Aunt True came to my rescue. “And you’re being unreasonable, J. T.! It saves us time and money if she’s willing to be our delivery girl—plus, Artie Olsen liked your Terminator hot sauce, and he put in an order for half a dozen bottles for the Parents’ Weekend barbecue. Truly can take those with her.”
Silence. Then: “Fine, but no dawdling. I expect you to come right back here.”
Coming right back to the bookstore wouldn’t leave me enough time to check out Cherry Island. I wondered what white lie I might be able to produce that would help with that. A flat tire on my bike, maybe?
But I didn’t need to resort to a lie, white or otherwise.
“Nonsense! For Pete’s sake, J. T., it’s July!” said Aunt True sternly. My father looked up, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. Resistance was pointless when my aunt was in full big-sister mode. “The girl has been working her socks off for us this year—without pay, may I remind you—and it’s a long ride out to the lake. She’s earned a little R and R. You can ground her again afterward.”
My father crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “I’m clearly outflanked,” he said, dismissing me with a flap of his hand.
Aunt True shooed me toward the door. “Take your towel and bathing suit with you and go for a swim if you get the opportunity,” she whispered. “Just make sure you’re back in time to help me set up for the book signing.”
I wasn’t looking forward to that.
“How are we going to get out to the island?” asked Jasmine when we all met up a little while later on the road to the lake.
“We’ll figure it out when we get there,” I said. “Swim if we have to. The island isn’t that far from the public beach. Lauren says that kids from Camp Lovejoy swim to it all the time.”
Luck was with us, though, in the form of Artie Olsen.
“You kids are going to do what?” he said, when he overheard us talking as I delivered his order of hot sauce. “Absolutely no way. Not a good idea to swim that far without supervision. We always send a canoe out with the campers when they do the Cherry Island swim. Why do you want to go, anyway?”
I thought quickly. “There’s a bald eagle’s nest out there,” I replied, which was true. “My grandfather has taken me to see it a few times. I’m a birder.” Which was also true.
Mr. Olsen smiled. “A birder! As am I.” He eyed us thoughtfully. “How about if I lend you our war canoe?”
“War canoe?” Lucas’s eyes widened in alarm. I could tell he was thinking that his mother wouldn’t like the sound of that.
“Just another name for a big canoe, son. It can seat up to fifteen, but six can man it nicely.”
“Wow—thanks, Mr. Olsen!” I said.
“No problem. It’s the least I can do for a fellow birder—and the daughter of the man who makes my new favorite hot sauce.” He put a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell a soul, though, or I’ll have the whole town down here wanting to use our equipment.” He made us promise to wear life preservers and, after glancing at the clock, said he’d go ask the kitchen staff to pack us a lunch. “Can’t have you starving to death on camp property.”
I asked at the front office about Lauren, who I learned was away on an overnight hike, so I left her new book in her cabin.
“Ooo, a mermaid book,” said Cha Cha as I set it on my sister’s bunk. “The Tail of Emily Windsnap—she’ll love it.”
My mother definitely had mermaids on the brain. She’d bought a copy of a picture book called The Mermaid for Pippa, who we found doing something with glitter in the arts and crafts studio.
“Truly!” she squealed, running over to give me a big hug. She turned to her cabin-mates and announced proudly, “She’s my SISTER!”
“Is she a giant?” whispered one of them, and Scooter started to laugh.
“Don’t,” I warned him, but it was too late. He couldn’t resist.
“Truly gigantic,” he teased.
“Shut up, Scooter,” said Calhoun, but he was smiling too.
Actually, to my surprise, so was I. Maybe Aunt True was right, I thought. Maybe people did grow and change—even me.
It was an easy paddle out to the island, thanks to Jasmine and Scooter, who knew their way around a canoe and told us exactly what to do. When we reached the shore, which was mostly rocky, Jasmine hopped out and guided the boat to a small sandy stretch that sloped up toward a tangle of bushes lining the shore. The canoe was heavy, and it took all six of us to pull it high enough out of the water that it wouldn’t float away.
Calhoun shucked off his backpack and took a seat on a fallen log. “Eat first, then explore.”
No one protested that idea. I sat down beside him. For one wild moment I wondered what he’d do if I grabbed him and kissed him. Not that I was actually planning to, of course.
He glanced over at me. “What are you laughing about?”
“Nothing.”
I’d only had a couple of mini blueberry muffins since breakfast, and I was starving. Thelma Farnsworth and her sister Ethel, who worked in the camp kitchen during the summer, had packed substantial lunches for us, I was happy to see. Turkey sandwiches, potato chips, apples, peanut butter cookies, and bottles of water to wash it all down. I ate happily, enjoying the slight breeze that rustled the leaves in the trees above. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. A shadow fell over me, and I looked up.
“Check it out! It’s an eagle!” I’d been hoping we’d see one.
My friends all shaded their eyes and looked up too.
“Wow, it’s huge!” said Scooter.
“Right? They’re amazing.”
We watched
