Firefly Island

7/30/2019 Firefly Island

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Firefly Island A Novel

Lisa Wingate

5


3/43

2013 by W M d , LLC

Publ h d by B h y Hou Publ h r11400 H mp h r Av u Sou hBloom o , M o 55438www.b h yhou .com

B h y Hou Publ h r d v o o B k r Publ h Group, Gr d R p d , M ch

Pr d h U d S o Am r c

All r h r rv d. No p r o h publ c o m y b r produc d, or d r r v lsystem, or transmitted in any orm or by any means or example, electronic, photocopy,r cord w hou h pr or wr p rm o o h publ h r. Th o ly xc p o

br quo o pr d r v w .

L br ry o Co r C lo - -Publ c o DW , L .

F r y l d / L W .p. cm.

Summ ry: A wh rlw d rom c d l p o hh m d M lloryH l mo h r d r ch r w m llow T x . C h urv v hw ld dv ur ?Prov d d by publ h r.

ISBN 978-0-7642-0823-2 (pbk.)1. Wom pro o l mploy W h o (D.C.)F c o . 2. L

ch v F c o . 3. R ch l T x F c o . 4. L d u F c o .5. Pol c l corrup o F c o . I. T l .PS3573.I53165F57 2013813.54dc23 2012035228

U l o h rw d c d, Scr p ur quo o r rom h K J m V r o o h B bl .

Scripture quotation at the start o chapter twenty-one is rom the Holy Bible, NewI r o l V r o . Copyr h 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by B b l c , I c. U dby p rm o o Zo d rv . All r h r rv d worldw d . www.zo d rv .com.

Th work o c o . N m , ch r c r , c d , d d lo u r produc o the authors imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual

v or p r o , l v or d d, r ly co c d l.

Cov r d by A dr Gj ldum

Au hor r pr d by S rl Lord L r c

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


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When we no longer know which way to go,we have begun our real journey.

W d ll B rry(Wr o h W ll o W dom,

W rb rd B d Groc ry, Mo L k , T x )

Chapter 1

Th r r m wh l cur or o bl k p , bl k-ing in a rhythm a bit like an electronic heartbeat, tapping out qu o hr l l word .

Wh .Com .N x ?T m d p c d l w or w r. A bl k p oc o po b l .

Th produc r rom CNN w o k ow how I d d uph r . D d I r l z , wh I r d h h , wh r wouldl d?

The cursor would like an answer to that question. Orm yb ch ll m . A w k d o h r b .A w k d l l chuckl h y ,Go ahead and try. I l k o o ho b d jok old by lo ly r v l l m

ho l lou :What do a milk cow, an Irish love legend,and a political scandal have in common . . . ?Bu I could m k h u up I r d, much l x-

pl . I r ju o look ou h w dow, c h DC


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kyl h m ou o pl c ow, d l ool m whispers, Its summertime, Mallory. Its balmy out herecan

you eel it? Dont you hear the crickets chirring and the hensplucking June bugs o the porch?

I let mysel sink into the antasy, let it wrap around melike a com ortable old shirtthe oversized sort with the neck

or ou d h br c w h d o m y m h h bl ch d b r d h lo o o ly m r o color

cl o d v du l hr d .I m h I m hom , o h r DC. I h r h w -r o Mo L k l pp h hor , l h rhy hm o

beneath my eet. My eyes all closed, and I drink in the water-scented Texas air, the oleander blooming, the sound o smallbare eet tramping up the hallway, a avorite blanket draggingb h d. Th ho y- w o umm r mor .

Im r dy o cuddl k obby-k d l l body my l p,snuggle a case o bedhead under my chin, eel the so t, downyh r ckl my ck, h r h r u y br h o mor -

b or h r y d o lk or k qu o or cthe rest o the world. Im aching or all the things I never

hou h Id w , or h pl c h h wou d w y ov rm l k h lk o w b, o y ro . I m pr o r o

, co w y I could v r h v m d. I rhow qu ckly l c b comyour l , d how h rd youll

h or wh om o r o k w y.CNNs Washington Bureau wants the story in my own

words, so the anchor can prep or the interview. Theyre look- or d l , h ju cy or h w ll pull v w r . Th y

wonder i I had any idea Id end up here. Theyre not the rstones to ask; inquiring minds all over the world want to know.

