“That’s funny,” Ian says. “Virginia lives in England.” He starts laughing, and his laugh has this high-pitched squeaking sound, which makes Dad start laughing, then just like Dominoes, one-by-one everyone’s laughing. Even Isaac thinks it’s funny. I try hard to hide my grin because I’m rather annoyed, but Ian’s laugh squeaks and pretty soon, I’m giggling with them. Only Gran sits there, eating her pizza, muttering about wolverines.
8
After dinner, Dad and Mr. Fulton head outside for their basketball one-on-one.
I help Isaac and Ian clear off the table.
Isaac sets the dishes down in the sink. “Want to go do something fun?”
My heart jumps into my throat. What kind of fun is he referring to? “Sure.”
Ian walks into the kitchen and asks if I want to play Spoons.
I look from Isaac to Ian.
“Hey, Ian, I’m going to take her mudding first. Want to come along?”
“You both just cleaned up. That would not be logical to get dirty again.”
“Nothing about mudding is logical. That’s what makes it fun.”
Ian sighs and shakes his head. “No, Ginnie and I should stay and play Spoons. She would like it, and she would stay clean.”
I try to come up with a good excuse to go because I don’t want to hurt Ian’s feelings, but the thought of being alone with a boy—I mean, a man—is way too alluring to pass up. A guy like Isaac has never asked me to do something like this with him.
“How about I take her mudding, then we will come back and play Spoons.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Mrs. Fulton has entered the kitchen and has started running the water. “It’s Ian’s turn to help me load the dishwasher.”
“Does that sound like a plan?” I ask, still not wanting to hurt the boy.
Ian’s muttering under his breath while his mother is directing him with the dishes. Isaac gently pulls my sleeve, and we leave quietly. Once out of earshot, Isaac whispers, “He’ll be fine. He mutters like that to work out the answer he wasn’t expecting.”
“He was expecting me to play with spoons?”
Isaac grins and shakes his head. “It’s a game called Spoons, and yes, that’s what he thought would happen. It will still happen, but I thought you might want to get out of everyone’s scrutiny for a little while.” He opens the passenger door for me. The outside of the Jeep seems to be layered with mud, but the inside looks spotless. “You may get mud on you,” he says, watching me. “We don’t have to go if you’d prefer.”
“No!” I say a little too quickly. “I’ve never been…mudding, so I say let’s give it a go.” I slide in, and Isaac shuts the door. I have no clue what I just agreed to do. Would it be like a mud fight?
Isaac jumps in and revs the engine. Hard rock pumps through the speakers. He gives me a sly grin that melts my insides to liquid lava. He backs out and zips down the road. I glance back to see my Dad watching us. He seems perplexed. I laugh out loud.
“What?” He turns down the volume.
“My Dad doesn’t quite know what to think.”
“Yeah, he already talked with me.”
My mouth drops open. “Please, tell me you’re joking.”
“No, I’m not joking. He told me while you were cleaning up that any son of Ted’s is a friend of his, but that if I touch you, he will cut off the body part that was doing the touching.”
“I’m going to strangle him.”
“Don’t worry about it. He’s being a good Dad. If I ever have a daughter, especially one that looks like you, you better believe I will protect her.”
I would be flattered by his words, but there’s no time. He turns down a narrow path, smack in the middle of the woods. “Is this a road?”
“It’s a two-track.”
“So? Is it a road?”
Isaac laughs. “You’re funny, you know that?”
I give a half-laugh but clutch the seat as the Jeep bobs through the very narrow trail. Tree branches are slapping the doors, and I find I’m holding my breath. A couple turns later, we are in the middle of thick woods, and I have lost all sense of direction.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
“Uh…”
He laughs again, then guns the engine. I shriek as he plows through a mud trench, and the mud splatters the windshield. He puts the wipers on, which do little more than smear it. “Don’t worry, I can see where I’m going.” The Jeep jumps from the bumps and slides through mud that looks like mini-lakes. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m holding on to his arm and shrieking through every bump and slide. At one point the Jeep is airborne, and we both yell like we’re on a roller coaster. By the time, the Jeep slides to a stop, I am grinning and breathless.
