by Bev Prescott
“I need you to help me convince your father to close the island to protect the eagles. When I was out today studying them, a group of people showed up to camp. Human activity on the island is too close to the eagles. It’s too much of a disturbance, especially for a new pair nesting on the island. In fact, it would be best if we could set buoys as well so boats don’t go within two hundred feet of it.”
“I’m sorry, Zoe. James will never agree, and he has all the influence over my father. I don’t have any. Isn’t there anything the government can require?”
“Yes, but unfortunately, it would take a lot of time to put everything in place. Without notice being posted, people just going onto the island very likely wouldn’t be considered a crime unless they got caught doing something egregiously harmful to the eagles. Any harm would otherwise be a civil violation, and since the bald eagle is no longer on the state’s rare species protection list, the state doesn’t have any jurisdiction. By the time I could convince our federal counterparts who have jurisdiction to do anything about it, it might be too late.”
Zoe pulled a photograph out of her pocket and handed it to Alex. “I took this of the eaglets a couple of days ago. You could show it to your father, and maybe he can see the importance of protecting them.”
Alex studied the photo of the two eaglet siblings in the nest. It hurt to think of something so precious suffering because of human selfishness. Why anyone would want to use the island with them there was beyond her comprehension. “They look darker than when I saw them last.” She handed the photo back to Zoe. “They’re beautiful.”
“Yes, they’re starting to replace their gray down with feathers that are more conducive to flying. Please, we at least have to try,” Zoe said.
“James will refuse. I have no doubt about that, especially if I’m the one asking. Alumni of the camp who donate lots of money use the island every year. It’s never been closed.”
“I’m not asking you to get James’s permission. Go over his head and get your father’s. It’s his camp.”
“I’m the last person my father will listen to.”
“Now, wait a minute.” Sally raised her voice. “Daniel may be difficult in a lot of ways, but I’ve never known him to be cold-hearted toward wildlife. Why don’t you at least try to talk to him? It might do you both some good for you to ask something of him for a change.”
“We’ll ask him together,” Zoe said. “Maybe between the two of us, he won’t be able to refuse.”
“No.” Alex wasn’t able to keep her urgency in check. “That’s okay. I’ll talk to him myself. It might be better.” She didn’t want to have to suffer the embarrassment of Zoe witnessing Daniel’s typical treatment of her. “I’ll try.”
“Good girl,” Sally said. “My advice would be to catch him when he’s in a good mood.”
“Today’s probably as good as any for him to be in better spirits,” Alex said. “There’s a dance tonight for the campers, and he said something about doing some work in his shop this afternoon. Music and woodworking are two of his favorite things, and all in the same day.” She breathed in deep, thinking about asking him for anything, but it was for Zoe and the eaglets. How could she not?
“I really appreciate it.” Zoe smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I want to help the eagles too.” It was more than that. She wanted to make Zoe happy. “If you’re interested, the dances are always great fun. You should join us if you’re free.”
“Oh, what a wonderful idea,” Sally said. “You haven’t had a good time until you’ve danced to Alex playing the ukulele.”
Alex shrugged. “I don’t know about that. I haven’t played in years, and I’m not planning on it anytime soon.”
“I’ll go if you promise to play,” Zoe said.
“Just like I can’t promise to have success with my father agreeing to close the island, I can’t promise I’ll play. I’d certainly enjoy your company, though.”
“That’s enough for me. What time?” Zoe asked.
“Stop by around seven. We’ll be gathered at the campfire outside the main building.”
“See you then. Will you be there too, Sally?”
“You bet, honey. I never pass up a party.”
Alex laughed. “A party isn’t a party without you.”
“I’ll see you both tonight.” Zoe held up the book she and Sally had been enjoying. “Do you mind if I check this out?”
Sally beamed. “I love this girl. Of course not.”
Chapter 13
The high-pitched buzz of a table saw coming from the barn confirmed for Alex that her father was busy. Working with wood meant to him what running meant to her. It was how he relaxed. Growing up, she’d always been able to find him in his shop if he’d had a bad day or simply needed to be alone to decompress from the hustle and bustle of the camp.
She reached for the barn door. The smell of freshly cut hardwood wafted out as she opened it. The scent brought her back to happier times when Jake was still alive. They’d cook up all kinds of adventures after school, playing in the barn while their father puttered in his wood shop. Like clockwork every evening, her mother would interrupt them for dinner and grouse about how they left a trail of sawdust all over the kitchen floor.
Serving warm and healthy meals with a loving smile, her mother, Carolyn, never made anything she or Jake genuinely disliked. If they cleaned their plates, they could always count on Mom for a freshly baked dessert. Laughter and sharing stories from their respective days around the dinner table remained the happiest times of her life. In hindsight, those moments were nothing more than an illusion built on lies about the meaning of family.
Daniel looked up as he was about to slide a piece of reddish brown wood into the saw’s blade. Cut pieces were stacked on the bench behind him. He switched off the saw and removed his earplugs, connected by a strand of rubber around his neck. The whir of the blade slowed and went silent.
“That’s very nice cherry.” Alex stepped closer.