For CNN, youll do things you wouldnt do or anyone else.Youll attempt to atten your li e like a map, smooth yourh d ov r , l o h h d h wr kl . So I pu


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my h d o h k ybo rd d ry o o b ck o h b -, o l ll h w y ov r h ccord o - old d h o

m mory d d y h r o y rlo w ld r d , hr cor r o h m p.Th r m I w D l Ev r o , I w cr mbl o

the oor o the Capitol building among papers and stickyo , ry o r c ully m qu bov - h -

k r h k r d pump h w r pr c c l ou h oy,Im serious about my work, y h h ou h o wh p r,

I am woman, hear me roar. The suit was my avoritetheper ect thing to wear while posing or an early-morning con-

r o l pho o o h C p ol p .The papers skittering along the marble oor were in direct

con ict with the upwardly mobile ashion choices. They said,This girls an idiot .

Look l k bomb w o h r . Th moo h, d pvoice with just a hint o baritone was hardly welcome just

h . N h r w h ob rv o . Bomb jok o Th H llare generally considered bad decorum, even early in the morn-

wh h our h v v d d h pl c drov y .Ive got it, I answered in the at, perhaps slightly hostile

tone o a girl still sensitive about the idea that her atherm h h v h d om h o do w h h r l d w jobas a legislative assistant in a senior congressmans ofce. Isquat-stepped sideways, slid a little on the slick oor, thenslapped my hand over ve sheets o the massive Clean EnergyB ll, ow p pp r d w h y llow d cr bbl d o the margin, and headed or revisions, an exhaustive proo ng,

d dupl c o . Now Id h v o coll h h by h db or I could v work o .

A gust o air whooshed pastthe result o the nearbyrenovations to the Capitol buildingand I heard papers

umbl o h c v r ou p c o h ro u d . A l


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cherry blossom cartwheeled past in a strange sort o slowmo o . Two m d rk u , d r p co v r -

o , c rcumv d m I w r v bl . A h o p p rw rbor d uck l o my r r d. I r ch d orit, playing an odd game o solo Twister, one hand holding

h p p r o h oor, h o h r r ch or h p c hw w d d my b ck d . My r c u h juas another sheet slid past. I pinned that one beneath myr m oo .

Hold o m u . Th m vo c h ld r dly l llaugh in the undertone. I tried to place the accent. Michi-

, m yb Yoop r rom h Upp r P ul , or m ybup N w York. Could b C d . H vo c h d c

ou d. W rm d h ck, lmo mu c l. H l d ov r dgrabbed the smattering o papers Id pinned to the oor. Iimagined what he was seeinga blonde in a pencil skirt,

r ch d ov r h l l k p d r.I cro d my m d h h b ll w r h rom m rk-up

session and de nitely not or public consumption. Techni-cally, it was my job to protect it, and when your newly retired

h r h p h l h lobby bu , you k owthat there are always people skulking around, hoping orl k . No. R lly. Iv o u d r co rol, I d.

I c h . H l d h p p r rom b h my oo ,shu ed them into a stack, and squatted down to tap them on

h oor. H d h m b ck, h look d m d m l d,d ju ho cl c bl ck- d-wh mov o l -

night cable, the world stood still. I heard the rising crescendoo mu c h would ccomp y uch c , h vy o h

rump d v ol .Daniel Webster Eversonyes, that was his real name,

though I didnt know it yethad the most beauti ul green eyesI h d v r . Fr m d by h ck, bl ck l h , h y m d


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to glow with an inner light that was almost otherworldly.H h r w w vy d d rk, lo ou h o curv rou d

his collar, too nontraditional or Congress. He was wear- u r h r w ll, I m h dd. Bl ck w h p l blu

button-down chambray shirt and a airly sedate navy-and-gray striped tie. I wondered what his business was here. Lob-byist? Tourist whod somehow sneaked in early? Consultant?

