I could always count on Rosalie Claire.
We trooped across the inn’s grounds toward the beach, our surfboards tucked under our arms. Thomas had rented two extras so Violet and Noah could have their own. Rosalie Claire limped behind us without her crutches. Whatever she’d rubbed on her ankle had sped up her recovery lickety-split.
On the way we ran into Riptide and Wingnut. They were heading back after a morning of riding the waves.
“Dudes, I’ve been thinking about that GPS gizmo you hooked up to my laptop. Did you win the game?” Riptide asked.
Violet, Noah, and I looked at each other and smiled. “Sure did,” I said. “We won it big time.” In fact, meeting my kid-mom and my kid-dad, and saving my grandmother, felt as if I’d just won the million-dollar jackpot.
“Gnarly, dudes! Catch you later!” He and Wingnut shuffled back to the inn.
The second we made it to the beach, Leroy charged ahead of us, barreling straight for the sparkling Pacific Ocean.
“We can’t let him hit the water before we do. Race you!” Violet shouted.
We dropped our boards on the shore and leaped into the salty sea, Violet, Noah, Rosalie Claire, Thomas, Leroy, and me. I don’t think anything ever felt better in my whole life. The rippling water was warm and crystal clear. In a single splash I erased all of the dust of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
Leroy dog-paddled in circles around us, barking with happiness.
We bodysurfed until we were breathless and then took a break on the beach, watching the waves. Today they were perfect.
“I think it’s time to hit it,” Thomas said.
I headed over to my surfboard, but Leroy got there first. He plunked himself right in the middle, doing his best Statue of Liberty imitation.
“Here we go again. Leroy, time to get off,” I said.
Leroy refused to budge. He thumped his tail and let out three sharp barks.
“You know what, Madison? Maybe that dog isn’t trying to protect you at all,” said Rosalie Claire. “I think he wants a surfing lesson.”
Leroy grinned and barked again.
“Well, why didn’t you say so, boy?” I asked.
“I think he did. We just didn’t understand him until now.” Rosalie Claire hobbled over and stroked his wet fur.
Thomas slid his board to the water’s edge and pushed it into the shallows. “OK, big guy, you’re riding with me. Hop on.”
With a happy yelp, Leroy charged off my board and sailed right onto Thomas’s.
We floated our surfboards into the water until we were waist deep. Then we slid onto our bellies and paddled beyond the whitewater. Leroy sat on Thomas’s board, his tail splashing water every time he wagged.
Thomas was an amazing teacher. Noah only wiped out three times, and before he knew it, he managed to stand up for the whole ride in, right along with Violet. Leroy learned to sit on the front of a surfboard as if he’d been doing it ever since he was a young pup.
Thomas even gave me a few new tips that had me surfing without a single wobble. Rosalie Claire did her part, watching from the beach and cheering each time we made it all the way in.
When my legs got tired, I took a break and drifted on my board. I watched my friends as they worked hard to stay upright and ride the waves. I loved how they were both so determined to get it right. My best friend Violet, who was always so gutsy and ready for anything; and brainy determined Noah, who I was beginning to think understood the power of hunches, just like me.
I looked up at the white fluffy picture clouds floating overhead and spied a spouting whale, a dragon, and an angel with feathery wings. I thought of my mom and my dad and how lucky I was that the magic had finally brought us back together. And now I knew deep in my bones that the three of us would be connected, forever and always.
Just then a perfect turquoise wave rose up and curled behind me. I popped onto my feet and, like a firebird, I flew straight toward the shore.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Heartfelt thanks to one and all who helped me along the way. To my husband Steve who never failed to put aside anything he was doing to read a new draft; to my son Jordan for his eagle eye and keen insights; to my incredible editor, K.L. Going, who kept me on track when I wandered off of it; to my agent at CineLit, Mary Alice Kier; and to David Skinner, who had a soft spot for Madison McGee from the beginning. And most of all, to my early young readers who were fans of Hello There, We’ve Been Waiting for You! and couldn’t wait for the second book to find out what happened next – Evelyn Cantwell, Sophie Eldridge, Addison Kocurek, Sadie Miller, Sydney Vernon, and Sophie Vernon. My readers are the ones who truly provide the magic. I want you to know, I wrote this for you.
You’ve read and loved Hello There, Do You Still Know Me?
In case you missed the first book in this series, check out Hello There, We’ve Been Waiting For You!
“Author Arnold’s debut novel, the first in a trilogy about Madison’s adventures with the MegaPix, is fun and fantastical, with wacky characters that burst off the page and into readers’ hearts…. A worthy romp that manages to teach powerful lessons as it entertains.”
— Kirkus Reviews
When Madison McGee is orphaned and forced to live with her eccentric grandmother in boring old Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, she’s pretty sure nothing will ever be right again. Her grandmother is addicted to TV shopping shows. Her only neighbors are a crazy lady and a vicious junkyard mutt. And she misses her old life something fierce. Could it get any worse?
Everything changes when a MegaPix 6000 TV mysteriously shows up on her doorstep. With the accidental push of a button on the remote control, Madison teleports into a dizzying world of lights, cameras, action, and peril. But with the help of a little magic, she discovers that things aren’t always what they appear to be, and that life can actually get better in a brand new way.
Also published by Prospecta Press – www.prospectapress.com
$9.95 paperback and $5.99 eBook
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About the Author
Laurie B. Arnold has two grown-up sons and lives in Bainbridge Island with her amazing husband and a perfect fuzzy dog. In addition to novels, she’s written countless children’s computer games, a trio of picture books, and scripts for animated kids’ TV shows, including Dragon Tales.
Copyright © 2017 by Laurie Bauman Arnold.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any fashion, print, facsimile, or electronic, or by any method yet to be developed, without the express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Prospecta Press, an imprint of Easton Studio Press
P.O. Box 3131
Westport, CT 06880
(203) 571-0781
www.prospectapress.com
Front cover design by Lizzie Sivitz
Cover images © TyBy, © lolya, © BigRyan, © ilusto, © SoRad
Text design by Barbara Aronica-Buck
First Edition
Manufactured in the United States of America
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-63226-061-1
eBook ISBN: 978-1-63226-062-8
Hello There, Do You Still Know Me? Page 16