One Summer

by David Baldacci

  There was no moon tonight, and it was hard to tell where the water ended and the land began.

  “Blake?” she whispered harshly, but there was no answer. She moved closer to the dunes. “Blake?”

  Hands came out of nowhere and grabbed her. She tried to scream, but something clamped over her mouth. As she looked frantically around, she saw that all the people around her were wearing Halloween masks, dark, gruesome ones.

  Somebody put duct tape across her mouth. Another bound her hands behind her back. She jerked and pulled and fell down. Hands held her against the sand. Something was poured over her hair. Someone covered her eyes, and she felt something being sprayed on her clothes. She kept jerking and trying to scream. Tears poured down her face.

  Someone yelled, and then there was a loud grunt.

  Suddenly, whoever was holding her down fell over hard. The crowd abruptly moved away from her. Mikki sat up and struggled to see what was going on. As her eyes focused, she saw Liam hitting one of the masked people, and the person crumpled. Someone jumped on Liam’s back, but he whirled around and threw the attacker off. As the person hit the sand, the mask popped off and Mikki saw Tiffany Murdoch staring at her. Mikki managed to get the rope off her hands and tore the duct tape off her mouth as another, larger person in a mask hit Liam and knocked him down. Two others jumped on top of him. Then another guy roughly pulled those two off and straddled Liam. Mikki leapt up, raced across the sand, and jumped on top of the guy, pulling his head backward, her nails raking his face.

  He yelled something and pushed her off as he twisted away and fell down. Then he jumped to his feet, his mask askew. Sitting on her butt in the sand, Mikki looked up in disbelief.

  “Blake?”

  He rubbed the scratch marks on his face, turned, and ran. Mikki saw him grab Tiffany’s hand, and they raced off toward the dunes. Mikki tore her gaze away from them in time to see the remaining guy drive his foot into Liam’s stomach. She scooped up some sand, jumped up, ripped off the guy’s mask, and threw the sand in his eyes. He yelled and started jumping around, clawing at his eyes. She pushed him backward, and he fell, then picked himself up and staggered after the others.

  Mikki raced over to Liam, who lay facedown in the sand holding his stomach.

  “Oh my God, Liam, are you okay?”

  He slowly sat up, breathing hard. She wiped the sand off his face and clothes.

  “Wow, you really know how to party,” he said, grinning weakly.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Just got off work. Was taking a stroll to wind down before I drove home. Then I heard some weird stuff and saw some people behind that dune. Then you two came walking by. When they jumped you I came flying in.”

  “You… you were watching us? Then you saw…?”

  “Hey, no big deal. I’m just glad you’re okay.” He rose gingerly. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”

  Mikki didn’t move. “I’m sorry, Liam.”

  “Sorry for what?”

  “It wasn’t nearly as cool as when you and I kissed.”

  He looked down, his fingers clenching as though looking for the comfort of his drumsticks. “Really?”

  “Absolutely, really.”

  She stood. “You were really brave to do that. You saved me.”

  “Jerks.” He looked at her and drew in a quick breath. “Damn.”

  “What?”

  “Your hair and your clothes.”

  She looked down at her clothes. They were spray painted red along with her exposed skin. She touched her hair; it was sticky and clumped and smelled like rotten eggs.

  “Jerks,” she said. She looked in the direction of the dunes. “Blake was part of it. I can’t believe I was that stupid.”

  “So were you on a date with him? I mean, that’s cool. He’s the quarterback, not a bad-looking guy either.”

  “It was a mistake,” she said, gripping his arm. “For a lot of reasons. And he set me up. I bet it had to do with me beating up Tiffany at the beach party.”

  Liam looked shocked. “You beat up Tiffany? You didn’t tell me that.”

  “Well, she had it coming.”

  He laughed and then grabbed his ribs.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” she said worriedly as she put a hand around his waist to support him.

  As their bodies touched, they looked at each other.

  She said, “I’m really gross right now, Liam.”

  “No, you’re not; you’re beautiful.”