I wondered how in the world a person could have eyesh h d .

I wo d r d h wor color- h c d co c .I wo d r d h h r w yp y.Or c or.He looked like a gypsy-slash-actor. The guy who would

play the prince o Persia, or the pirate king, or the Jedi Knight.I wo d r d h w m rr d.I wo d r d h w d oget m rr d. Ev r. A y m

h x d c d would b . R lly. Id w .D d h l v h r , or w h ju v ? D d h l k urry

little kittens and children? Did he visit his mother on Sundays?W h curl h b ck o h h r ur l? Sur ly w one o those horribly outdated man-perms my riend Kaylynr rr d o merms ?

D d h l k I l ood? W h I l ?H could b I l . . . .Or a baseball player. A pro essional baseball player. He

look d hl c. Co r m lov d o v pro hl or b h d- h - c our . . . .

I mentally cycled through all those questions in the space o , b or h h d d m h h o p p r, jo d

into the rotunda to gather up the rest, and returned themwith a smile as I was regaining my eet and trying to reelup my bottom lip. I reached or some intelligent thought,some clever comment that might indicate that this brush with


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klu z w ju r dom c d I w om d zyofc , h r d b c u o my d zzl b u y d h

w y I look d r h k r d ood p r o Sp x.But all I could think was, hubba-hubba . And all I could

m o y w , Th k . I l my l blu h , wh ch,or a thirty- our-year-old, city-wise girl whod sworn o rela-

o h p vor o pol c l p r o , w y om -h . Th ( h po ) m l Good S m r w

the most incredibly good-looking guy Id ever seen, not in theh o mod l or o w y, bu h r w ju . . . om h .

Fireworks, I believe my great-grandmother would have called.Mallory , h l k d o y, po h k obby r dm

nger at me, a smart woman doesnt settle for a man, justto have a man. Thats like buying shoes just because theyrecheap. I they dont ft, what good are they?

You wait or freworks.Gr - r dm Lou w rom h holy c y o Ch rl -

ton, South Carolina, the only southerner in the amily, anenigma o sorts. She believed in misty-eyed platitudes. O -

ered up in that long, slow Southern drawl o hers, theysounded delight ul and sweet, like a taste o mayhaw jamor honey butter. She supported the idea o skyrockets and

h m o b .Id always thought the notion charming but sadly outdated,

u l h d y I m D l W b r Ev r o . My h r u -r d my r b l k bu r y r pp d . I h d

the eeting thought that surely he could see it. In that instant,over the jumbled carcass o the Clean Energy Bill, we seemed

o b dr w o h r by om v bl orc w bo h dbu could . H l . I ju k w h d d.

A d h , ll o udd , h h r d my y com-pletely. His wristwatchone o those geeky plastic digitalkind with a million buttons and gadgetsbeeped, he checked


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, h m l d, w h d m up ur my d y, d hurr dou o my l . L v m d h r , ll l h ly pl y-

oo d d p chl .I toddled o , juggling the Clean Energy Bill like an unruly

baby and eeling either rejected or teased by ate, or both.On the heels o that thought, there was a still, small voicedrumming out mantras rom the stack o sel -help booksId r d c mov o DC d h k o h du o myl mplod d r l o h p. I w h lo Id v r d d

yo , d h o ly r o Id y d wo y r c r rbl ck hol h U.S. Co ul M l . Id p h l

mo h o h m ry o d r c ul w y o xw hou d ppo v ryo hop h , my m ly ,h m ly .

