¥showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks¥
In which Jackie Routledge and her group of friends from the south side of Outer Banks try to have the summer of their lives, but end up it being filled with mystery, tragedy, risks, adventure...
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{Closure}
We crept quietly toward Kie's house, heading straight for her dad's truck. "He's not in there. We're good," JJ whispered to Kie and me, peeking into the truck. "Are you sure about this? Little Dad Theft Auto?" he asked with a grin.
Kie just shook her head. "No," she muttered, looking less than thrilled.
"All right, here we go. Go, go, go," JJ urged as he opened the gate. Kie snuck in first, and JJ closed it behind her, taking a position behind the fence to keep watch.
I leaned back against the truck, a smile playing on my lips as I spoke up. "Once all this is over, I'm treating myself to a spa day with my share of the money."
JJ chuckled beside me. "I'm going to buy us a nice house by the ocean, and get all kinds of stuff for the baby," he said with a gleam in his eye.
"Like a baby cot? A playpen? Car seat?" I asked softly, my smile widening.
"And a little surfer's outfit that says 'My dad is the best surfer,'" he added proudly.
I giggled at the thought. "That'll be amazing."
I placed my hand on his, feeling a warmth spread through me. "You're going to teach him or her how to surf... and fix a car."
He nodded confidently. "They'll be the next best surfer."
We exchanged a quiet, excited look, both of us lost in the vision of our future. But before we could talk more, Kie came back out, her face sad as she tossed the keys to JJ. "Come on," she said, sliding into the backseat.
JJ got in the driver's seat, and I climbed into the passenger seat as we drove off. A few minutes later, we pulled up at the Chateau.
"This'll only take a sec," JJ said, hopping out of the truck. "I think it's in the surf shack."
As he ran toward the shack, he tripped over some wires and fell flat on his face. Kie burst out laughing as I poked my head out of the passenger window.
"You okay, babe?" I called, laughing too.
"I'm good," JJ assured us, picking himself up and running toward the shack again.
Kie and I sat in the truck in silence as we waited. But after a few minutes, JJ still hadn't returned. I honked the horn. "JJ!"
Moments later, JJ appeared, shoving his father against the side of the truck. My eyes widened in shock. "What the frick? No. Immediately, no," Kie and I both said, hopping out of the truck.
"Just get in the truck," JJ ordered, but I ignored him, my eyes fixed on Luke.
"I'm sorry. The Twinkie's stuck right now, JJ," Kie argued as Luke climbed into the backseat.
"What's the plan?" Kie asked, clearly upset.
"Listen, okay? I need to get to the Marina at the Island Club. There's a boat there, and he can take it. You've got the sticker on your truck. Twenty minutes, that's all I need," Luke said, trying to explain himself.