“That was crazy.”
“Crazy fun?”
“Yes!”
“Good. I didn’t know if you’d want to come after I tried to spook you with ghost stories.”
“Ha, ha, let’s not bring that up now, shall we?” I take a glance at the forest around us.
“Yeah, let’s keep moving before the tires get stuck.”
“That doesn’t sound too good. Have you been stuck before?”
“It comes with the territory. But I know exactly what to do if it happens.”
“Seems like you go mudding quite a bit.”
“Honestly, it gives me space to think and relax and not be, you know, ‘on’ all the time.” Isaac shifts gears, and we slide out of the mud and onto another trail.
“Like with Ian?”
He nods. The sun is setting, but I can still see his features through the dusk.
“I think you’re a good older brother. You have a lot of patience.”
“Sometimes. And sometimes I have to come out here and release the tension.” He grins in my direction. “So, why have I never met you?”
“I’ve only come to Michigan during Christmas holiday. Normally, Gran and Gramps would spend their summer holiday out in London. But then Gran had the heart attack, and well, here we are.”
“What happened to her was awful. My Dad responded to her call, you know.”
“Really? He’s a doctor?”
“A police officer. Chief of Pigeon Forest. When the call came through, he knew it was Rose, so he went over there to assist EMS.”
“Where did they find her?” I am intrigued at what happened, especially with her cryptic call still lingering in my mind, and her acting like it never took place.
“Outside. She was working on her garden or something, thought she heard something, went to stand up to check it out, and saw someone approaching her. She was so shocked, she stumbled back. Dad says they don’t know if she had a heart attack first, or if seeing someone caused her to have a heart attack.”
My gut feels queasy. “Who did she see?”
“We don’t know. The police checked the perimeter several times. There was no evidence of anyone being there. No footprints. Nothing. Rose told us not to worry, that she probably didn’t remember too clearly.”
I open my mouth to tell him about her phone call to me, but I shut it before I say anything. It’s better to think first and talk later. “I had no idea. Poor Gran.”
“She’ll recover. She’s the toughest lady we know.”
The engine sputters, then lurches forward. “Oh no,” Isaac says and switches gears. “Come on, Daisy, don’t do this to me now.”
I remember the tools he had to put away when we came back from the hike. “Was it having problems before?”
“It’s a fuel line issue.” Isaac glances over at me apologetically. “I’m sorry. I thought I fixed it. Fixing cars is kind of my thing.”
“Mudding, fixing cars, and didn’t I overhear that you have a job?”
“Yep. Up at the golf course. I’m one of the mechanics. I make sure the golf carts are good, along with the company vehicles.”
The engine keeps sputtering, but Isaac seems to know how to keep it moving. “So, what about you, Virginia from
London. What’s your thing?”
Having him say my full name seems very intimate, and I feel my cheeks redden, especially because I’m not sure I should tell him about my bug fascination. “I’m into photography. For Christmas, Dad bought me a Nikon D7000 and the set-up equipment.”
“That’s a nice camera?”
“The best. It’s about a thousand euros.”
“Wow. Sounds like an awesome present. You’ll have to show me sometime.”
“It’s at your house. I took a bunch of shots today that I need to develop.” I decide not to admit that I take it with me everywhere I go, and the only reason I didn’t have it with me is that I was in la-la-land when Isaac asked me out.
This time the Jeep sputters to a halt. Isaac tries to start the engine, but it chokes and turns over.
The sun has all but disappeared over the horizon. It hits me that I am alone in the forest with a hot guy. I don’t know whether to be terrified or exhilarated. At the moment, with the creepy trees and forest sounds, terrified wins out.
