boat and the Enders were sure it was a bear. But it was just a couple of kids who’d sneaked out in the night. She and Nate caught the ten-year-olds and drove them to the sheriff’s office. Let their parents take care of them!
How could she and Nate have done so much in just two weeks? How could one person have become as much a part of her life as he had in such a short time? Her dad said that thanks to Nate he’d had two weeks of vacation. Even though she’d never stopped working, Terri felt the same way. Nate was like her, but he was also different. He believed in the old adage of stopping to smell the roses. Terri tended to go from one task to another, with no break in between. But Nate liked to escape. He found hiding places where they could run away from people. In the surrounding forest, they found an old shed, a leftover from when the Kissels owned the place.
They ran inside, feeling that they’d discovered something no one else knew about. When they found six used condoms on the dirt floor, they fell back in laughter.
Nate was great with all the college kids who did the grunt work of the place. They were usually Brody’s responsibility, but Nate had such an easy way of solving problems that he’d taken over the job.
Everything was easier and more pleasant with Nate around. And he was endlessly thoughtful. When he saw books in someone’s cabin, he asked if he could borrow a murder mystery for Terri. He exchanged recipes with people. He introduced them to each other. More than once he’d dumped a bratty, restless kid onto some grumpy adult, then left them with each other. Thanks to Nate, there were some groups of old and young that were studying turtles or learning about cameras or just lying on the bank and doing absolutely nothing.
“I can’t imagine the place without you,” Terri said so softly she could hardly be heard.
Nate reached across the console and took her hand. “We’ll always be friends. No matter what happens.”
“I know.” She pulled her hand out of his grip. Friends! she thought. Friends.
When Nate’s phone buzzed, he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Would you see who that is?”
“Stacy. You really need to speak to her.”
“Not while I’m driving. I’ll call her when I get home.” He put the phone back in his pocket.
Minutes later, Terri’s cell was ringing and caller ID said it was Bob Alderson.
“Terri! Where are you?” His voice was testy.
“In the car with Nate. Why?”
“Put me on speaker and hold up the phone. He needs to hear this.”
“Bob wants to talk to you.” She held her cell up.
“Nate,” Bob said, “can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear. What’s up? Want to buy my office furniture?”
“No!” Bob sounded very angry. “I spent hours singing your praises to all four parents. Just when they were beginning to believe that you weren’t some girl-stealing jerk, Stacy called. In tears.”
Nate glanced at Terri. “Why?”
“She’s been trying to get you to answer your phone, that’s why. That designer-teacher of hers got called away and Stacy is now on a plane home. She wanted you to pick her up at the airport.”
“I... I, uh...” Nate couldn’t come up with an excuse for not taking her calls.
Terri turned off the speaker and put the phone to her ear. “He’s been dealing with Widiwick business.” She was almost snapping. “Remember that? Our biggest event of the year? So when’s Stacy get in?”
“Early tomorrow morning. Her parents are spending the night in Richmond and they’ll pick her up. Listen, Terri, if Nate’s going to be forgiven for this, you better make up some emergency that involves a hospital and kids. And blood. Lots of blood. Everyone is so angry at him that I don’t think I can fix it for him.”
Terri chose to ignore what he was saying. “Did you get the boxes to my father?”
“Yeah. He didn’t know where the two of you were. You two aren’t... You know, are you?”
“No, we’re not.” Her teeth were clamped together. “Okay, thanks for this. We’ll get her tent set up first thing in the morning.”
“Terri, Stacy is a nice girl. She doesn’t deserve—”
“Thanks!” Terri clicked off her phone.
For a while, she and Nate rode in silence. Terri knew she should be thinking about how to make up everything to Stacy, but what blared in her mind was “Last