  Mikki went up on her tiptoes even as the tall Liam bent down to her. They kissed, this time far longer than they had the first time.

  As they drew apart and opened their eyes, she said, “You’re my knight in”—she looked at his dark clothes and smiled—“black shining armor and hiking boots.”

  He touched her cheek and grinned. “And you’re my fair maiden in flaming red with stinky stuff in her hair.”

  “Liam, we can’t tell our parents. My dad will go after all of them and probably end up in jail.”

  “But what about your clothes and hair?”

  “I’ll clean up before I sneak in the house.”

  Liam said, “So we’re not going to get back at Tiffany and her friends?”

  “Oh, I didn’t say that. We’re going to get back at them, but we’re going to do it the right way, not the stupid way they tried to do it.”

  “So how, then?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She plopped down in the ocean water and started to scrub.

  44

  Jack was waiting outside the restaurant when Jenna came out promptly at nine. She climbed in the VW van, and he pulled off.

  “This looks like a vintage ride,” she said.

  “Sammy’s. He likes to tinker with cars.”

  “That’s not all he likes to tinker with.”

  He glanced at her. “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning he and Anne Bethune are seeing each other.”

  “What? Why am I always the last to know?”

  She squeezed his shoulder. “You just need to get out more, honey.”

  “When did it start?”

  “Oh, about the time they laid eyes on each other; at least that was how Anne described it. In fact, that’s where he was the day you beat up those guys. They went for a ride on his Harley.” Jenna bent down and took off her shoes and started rubbing her feet. “Sorry, after ten hours these puppies are screaming.” She rolled down the window and breathed in the crisp evening air. “God, I remember in college, a guy I dated had a Harley. One time when Liam was staying with my mom we rode it all over the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was so much fun.”

  “Were you away from Liam a lot back then?”

  She rolled the window back up. “Hardly ever, actually. I went to college close to home so I could stay there. My mom was divorced and ran a business out of her house. She would watch Liam for me when I was at class or working.”

  “Working?”

  “Only way to pay for school. No silver spoons in my neighborhood. I knew I wanted to go to college, and then law school. And then work at a big firm in a big city.”

  “Sounds like you had it all mapped out.”

  “Well, I didn’t have Liam mapped out. He just happened. Two stupid teenagers.” Her features grew solemn. “But I don’t know what I’d do without him in my life. He’s a great kid. And he and Mikki really seem to have hit it off. When I told him she was going to be working at the Little Bit, he was really psyched.”

  “Well, that’s actually the reason I wanted to talk to you. About Liam.”

  “What about him?”

  Jack told her his plan.

  She was smiling and nodding as he finished. “Okay, that sounds terrific. In fact, I’m real proud of you, Dad. But in return you have to do one thing for me.”

  He looked at her warily. “What?”

  “Can you take me for a ride on the Harley?”

  Jack drove to the Palace, got Sammy’s permission
, and fired up the Harley. Jenna got on back, and they drove off, paralleling the ocean on the long, winding road. As the wind whipped across their faces, Jenna said, “Boy does this bring back memories.”

  “Having fun, then?”

  “You know it.” She squeezed his middle as they leaned into turn after turn. After thirty minutes he drove her home.

  “Liam’s not here yet. Would you like to come in for some tea or coffee, or something stronger?”

  They sat out on the rear deck sipping glasses of Chardonnay Jenna had poured them. After going over the details of Jack’s plan in more depth, Jenna said, “How’s the lighthouse coming?”

  He put down his glass. “Good. Stairs are coming along, and Charles found the parts to repair the light.”

  “I bet it’ll be something to see it fired up again.”

  “Yeah, I think it will,” Jack said absently.

  “And why do I think that’s not why you’re really doing it?”

  He glanced up at her. “I fix things. That’s what I do.”

  “Some things can’t be fixed with a hammer and a set of plans.”

  He drained the rest of his glass. “I better get going.” He rose.

  “Jack?”