Wh your ov r h r y, l , d you d om o ormore than six months, everybody decides this must be theone, the (somewhat delayed) start o the marriage-and- amilyphase o li e. But some people really arent picket- ence-and-two-point- ve-kids material. Id always known that I wasb r u d o c r r. Pol c l l r u d m . I r l h dthe power, the sense o doing something world-changing andimportant, the mystery o deal making behind the scenes. Likethe underground rail system that connected the Capitol to

h Co r o l d S ofc bu ld , h pl c wlaced with hidden connections, and I delighted in guring

h m ou . Th w h l I w m or.My mo h r h d h d w h p o . Sh hou h I

hould b look or u bl m , p r cul rly my .In Mothers amily, women married in uence; they didnt

k or h m lv . Sh d h d h r w y w h my our old rr , bu I would b h o who w d r , who brok

h mold, who b c m d l m k r my l .Y , I or d my curr ck o p p r d pu b ck


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together like Humpty Dumpty, I was thinking o the guyrom h ro u d . Th o w h h r y d h h ck,

boy h l h .We would make beauti ul babies together. We really would.I ou d my l wo d r Id k wro ur

cro ro d o by l h m w lk w y w hou word.Silly, o course. He wasnt interested, or he wouldnt have le tm or b p wr w ch.

When I dropped by my apartment to change clothes be oreh d o h ym h h , I c ll d my r Trudy hone closest to my age, but still ve years older. Trudy wasteetering on the backside o thirty-nine and undergoing inv ro r m . Tod y, h w r lly r d h r-ing about the guy in the rotunda. She was headed back to thedoc or omorrow o d ou h l rou d h d work d.T m .

You could b l k ho p opl who h d x ll o c ,I d, d Trudy ro d.

W d ju b h ppy o o , m yb wo. I ju w ob om o mommy, you k ow?

Yeah, I know. I didnt, really. Maybe it was being theb by o h m ly, bu Id v r b oo co d h Idbe any good at handling the care and eeding o anotherperson. I you ailed as a mom, youd end up on an a ternoon

lk how om d y, d d your l ro o m ll o .Trudys li e seemed pretty good to me, actually. She had a

ucc ul hu b d d mpor bu , bu o o m r d. Sh w d b by, d h l ck o o w ll hcould lk bou .

I nally gave up on the conversation and headed o toh ym. My l l c o r d w h r r j c l k m ,

who couldnt nd anything better to do a ter work. Wedcl v rly dubb d our lv hGymies. Mo d y w d d


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up working out and then hitting the restaurant across thestreet or French ried onions and Philly melts. Seems counter-

produc v , bu wh your mpl rou d-rob p ddiscussing career hits and misses as i you really matter to

h u c o o h r world, you do l o much l kyour Lov Bo uck dry dock.

I ended up telling Kaylyn about the guy in the rotundar h r h co d, om wh dly, h h w m

h d b y h r vor co hop h d ur d ouo b dud. M rr d, hr k d . Gor ou w .

Sh pull d br h wh I m o d h ro u d xp r -c , d h uy. Ohhh, Ill b h Ir h, h br h d.

I S . P r ck D y, you k ow.I paused with a bite o pie hal way to my mouth, uncertain

what one thing had to do with the other. Did Irish peoplemove about more readily on St. Patricks Day? Take it in theirm d o udd ly v h h llow d h ll o Co r ? Hdidnt look Irish. More . . . Italian, maybe. Or . . . gypsy. I

h k h w yp y. Or Sco h l rd.Kaylyn rolled her eyes. Dont be making un o my books.

Kaylyn was hopelessly hooked on romance novels. Wedknown each other since prep school, and even back then,

h d h d h r o book. Sh k w h m h r l-li e nameso the guys dressed as cowboys, knights, andh hl d w rr or o h cov r .

I w . I hould r- ud d h r. Who w I o cr c z ,r lly? A l h uy K yly rom c ov l h d -

r y. Th y ll lov d y d h w y, u l k o m yo the people I worked with. Li e around the movers andshakers could make you cynical a ter a while. I think its

r o b rom c.K yly odd d h r pprov l, h r p r l l o cru ch-

. Mmm-hmm. D d you r d Taming the Texan y ?