“Yes, it is. I’m glad you still remember the different types of wood.” He picked up the piece he’d been about to cut and handed it to her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a nicer board. The grain is remarkable. Got it over at Bilkes’s Lumber.”
Alex closed her eyes for a moment and lifted the piece of wood to her nose. Each type of wood had its own distinctive smell, and cherry’s was sweet and pleasant. “Mmm.” She opened her eyes and saw her father watching her with an almost wistful expression. She averted her gaze, ran her hand over the smoothly planed surface, and admired the undulating dark and light lines. “How is Mr. Bilkes?”
“He’s had better days. He had to give up managing the lumberyard. The damned arthritis got to be too much.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the bench. “He’s lucky, though. You remember Reed, his oldest son?”
“Yes, he was two grades below me in school.”
“The boy took over the business for his dad. Reed’s doing right by his father and is managing things like a pro. He’s a son any father could be proud of.”
Alex was not about to be baited into a discussion about her failings as a daughter or be compared to Reed Bilkes. She didn’t have anything against him, but how could it be fair to compare her to Reed? In school, all he’d ever talked about was working for his father when he graduated. He followed his dream. She still didn’t know what hers was.
She changed the subject. “What are you making?”
“Humph.” He shook his head and reached for the piece of wood he’d handed her. “A jewelry box for your mother’s birthday. I wanted to do something extra special for her. I hate seeing her so sad, trapped in a bed she’s never going to leave.” He turned his back on her, set the piece of wood on the stack of the others, and fiddled with a tool on his bench. He wiped his face with his shirtsleeve.
“She’ll love it,” Alex said.
“She’s too out of it to even notice.” His voice quivered. He pi
cked up a hand planer and turned around to face her. “I’m certain she’d know you, though. She asked about you the last time I visited her. She’s aware that you’re home.”
Daniel might as well have shaken her violently by the shoulders. Alex’s insides jangled as nervousness crept up the back of her neck. “I’m sorry. I’m not ready to see her.”
He studied her as if contemplating whether to argue. “I’m really busy. What do you need?”
“I want to talk with you about the eagles on the island.”
“What about them?”
“Zoe says that people using the island are disturbing them. The state can’t require that we close the island, but she thinks it would be the best thing in order to give the eaglets a fighting chance of making it.”
“Why didn’t she come ask me? Since when do you care about matters involving the camp anyway?” His tone hardened.
“I wanted to ask you myself.”
“Why?”
“Because I care about this. It matters to me. If you could see the eaglets, you’d understand. I’ve never been more moved by anything so beautiful. They need our help to at least get them through this summer.”
“What specifically does Zoe want us to do?”
“Put up No Trespassing signs and set buoys around the island so boats can’t get too close.”
“Do you have any idea what kind of stir that would cause?”
“Yes, but I think it would be even worse if we did nothing and the camp was blamed for the eagles dying. Instead, we could set an example for the community about being good stewards of the eagles. That’s always been the camp’s goal, right? To teach kids about doing the right thing. This could actually be a huge positive for us.”
James came into the barn. “Or a crazy debacle.” He stood next to Daniel. “I’m sorry, Alex. I shouldn’t have used such insensitive language. Sometimes I forget that you spent time in the hospital for a mental illness. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
Alex stared in disbelief at James’s gall, trying to use her breakdown when she was a teenager to create a wedge between her and her father. “Don’t be. It was a long time ago.” Anger at his blatant disrespect masked her vulnerability.
“Good. I can be blunt then. Closing the island would be a disaster in the making. The only reason we’re able to give scholarships to five percent of our campers who come from low-income families is because of the generosity of alumni. They ask nothing of us in return other than to use the island every summer as they always have.” He made eye contact with Daniel. “There’s a reason the island is affectionately known as Alumni Island.”
“Are you kidding me? If you didn’t waste so much of the camp’s money on expensive boats and that obnoxious P.A. system, you wouldn’t have to sell the eaglets out for donations.” Alex tried to keep her voice calm. “We used to give scholarships to a lot more kids than five percent. Where’s all the money gone?”
James pointed at her. “With all due respect, this camp is among the top ten in Maine. I must be doing something right with the way I’m managing things. You’ve been missing in action for years. Don’t think you can waltz in here and automatically hold sway over how I run the place. Your father hired me to do a job, and I intend to do it. The economy is a whole lot different now than when we were kids. We certainly can’t give the camp away like we used to. Every dollar of donations is needed.”
Alex looked to Daniel to say something. James was taking credit for what their family had built. Instead, he sat silently by. “This camp’s always been special,” she said, “even before you came along. And it will be when you’re finally gone.”
The unedited comment caught her by surprise. The men too, judging from their reactions. Daniel stood straighter and James glared at her.
James shifted so that his back was to her. He said, “Daniel, I know it must be tough for Alex to come home after all these years. I value her opinion. She is a Marcotte. However—”
“Don’t talk about me,” Alex shouted, “as if I’m no longer in the room. How dare you?”
“Please calm down.” James turned to her and said, barely above a whisper, “Obviously you’re still suffering from your anxiety, even after all this time.”