  “Yeah?” His voice seemed defensive.

  “Let me know when you get the lighthouse working. I’d really love to see it.”

  Taken aback by her obvious sincerity, he said, “I will, Jenna.”

  “And thanks for the ride. Most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

  Before he realized, Jack had already said it.

  “Me too.”

  45

  The next morning at the breakfast table Jack said, “I didn’t hear you come in last night, Mik.”

  “I actually got in early,” Mikki lied as she poured out a glass of OJ.

  “So how was the date?”

  “It was okay. But we’re just not that compatible.”

  “It happens.”

  “Yeah, it does. Hey, Dad, I’m going into town today.”

  “Why?”

  “Just an errand to run. Liam’s going with me. I won’t be long. Sammy said he’d watch Jackie for me.”

  “When do you start working at the restaurant?”

  “Tomorrow. That’s when Cory and Jackie start camp.”

  “You know, you could have come to me with all that.”

  She put a hand on her hip and said, “Could I have, Dad? Really?”

  He looked away. “So how are you getting to town? Want a lift?”

  “Liam’s picking me up.”

  “Look, Mikki, I want you to be able to talk to me about stuff. If we can’t do that, then we’ve got no shot at this father-daughter thing.”

  “You really mean that?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “Well, it would be a nice start if you didn’t work all day and then go to the lighthouse all night.”

  “But I’ve almost got it finished.”

  “Okay, Dad, whatever. We can talk when you’re done with it.”

  Mikki walked out to the street, where Liam was waiting for her in his car.

  Liam grinned. “When you called this morning with your plan, I have to admit I was really intrigued. Now I’m downright fired up.”

  “Good, because so am I.”

  They arrived in downtown Channing and parked in front of the Play House. There were a number of cars sitting at the curb, including Tiffany’s red convertible. The marquee read, CHANNING TALENT COMPETITION APPLICATIONS TODAY.

  Mikki grinned. “When I saw that sign last night, I really didn’t think anything of it. You know, who cares? But now—now the timing couldn’t be more perfect.”

  “Let’s do it,” said Liam.

  They walked inside the lobby and joined a line of people standing in front of a long table behind which sat a number of ladies with hair styled to the max and wearing clothes that probably cost more than some automobiles. One of them, an attractive blond woman in a formfitting dress, seemed to be in charge.

  “Let me guess,” Mikki whispered to Liam as she pointed at the woman. “Tiffany’s mom?”

  Liam nodded. “How’d you know?”

  “I just flash-forwarded Tiffany twenty-five years.”

  “Chelsea Murdoch. I heard my mom once say she was even worse than her daughter.”

  “Wow, now, that’s a lady I have got to tangle with.”

  When Liam and Mikki reached the table, Chelsea Murdoch looked up at them with such a haughty expression that Mikki just wanted to slap her. “Yes?”

  “We’d like to enter the competition,” said Mikki politely.

  Murdoch glanced at Liam and looked confused. “Both of you?”

  “That’s right. Together.”

  “Liam Fontaine, right?” she said.

  “The one and only.”

  The woman smirked, and then her gaze swiveled to Mikki. “And you are?”

  “Michelle Armstrong. We’re down here from Cleveland for the summer.”

  The woman looked amused. “Cleveland?”

  “Yes, it’s the largest city in Ohio. Did you know that?” Mikki said innocently.

  “No, I never saw a good reason to find out,” she replied dryly and then bumped elbows with the woman sitting next to her, who chuckled. Mrs. Murdoch pushed a paper toward them. “Fill this out. And there’s a ten-dollar processing fee. What are you going to do for your act?”

  “Music,” said Mikki. “Drums, keyboard, and guitar.”

  Murdoch looked at her coolly. “Pretty ambitious.”

  “I’d like to think so,” Mikki replied sweetly. “I’m sure the competition is pretty tough.”

  “It is. In fact, one young lady has won it three years in a row and is looking to make it four.”

  “Would that be Tiffany?”

  “Yes. She’s my daughter.”