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I wasnt sure whether to con ess that the books shed loanedm w r h r du my p r m . Acro h bl ,

Jo h, ll wo hu dr d d h y pou d o h m, w o c w ch K yly hrou h lov ck y . Ev hou h

h y h r d ofc o w r comp y, h w hl b rom c lly cl d ow rd poor Jo h. H d d look y h l k h r vor cov r mod l .

I . . . uhhh . . . r d . Th r w om ood . . . h -ory, I h d d. Th m d b ou h r po .

K yly w pl d. I old you o. Sh l d h r r wrom her cup and sipped drips rom the end while Josh watched

w ully. W u l I v youHis Irish Bride . I o ood.You know that i two people meet on St. Patricks Day, theyred d, r h ? Th why I k d h uy w Ir h.

So, it only works or Irish people? I raised an eyebrow tod c h I w o w y b uck d o y pr m

h c m rom u d p p rb ck.Im ur work or ybody. S or , h h d

y oo h d d pp d h r r w b ck o h l . Exc pcy c . Amy A hl y do h r r rch, by h w y.

Who Amy A hl y?Kaylyn wheeled a hand as in, Pay attention here . She wrote

His Irish Bride . Sh wo R d r P ck o h Y r, l k , vm . Sh do h r r rch.I w p u , pr d o d r o h w dom o

Amy A hl y. All r h , ll r h . Bu h odd o my ruinto the rotunda guy again are a million to one. Ive neverseen him around be ore. He was probably a tourist romH ck ck. A yw y, Im o cy c. Im ju . . . r l c.Is that so wrong? But Im not Irish, either, so I dont suppose

m r . I h k youd h v o b Ir h or h S . P r ckDay thing to work. I threw a peanut across the table. Whatdo you h k, Jo h?


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Jo h h lp d h m l o h p u d pr d d o h kbou . W could . Throw h h d b ck d h

rm ou , h m l d d d, K m . Im Ir h.K yly roll d h r y d po d h r w m .

All right, how about we just put our money where ourmou h r . I b h rl c d h r h d d pl dtwo ngersa years supply o romance novels that you see

h uy , d h h k you ou b or h mo h ov r.

Your o , r. L u h , I uck ou my h d o lh d l. I w mbl yp , bu m d l k x-r m ly w r.

Across the table, Josh was shaking his head with an ex-pr o o or bod .

He knew how many romance novels Kaylyn could read y r.


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My beloved is mine, and I am his. So o Solomo 2:16

(L o h W ll o W dom by Bl d H h r, proud wow r , H rmo y Shor B d d Br k , Mo L k )

Chapter 2

Lov m y pl dor d h . Th r mor cl c h -ory o h phr , Im ur , bu I l r d rom S ralbumthe old- ashioned vinyl kind my ather played on an

ugly console stereo that looked like something out o The Jetsons .

Th h r my x h b r hd y p r y, h o u dm rom my b d. I mov d o h l d l door , pull dback the curtain, and saw my ather out or a late-night swim,

ry o co x my mo h r o h pool. Sh w curl d chaise lounge, wearing a long, lmy negligee. The eather-edged sleeve oated diaphanous and light on the breeze as shepl y ully l pp d h h d w y. L u h , h l h r h d

ll h cu h o , h r z r o h rry h .Sh v r w h m com . W hou w r , h coop d

h r o h ch r d c rr d h r cro h p o h pro-

tested, squealed, and told him what shed do to him i heru d h r w lou w r. H or d h r compl ly dw p h r r h dow h p d o h w r, d p

blue under the smoky patio lights. The hem o her nightgown


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oated to the sur ace, her body and his disappearing into thed rk b low h k d h r.