“Enough.” Daniel put up his hands. “James, you have a right to speak about any facet of how this camp is managed. You don’t, however, have a right to discuss my daughter’s personal affairs. Now, I’d like to speak with Alex alone, please.”
“Of course. I apologize for stepping over the line.” James swallowed hard. He looked as if Daniel had slapped him with one of the boards lying on the workbench. “Let me know when you’re available. I’d like to get your input on some things having to do with the dance tonight for the campers.” He nodded to Alex on his way out. “I’m sorry, Alex.”
Alex waited for him to be out of earshot. “Thank you for standing up for me.”
“That’s not what I was doing. My family isn’t anyone’s business but my own. I was merely standing up for the Marcotte name,” Daniel said.
She shivered at the coldness of his words and channeled for calm. “Then in the name of our family and the history of the camp, I’m asking you to recognize that protecting the eagles is important. Setting a good example for the community is what our camp has always been about. This is a rare opportunity for us to make a difference and teach the kids about the importance of sharing their space with wildlife.”
He rubbed his chin. “Is your use of the word ‘us’ indicating a change in mindset about staying and helping me with the camp?”
“Are you giving me an ultimatum?” Alex asked.
“I’m sorry. We aren’t going to close the island.” He laid the hand planer he’d been holding down on the bench. “James has been a godsend ever since you left. He’s been like a son to me. He was there when your mother and I needed him.” His tone was stern. “He has good business sense. I’m going to listen to him on this one. I can’t afford to lose the camp right now. Not with your mother so sick. If people on the island are such a problem, then let the government tell me I need to close it. Until then, it’ll remain open.”
He slipped on his earplugs and powered up the saw. He placed the wood he’d been working with on the table and moved it toward the blade as if Alex were no longer in the room. His hands trembled.
She thought about flipping the switch that powered the saw and smashing the tool with the sledgehammer resting in the corner of the barn—anything to finally get his attention. She and Daniel existed on the same planet, yet she couldn’t reach him. Maybe it was time to accept once and for all that he would never be able to see or hear her. She was nothing more than a ghost from the past to him. He was as lost to her as Jake.
Chapter 14
Wearing only a bra and cargo shorts, Zoe held a wrinkled, gray T-shirt up against her front. “I can’t go to the dance wearing this. I’ll look like I just rolled out of bed,” she said to herself.
She tossed the shirt aside and contemplated the remaining three shirts laid out on the dresser in her room. The orange one might not match her shorts, but it was one of her favorites. She put it on and tucked it in. “Oh, come on, a freaking pumpkin with green shorts for a stem?” She took the shirt off, wadded it into a ball, and threw it on the bed. She let out a big sigh. “Since when do you care about how your T-shirt looks?”
She scratched her head to think and remembered something Rob had said once. He’d told her she should wear blue more often because it brought out the color of her green eyes. I can’t believe I’m about to take Rob’s advice.
She grabbed the blue T-shirt. “This one will have to do,” she muttered. It’s not like Alex will notice anyway. She pulled the shirt over her head, smoothed it out, and purposely didn’t look again at her ensemble before hurrying out of her quarters.
A fire glowed in the fire pit at the water’s edge as Zoe made her way down the hill. A crowd milled around a two-foot-high ring of stones that surrounded the
blaze and kept it contained. Four brown-brick benches were placed across from each other, separated by, and a safe distance from, the flames. The benches were lined with kids roasting marshmallows on sticks. Zoe shuddered to think about the effect of that much sugar on a group of kids this late in the day, especially since Alex had said the camp generally limited their sugar intake.
Camp counselors, campers, and what appeared to be locals mingled together, deep in their respective conversations. She looked for Alex. She saw her and the education director, Claire Durand, whom she’d met a few days earlier, sitting in lawn chairs along with a couple of counselors fiddling with guitars. Alex glanced up and waved.
Zoe’s heart skipped a beat. Alex wore a sleeveless lavender sundress. Her thick, dark hair, freed from the ponytail or braid she usually wore it in, framed her slender shoulders. The campfire’s flickering glow illuminated her flawless, milky skin. “Goddess” was the only word suited to describe her.
Zoe didn’t think she’d ever seen a more stunning woman. Her knees threatened to buckle. She mustered a wave in return and headed in Alex’s direction. Unfortunately, at that moment, a group of kids started dancing around to the song the guitar-playing counselors began to strum. Except for her desire to find out how things had gone with Daniel Marcotte and wanting to be near Alex in that sundress, she would’ve high-tailed it out of there, away from all those energetic kids.
A little boy took Alex’s hand in both of his, leaned back, and tugged with all his might. Alex grinned at him and got to her feet. She held up a finger to Zoe and mouthed, “Give me a second.”
Zoe nodded and smiled. Clearly, she and Rob weren’t the only ones who had a crush on Alex.
The boy giggled and did his best to twirl Alex around, although he was only half her height. For the first time since they’d met, Zoe saw Alex truly relax and appear to have a good time. She was even more beautiful without the mask of sadness she usually wore.