no. She forced a lilt to her voice. “He’s getting used to the place. Exploring.” Notexactlya lie.

“Is he making friends with any of Great-Grandma’s cats?”

Dawn had heard stories.

“Oh no. Those cats are long gone, I’m afraid,” Harper said and glanced out the window to the front of the house and the rose garden where so many of Gram’s favorite felines had their final resting place.

“So sad.”

“It was a long time ago. So,” Harper said, “are we good now?”

“You and me? I guess. But I’m still pissed off—er, ticked off that you didn’t call me when you ended up in the hospital. And you would be, too, if it were the other way around. It’s not like I’m five, you know. I’m a grown-up.”

Not quite, Harper thought but nodded to herself and said, “Point taken.”

“And I told Dad.”

Harper froze at the mention of Joel. “You didn’t.”

“He has the right to know.”

Did he? Harper didn’t think so. She suddenly wanted to throttle her kid. She closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. “We’re divorced,” she reminded Dawn.

“I know. But he still loves you.”

Harper bit back a sharp response to that. Dawn, of course, didn’t know the ins and outs of her parents’ marriage and wasn’t privy to the lies and truth of it all. She probably never would be.

“We’re still a family,” Dawn said a little more loudly. “That’s what you told me.”

Harper winced at that. “Yeah, I remember.”

“So he should know.”

Even though he’s with his girlfriend?Harper bit her tongue. There was no reason to bring Melanie into the conversation. “I just don’t want him, or you, to worry. Nothing serious happened to me last night,” Harper insisted with conviction, despite the fact that the headache was thundering and her chin was throbbing and she was dead on her feet.

“Sure.” Dawn didn’t sound convinced. “I’ll talk to you soon. And you can call me anytime. You don’t have to leave a message on the machine. I’ve got a pager, and the number is—”

“Wait! A pager?” Harper repeated. “Like what doctors use or . . . or drug dealers?”

“No! I mean, well, yeah, probably. I don’t know. But everyone’s starting to get them here at school. And they work great. Through a service, but it’s cool.”

---