Id v r my p r b h v uch h o , v reven considered whether they kissed or hugged or got roman-

c l k h Br dy d d o r oo c bl r ru . Bu rw ch h m h pool, I k w h lov r lly could b

h w y w h mov . From h h o , I b l v d h po b l y. Ev Id v r b lucky ou h o d

h r h uy, I clu o y r h m d m w hk d o y. All o my l ll, m ll vo c h d bwh p r my r,I it can happen to Mom, it can hap-pen to anyone.

My mo h r w bou , prop r, d pr c c l woman could get. I she could be swept o her eet, anybodycould.

I was o my eet almost rom the moment I met DanielW b r Ev r o . Bo h h l r l d h ur v

. I w d kl ru or ubw y r h d ya ter the spilled-bill incident, and I was wearing a walkingc l r h w k wh I hobbl d o h ofc o J mV. F b r, ho or bl co r m rom Ark . Two p

h door, d I ou d my l o c c o c w hh r l r y I r m mb r d rom h ro u d .

Congressman Fabers home district was big in poultryproduction and processing. Daniel was a biochemist working

or h USDA, v Th H ll F b r r qu o d cusome particulars in a pork-barrel (or in this case poultry-barrel) rider to a bill working its way through committee. Iddropped by Fabers ofce to personally pick up a LOILettero Intentthat would make Faber a cosponsor or my bosssCl E r y B ll.

Sufce to say that a reakish alignment o legislationbrou h m o h r w h D l Ev r o or co d m .


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Or p rh p w h Ir h l d.Choo o b l v u you, bu God do cr oul

mates, and Daniel Webster Everson was mine. I knew it romthe rst time I saw him, and by the second time, I knew Ik w .

I limped into his li e once again carrying an armload o papers. Daniel glanced up rom the leather so a in Fabersreceiving area and noticed my uneven walk and the cast,

r c v ly mb ll h d w h Sh rp dr w by ofc co-work r d h Gym .

Looks like things havent quite taken that upturn yet,h ob rv d. V ry u o h m. Th h l u h d o ly d

m l d, d I or v h m or m k l h o my u h o -bl u o .

I o c d ho boy hly h ck l h . A d h m l .I I h d o d K yly rom c ov l h b or y r, or

, I h d o k ow who h w .Its been that kind o week, I admitted. Month, actually.Th r w h o om h h y , qu ckly

car passing at the other end o an alley, but I saw it. A look thatd,Yeah, me too. That kind o week . . . month . . . year.

I h d h ck o p p r o o my h p d r d o lookas though one arm wasnt slowly growing longer than theo h r. My oo w hur . I d d o o . Th doc-

or h d pr cr b d l m d w lk or coupl w k wh lh kl h l d. You c l m your w lk o Th H ll,

not and be in the know. Its a big place. My position as alegislative assistant put me about hal way up the congres-

o l l dd r. Th r w r pl y o you k d hu ryor dv c m , d ch o h m h d wo ood . My

o ly dv w ch rm d h c h , v hou h Idr d or o ym y, word h d o rou d. P opl k w

who my h r w .


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Lisa Wingate

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D l ood up l k h d b pu h d ou o h bya loose spring. He reached or the documents. Here. You

look l k you could u om h lp w h ho .The rest was history, or a whirlwind, depending on your

point o view. I asked about Daniel; he asked about me. Fabersp r o l v u rr d look or muddy up congressional ofce with an obvious irtation. We exchangedbu c rd b or D l h d d or co ul o F -bers ofce. A ter hed passed the snotty personal assistant, heturned around, pointed at her and made a ace, then mouthed,Ill call you , w d k ow ch o h r or v r.

Th rouchy l dy w v l d r look ov r h r hould r.D l m d how o ur rou d d h d or hco r m door.