“Stay here,” Isaac says, as he reaches behind us for a flashlight. He pops the hood and disappears into the darkness.
I keep my eyes focused on the hood in front. I hear snaps of branches, and sounds of things that I’m not sure what they are, and I refuse to find out tonight.
The door opens and I jump.
“Sorry,” Isaac says. “Do you mind holding the flashlight? I have to pull out the fuel line and make sure it’s not clogged.”
“Sure,” I say a little too brightly. I try to open my door, but it’s too close to a tree.
“Here, climb over on this side. There’s more room.”
I push myself up and climb over the stick shift, allowing Isaac to hold my waist as he helps me out of the Jeep. For a second, we both stand there. His hands linger on my waist, and my hands linger on his chest. “Thanks,” I say to break the silence.
He releases me but holds my hand to help me walk to the front of the automobile. “Just hold this right here, so that I can see to the side of the calibrator.”
I have no idea what a calibrator is, but I hold the flashlight exactly where he showed me.
Some bird flies through the trees, and I jump again, moving the flashlight. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I’m the one with the crap car. You’re stuck out here because of me, but don’t worry. I’ve camped in these woods before. It’s your basic forest life, that’s all. Besides, we’re only about a mile from my place. If we have to, we can walk back.”
“We don’t have Ian to help with directions.”
“Ha, ha. Okay, the line looks good. There might just be an air pocket in the gas. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” I hold the flashlight on his face.
“I have a gas can in the back. Would you like to go with me?”
Yes, yes, I would, but I don’t say that. I tell myself to be brave. “Don’t be long.”
“It’ll take me about thirty seconds.” He takes off down the side of the Jeep.
My official freaking out begins. The woods seem alive, and they’re watching me. That may be my Londonite-self talking, but it’s the truth. So when I feel the cold wind lick against my legs like it did earlier in the day, I start to tremble. I hear Isaac talking and then he’s standing there again. I push down the terror and try to hold the flashlight steady, my hand can’t hold it still.
“A few minutes more,” Isaac says and holds his hand over mine. “I’m going to make this up to you, Ginnie, I promise.”
I nod, still unsure of myself to speak.
Something moves out of the trees with a start. I grab Isaac and whip around with the flashlight. A deer stands directly behind us. He seems to take us in, then runs back into the woods.
Isaac starts to chuckle.
“Not funny,” I say, but at least I’m able to breathe again.
“I think I’ve got it. Here, let’s get back in the Jeep.”
A part of me wonders if he’s saying that because I’m acting like an imbecile, but I’m not about to argue. He leads me to his door, and I climb in and back over to my side. I cross myself without him noticing and pray that whatever he did works.
“Do you know how to start a car?” he asks.
“I think so, but normally it’s on my side over here.”
“You press down on the clutch and turn the key. Got it?”
No. No, I have limited knowledge of vehicles, but I nod because I want more than anything to be out of these dark woods. I climb back over to the driver’s side. “Press on this? This is the clutch?”
“Yep. You’ve got it. Then turn the key when I tell you to.”
I sit there while he goes back out.
“Try it now.”
I do as he told, and the engine turns over.
“Stop,” he says. “Count to ten, then try it again.”
This time, the engine chugs to life. I sigh in relief and am smiling when Isaac drops the hood down. He grins at me and gives me a thumbs-up sign.
My smile fades and fear takes over. Directly behind him stands a girl. But she’s not looking at him, she’s only looking at me. Her hair is long and dark, and even though she’s darker-skinned, her face is very pale. Isaac must see my frozen expression because he turns to see what I’m looking at. He turns back to me confused. “Are you all right?” He makes his way back to his door.
I shake my head, unsure of how to answer. Because whoever that was has disappeared.
9
I sit in the back of the red Mustang with Grandma in the front seat. Dad stands at his door still chatting with Mr. Fulton. If I had one of those long canes, I’d wrap it around his waist and yank him inside the car. I have one desire, and one desire only, and that is to go back to Gran’s house where I can be alone.
