Page 15 of No More Words

Josh lowers his hands and opens his eyes. “Thank ... you.”

She sighs, feeling small because she keeps upsetting him. She slides her phone aside and stuffs a cold fry in her mouth. “You’re welcome.” His lip twitches as if he’s fighting a smile and in him, she sees Lucas. How vibrant was Josh before his accident? Was he like Lucas was as a kid, a rebellious jokester you couldn’t help but love? She wishes she’d met Josh before today.

CHAPTER 5

Summer of ’97

Olivia was up early, the gray dawn sky visible through the trees. Birds chattered, flitting around the branches. A thin coat of dew sheened the metal dock, the air damp and crisp. She wore a sweatshirt to ward off the chill. As soon as the sun broke over the lake, warming the earth, she would ditch the layer, tossing it over a deck rail until the evening when the temperature dropped and stars brightened. From sunup to sundown, she spent her days in her bathing suit. But not today. It was the first full day of their third six-week summer break at the Whitmans’ cabin. This morning Mr.Whitman was taking them on a survival hike, a mandatory excursion if she, Blaze, Lucas, and Tyler wanted to hike in the surrounding forest without him or Mrs.Whitman.

Olivia sat in the hammock, her legs dangling over the side, a sketch pad in her lap. While waiting for the boys to finish breakfast, she’d started drawing Lily as a baby but added a cape and metal wristbands. Her Lily could fly. She was stronger than any of them put together. And her temper tantrum screams could fight evil by breaking windows.

She giggled. Lily didn’t need super screams to shatter glass. Her fit last night when she’d learned she couldn’t hike with them rattled their ears. Olivia stuck a pinkie in her ear and wiggled it around. Hereardrum still itched. Lily had shrieked directly in her ear when she carried her little sister around, patting her back, trying to calm her down while Mrs.Whitman tried to assure Lily they’d have just as much fun waiting for Olivia and the boys to return.

Olivia toed the ground with her brand-new hiking boots, rocking back and forth. Dwight bought her and Lucas pairs after she blew out her sneakers three weeks into last summer’s stay.

The back door slid closed and Mr.Whitman bounded off the deck shouldering an overstuffed backpack. Blaze, Lucas, and Tyler, wearing the ratty old T-shirts Mr.Whitman gave them because he had plans for the shirts and didn’t want them ruining their own, followed like weary soldiers who’d been up all night. Lucas hadn’t bothered to comb out his cowlicks. She could see a line of white scalp on the back of his head from where his hair swept to the side.

“Ready, Olivia?” Mr.Whitman asked as he passed her on the way to the shore.

“Ready!” She tossed aside her pencil and pad of paper and started to get up. Blaze launched himself onto the hammock, knocking her back. He hugged her waist, keeping her in the hammock.

“It’s too early,” he whined. “Tell him we want to go tomorrow. He’ll listen to you, Livy.”

“No way.” She, too, was exhausted. They’d stayed up well past midnight, playing card games and giggling in the center ring of their tent star. But she was also excited for this adventure. She read a survival guide on the way up yesterday just for this hike.

“You’re mean.” Blaze squeezed her tight, holding on as she tried to maneuver her way out of the hammock. His Aquafresh toothpaste breath tickled her nose. She loved the scent on him. She asked her mom to buy the same toothpaste when they returned home last summer. It reminded her of Blaze and the good times they had on the lake.

She smiled brightly.

“What?” Blaze asked, eyes narrowing. He was wise to wonder if she was up to something. She dug her fingers into his ribs. He grunted and squirmed, squeezing into a ball, fending her off with his hands. “Stop!”

Olivia laughed and rolled off the hammock. The sun had popped through the trees and she was already feeling warm. She pulled off the sweatshirt, dropping it on Blaze’s face, and straightened the large shirt Mr.Whitman had loaned her.

“Get over here, kids,” Mr.Whitman ordered, lake water lapping the heels of his boots.

Blaze groaned and rolled from the hammock. The four of them circled his dad like hatchlings waiting to be fed. She loved how engaged the Whitmans were with their kids, so unlike her parents, who never seemed to have time to interact with them. Except her dad. He spent time with her, usually in his office while he worked. He’d let her sit at his desk and do her homework while he paced the room, making calls.

“Only two rules for today,” Mr.Whitman began, showing them two fingers. “Listen and follow orders. You’ll learn, we’ll have fun, and we’ll be back before lunch.”

“Yes.” Lucas pumped his arm. “Dibs on the blue kayak.”

“You had it yesterday,” Tyler whined.

“Because I’m older, and you’re a baby.” He knocked Tyler’s shoulder.

“Am not.” Tyler knocked him back. He was a year younger than Lucas but just as tall.

Mr.Whitman cleared his throat. “Listen up, kids. I left five empty water bottles lying around. Go find them.”

It was a race. They took off in four directions. Blaze found a plastic bottle first. Olivia located one in the bushes. They all met back at the shore.

“Everyone have their pocketknives on them?” Mr.Whitman had given them the knives at dinner last night with explicit instructions on how to use them. Olivia pulled hers from her shorts pocket. Theyshowed him their knives. “Good. We’re going to cut the bottles here and make cups.” His finger marked a spot on the bottle. “Watch me first.” He cut off the base, about a third of the way up the bottle. “See? You try.”

Tyler needed help. Lucas took a while, but he finally made a jagged cut. Olivia and Blaze finished at the same time and showed Mr.Whitman their cups.

“What are we doing with these?” Olivia asked.

“Who knows what a compass is?”

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