Page 27 of Summer Ever After
“I’m sorry, other than Trey and Mrs. Graham, I haven’t seen anyone else today.”
She checked her sports watch, pulled her phone from where it had been tucked in her bra, and typed what looked to be a very aggressive message. “If you see him, tell him he’s in shit.”
I didn’t expect to see any of the Starling family that day, or ever. I nodded. “I will pass it on.”
“Thanks.” She turned on her heel and stared at her phone as she walked away.
Holding my breath, I stood frozen, waiting until she was gone to get back to work. She stopped at the door and turned. “Do you know how to swim?”
“What?” The question seemed absurd.
“Swim.” She threw her hands up. “Or paddle a canoe?”
“I-I-I can do both.”
“Good.” She tucked her phone back into her bra and grabbed my forearm. “We need a fourth.”
She was a hell of a lot stronger than I expected and I trotted along a few steps behind her as she pulled me to the door. “A fourth for what?” I glued my feet to the floor like a reluctant horse and my arm slipped from her grip.
“We don’t have time for this. They’re starting the race soon. You’re going to be on my team.”
“Whoa. I held up my hand, the rag still clutched in my grip. I’m working. Mrs. Graham would kill me if I took a break to go…” I glanced out the window to the action across the bay. I wanted to say, have fun, but I wasn’t sure that’s what what’s her name Starling had in mind.
The blond held out her hand. “Give me your radio.”
I wanted to resist, but the woman in front of me was the heiress to the building I was currently scrubbing, so I unclipped the radio and handed it to her. “Faye,” she barked into the radio.
“cottage keeper’s Base.” Mrs. Graham’s voice came through the small speaker.
“This is Jessica. I’m stealing…” she clicked off the radio. “What’s your name?” I opened my mouth to say Daisy but instead heard my voice as though it had come from someone else’s mouth other than my own. “Rosie.”
“Rosie.” The girl I now knew to be Jessica Starling spoke into the radio. “We need a fourth for the relay and I’m taking her with me. I’ll have her back in an hour or two.”
An hour or two would be the end of the work day. If we ran longer, I could be late for my last shift at the factory. The silence from the radio filled the room while Jessica tapped her finger on the radio. “There’s no way that Mrs. Graham is going to give me the afternoon off.” I crossed my arms, waiting for confirmation of my assessment to come through the small piece of electronics.
“Have her back before Trey goes home. I don’t want her to miss her ride.”
My mouth gaped open. “I’m not wearing…” I gestured to my shorts and Starling Estate golf shirt – a bathing suit.”
“You’ll be in the canoe with me then.” She jogged to the deck and held open the door. “Come on Rosie. It will be fun.”
Fun. Something that I hadn’t had in a long time. “Fuck it,” I whispered and tossed the rag onto the dresser.
Jessica laughed. “I like your style.”
“I didn’t think that you could hear me.” I grimaced.
“FUCK IT,” Jessica screamed and threw her arms back, shouting into the blue sky. “Let’s go win this thing, Rosie.”
She sprinted down the stairs and I followed, the soles of my sneakers smacking on the boards of the dock as I followed Jessica to the boat at the end of the dock. I kicked off my shoes, leaving them on the dock as I hopped into the wakeboard boat behind Jessica.
The wind whipped in our ponytails as Jessica pressed the throttle of the boat to the maximum. The engine growled and within minutes we were moored to a dock next to the staging area for the relay – the Windswan Lake version of a triathlon. A sailboat, a swim, and a canoe race. “Amanda and Ramona are out there.” Jessica pointed to the little sailboat with the blue sail. The boats had rounded the further buoy and were headed back to shore. “This is Jenny.” Jessica introduced me to a tiny girl with a pink swim cap on her head and shoulders that told me she’d done her fair share of laps at the pool. “This is Rosie.”
“Hi, Rosie.” Her friend shook my hand and her eyes flitted from my face to the embroidered Starling Estate Staff emblem on my shirt. She raised her eyebrows at Jessica. “Your brother bailed?”
“I couldn’t find him. Don’t worry, Rosie is an experienced paddler. Right?” Jessica elbowed me.
Jessica had no idea what level of paddler she’d recruited. Luckily, I’d spent many years at camp and we’d done back-country canoe trips deep into the wilderness. “I…” My voice cracked again. Why was I nervous? I cleared my throat. “I’m going to win this race for you two.”