There may be more desires on my list, such as locking myself in my room in London and never traveling here at all. Since I can’t change the past, going to Gran’s and locking myself in my room is what tops the cake. Just reliving the events of the evening brings me to tears and makes my throat all stuffy and choked up. After seeing the girl on the trail, my brain, my mouth, everything froze up. Isaac kept asking what was wrong, and all I could do was keep my eyes shut and shake my head in response. He eventually stopped asking. When we got back to his house, Gran was with Mrs. Fulton on the porch waiting for us. She took one look at me and told Dad we needed to leave. Isaac had been polite enough to say good-night, but then he holed himself up. Which is what I want to do. And yet, here we are. I’m freaked out and unsettled, and Dad won’t shut his mouth.
“What the bloody hell, Dad,” I say under my breath.
Gran turns around in the seat. “What happened? Tell me everything.”
I should be polite, but every nerve ending seems to be on edge. “It’s nothing. I’m only tired and jet-lagged.”
Gran leans over the seat. “Samuel Paxton, get in the car now. I need to go home, and you have kept your daughter and me waiting long enough.”
I hear Dad and Mr. Fulton say something and laugh, and I wonder if they are going to ignore Gran, but then Dad’s sliding in the driver seat and starting the car.
As Dad reverses, he asks, “What’s the problem, Virginia? It’s not like you to be so rude.”
“Leave her alone,” Gran says. “She doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“There’s no excuse not to speak. You didn’t say one word to anyone when you got back with Isaac, you just climbed into the car. Isaac probably thinks you’re some uppity London girl.”
I can’t stop them. The tears leak from my eyes. I know what Dad says is true. Isaac will probably never talk to me again. But they hadn’t seen what I had. Nor do they understand that I need to hide, to pretend that what I saw is only a figment of my imagination, and that conversation is the last thing on my mind.
“Well?”
“She doesn’t want to talk about it,” Gran says with an edge to her voice.
“Leave her be.”
Thankfully, the ride back around the lake is not even five minutes. Since the top is down, I don’t wait for either of them to get out. I jump out and run into the house.
“We’re not done yet!” Dad says, but I’m already in the house and on my way up the stairs.
I peel off my clothes, throw on my pajama bottoms and a tank top, and fall onto the bed. I should be exhausted, but I’m too keyed up. I check my phone for messages. None. That upsets me more than anything. I toss my phone back on the bedside table and sulk. No friends to call me. Not even Alisa. When I finally meet some nice people, I have to act like an idiot. It’s not my finest moment to be a sodding mess, but I hold the pillow and cry. How do I fix this?
Deciding that a list is in order, I sit up and rifle through my things for my notebook. I hear Gran’s phone ring downstairs, but don’t try to answer it. It’s probably Aunt Sue. I’m partway through my list of how to fix things with Isaac when there’s a knock on my bedroom door.
“Virginia, you have a phone call.”
I set my notebook down and open the door. Dad’s standing there with a wireless telephone in his hand. His eyebrows are doing this thing where he’s trying to figure out what is going on. It’s his scientist look, but I don’t enlighten him. I grab the phone, mutter a “thanks,” and shut the door.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Ginnie.”
My heart seems to pound ten times faster.
“It’s Isaac.”
“I know.” Stupid thing to say, but his voice is deep and smooth, and I haven’t heard anything like it.
“You left your bag here.”
My stomach flips. “My camera!” How could I have been that out of it that I ran to the car without my bag? “I can’t believe I forgot it.”
“Well, you seemed in a hurry, but anyway, I can drop it off tomorrow morning on my way to work. I won’t wake you. I’ll leave it on the porch.”
“No,” I say too fast. “I mean, it’s really expensive. I can’t be having someone snatch it.”
“This is Northern Michigan. Stealing isn’t too big of a thing here, but whatever you say. I have to be at work at eight in the morning, will you be up by then?”
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