The Mystery of Croaker's Island
Page 14
“Yes, sir.” Sam got to it.
Once all the branches had been dumped into the fire, Captain Jake took off his work gloves, wiped soot off his face with his shirt sleeve, and held out his hand. “Come on.”
Sam went to shake his dad’s hand, but his father wrapped him in a hug that rivalled Molly’s. He’d forgotten how comforting that could feel. But still . . . Why was his father here?
As if reading his mind, Captain Jake said, “Line up, troop. I have an announcement to make.”
Sam joined Dory and Molly. Molly slipped her hand into Sam’s. It trembled slightly.
“We’re going to move into a bigger house in the Cove,” said the captain.
“So, we’re staying?” Sam shouted. “Like, forever?” His heart soared.
“Not just us,” their father said cryptically.
“Um, pardon?” asked Dory.
Captain Jake Novak drew himself arrow-straight. He smiled and his eyes wrinkled. “I have an announcement to make. I’m bringing someone here over the holidays for you to meet—someone who I really want you to make welcome.”
“What kind of someone?” Dory asked suspiciously.
“My soon-to-be wife,” said the captain.
Sam felt sucker-punched. He drew in a sharp breath.
“A new mom?” Molly asked hopefully.
“Not just a mom, but two new sisters,” the captain laughed, “at least for the holidays. I’ll be introducing you to Lieutenant Sally soon-to-be Novak, and her twin daughters, Alice and Abby.”
“And they’re all staying with us?” Sam gasped.
Sam thought he heard Babcia mutter.
“Sometimes,” said Captain Novak.
Four sisters? Sam would be tripping over fuzzy slippers and cutie-pie stuffed animals, and the house would always stink of perfume. This was terrible news! What was it Babcia always said? “Be careful what you wish for.” He’d wished for a permanent home, but he’d rather face another alien invasion then live with a flock of girls.
Dory took Molly’s hand when Molly reached out. “Will I still be your bestest sister?” Molly whispered, tightening her hold on Sam’s and Dory’s hands.
“Always,” they said at once.
“I bet I surprised you with that news,” said their father.
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I guess.”
“Hmm.”
When they went inside the cottage, Babcia heated up hot chocolate and helped Sam make cinnamon toast. They sat around the breakfast table catching up. Dory’s cellphone buzzed. She started texting, ignoring her father’s frown.
“Sam, George from Unexplained Phenomena texted me.” Dory sounded excited. “He’s convinced the Coast Guard to check out Croaker’s Island. They’re on the island now.”
“Can we go see the Coast Guard?” Sam asked Babcia. His grandmother raised her eyebrows and pointed to the captain. “Oops, I mean, Dad, can we go?”
“I just got here.”
“I won’t leave you,” said Molly, tangling their father in one of her boa constrictor hugs. “Can you take me to the fall fair? There’s a parrot ride I love.”
“Looks like I have plans, anyway,” their dad said to them. Sam and Dory raced for her car. “I’m glad to see you two are getting along so well,” their father called after them. “And, Sam, it’s good to hear you’re joining the rowing team.”
“Uh-huh,” Sam called back.
“Don’t track your muddy sneakers on my new car mat,” Dory grumbled.
Sam tried to keep his feet in the air as he used Dory’s phone to call Khallie, Blake, and Owen.
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IT SEEMED AS IF half the town had lined the shore across from Croaker’s Island after the Coast Guard docked. Sam figured the Unexplained Phenomena podcast was more popular than he’d guessed possible. Or maybe that wasn’t so strange. Others must have noticed some of the peculiar goings-on in this town.
Two men in uniform disembarked from the ship and began gesturing wildly at George the podcast guy.
“"OMG, there’s Blake’s brother,” Dory gushed. They walked toward Colton, Blake, and Khallie. Dory waved madly. Blake and Khallie waved back, and then Colton waved.
“OMG. Did he just wave at me?” Dory almost freaked. Then in a darker voice, she said, “Sam. Who is that?” She stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes.
Colton had turned away and become very engaged in conversation with the dark-haired Azina. “That’s Khallie’s sister.”
Sam could tell by all the laughing that they were hitting it off super well.
“Hi, Sam.”
Owen raced toward them. “Did you hear? They found nothing on the island. Well, not nothing. They found all the missing cats. But get this: there is no laboratory, only what they thought might be a rock slide in one of the caves under the island. No evidence of any kind of aliens or anything. They’re yelling at that podcast guy and calling him a menace and . . . ”
Sam was hardly listening. He was staring over at Khallie and Blake. She’d obviously introduced him to her sister, and now she was talking earnestly to him. Her face looked so serious. When she finished, Blake reached over and hugged her.
Sam was happy for Khallie and Blake. So why did it feel like someone had just shoved a dagger in his heart?
“Mercury is in retrograde,” Dory said miserably. “It looks like you and I, Sam, are unlucky in love.”
“It’s cool,” said Sam. He had them both as friends, and he had Owen. He was staying in Croaker’s Cove. It was everything he’d wished for. . . sort of . . .
“We’d better stick together,” said Dory. “I mean, we fended off aliens, so we can sort Dad out about his crazy idea of marrying for a third time, especially to a woman with twins.”
Sam was on board with that. He quoted a line from an old movie he’d seen once: “You know, Dory, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
“Don’t get carried away,” Dory snapped.
THE END
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WITH APPRECIATION to the Heritage House team: Lara Kordic, who liked Croaker’s Island from the beginning; Lesley Cameron, for her editorial direction; and Leslie Kenny, who runs the marketing. Your support is appreciated. Thank you also to a couple of great writers of adventure and fun for younger readers: Ari Goelman (I started the story sooner) and Sean Klein (I paid more attention to detail). Both of you gave such valuable feedback! Much thanks to Doug Hill for his sailing tips, and it goes without saying that any errors are mine and not his. Also thank you to John for caring about my writing as much if not more than me, and to Alec and Joey for their continued interest.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LINDA DEMEULEMEESTER lives on the west coast and thinks the ocean is very mysterious indeed. . .
She has worked in the fields of literacy and education as a teacher and a program advisor, and is the author of the popular and critically acclaimed Grim Hill series. The first book in the series, The Secret of Grim Hill, won the prestigious Silver Birch Award and was named one of Canadian Toy Testing Council’s Best Books. Other books in the spooky tween series have been nominated and shortlisted for several awards.
Discover Linda DeMeulemeester’s Grim Hill Series, available from Heritage House/Wandering Fox and wherever fine books are sold!
•The Secret of Grim Hill
•The Secret Deepens
•The Forgotten Secret
•The Family Secret
•Forest of Secrets
•Carnival of Secrets
Copyright © 2018 Linda DeMeulemeester
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, audio recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher or a licence from Access Copyright, Toronto, Canada.
Wandering Fox Books
An imprint of
Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd.
heritagehouse.ca
Cataloguing information available from Library and Archives Canada
978-1-77203-251-2 (pbk)
978-1-77203-252-9 (epub)
Edited by Lesley Cameron
Cover and interior design by Setareh Ashrafologhalai Cover illustration by Alyssa Koski
The interior of this book was produced on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, processed chlorine free, and printed with vegetable-based inks.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
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