I l d.I ll lov .My kl d d hur ymor , b c u I w d

o . I w o w ch o h rou d.W h our hour , my r y c d I w r h v d r

with Daniel at a hole-in-the-wall Italian place with decor thatw v Doll r S or . I d d m d. Th ood w ood,

d h d k m v ry lo o ur ou h my wlyd cov r d pr c , my yp y k , my rom c ov l cov rguy was, un ortunately, airly broke. He had a masters degree

b och m ry, wo y r o u v r y r rch xp r c ,two years o interesting stories rom having traveled the worlddoing crop science or an under unded non-governmentalor z o , d coupl y r o ch xp r c c y coll . H r c ly cqu r d po o h USDA whis rst real eight-to- ve job. He also had a healthy supply o

ud lo , m d c l b ll rom c r cc d w y rback, and a three-and-a-hal -year-old son who, that particularw k, w Oh o w h r dp r .


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I w lo o k o r d . I h d l hD l d d u u lly h r o much orm o o qu ckly.

I wo d r d how much o h l h orm lly o r d up owom h d ju m . Th I ou d my brow y o little green over the idea that he met other women. Ever. I

l r ly po v .That didnt matter, as it turned out. For the next two weeks,

w w r o h r v ry v . Bo h o u k w w d d w o yo l .

Kaylyn started hounding me to pay her romance novelbills and to admit that Amy Ashleys Irish love legend hadv l d y. Ir h m c d , h h b or D l o wto come home, I was worried. Other than roughhousing withmy c d h m roubl w h h r mo h r , Ihad no idea what to do with children o any size, particularly

o hr - d- -h l -y r-old. A d rom h , Id rowup m ly ull o rl . Boy w r compl my ry.

I was trying not to classi y little Nick as a stumbling block,bu o lo d or bod h d b u dl m ,

v hou h I d d w o. I w m ur o h k o pr chool r h comp o , bu I l k d h h w y

they were. Li e with Daniel was . . . per ect. We were per ect. Ju h wo o u .

I hated mysel or having that thought. I really did. I knewall about Nick. He was adorablea towheaded version o h d d. Id look d h p c ur D l p r m . Idlaughed at many a Nick story over dinners and lunchesw h D l. Id ood h doorw y o N ck room whD l w look , ud d N ck oy d h l l r cc r b d, ry o m h m h r . Id ymp h z d w hD l wh h d u l d m u d r h ch d brood dbecause Nick had started to notice that other kids in daycare got picked up by their mothers. Nick wanted his mother


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o p ck h m up. N ck d d h v mo h r. No h yocould , yw y.

Nicks mother doesnt ever get in touch? I asked, try- o p c ur h r. Th r w r o pho o o h r D l

apartment. I suspected that was intentional. Daniels acer v l d obv ou p wh v r N ck mom c m up co v r o . Sh do k o h m?

A sigh de ated his chest beneath my cheek. She didntw k d . Sh o h r work. Th b r h vo cworried me, i I wasnt worried enough already. I alreadyknew that Nicks mother worked or an oil company andtraveled around the world. Nick wasnt planned, he added.

I wasnt planned, either, but my mom didnt just walk outon me, I said, and then admonished mysel or overstepping.

I wh . D l rm h d rou d m way that made me eel good. I was reassured that I hadnt

d h wro h . I r d o m N ck mom. Ico jur d m o x cu v . I my m d h w ll,svelte, with the ace and body o a ashion model. Blond,probably, judging by Nicks hair. He didnt get that romh h r.

Its just harder now that hes asking, you know? Danielshand slid up and down my arm, raising a pleasant tingleo my k . I l xp c o h c r , D lword , h b c o N ck mo h r. Th r w mp y

p c o b ll d h r , or bo h D l d N ck. Bu Id mD l o ly wo w k o. How could h r o u po blyk ow wh h r I w h p r o o ll ?

I wasnt a very likely candidate. I I met Nick now, we mightonly be setting him up or disappointment. On the other hand,i I didnt meet Nick, how would I continue to spend timewith Daniel? With no relatives living nearby, Daniel was a

ull-time single dad. The last two weeks had been an anomaly.


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R l l w h d d h w y, ly r pp d c r h b ck o h r dp r m v .

I do u u lly l h m . . . m p opl , D l o r d,and I elt sick. He was having second thoughts, trying to gen-

ly ll m h w d d o cool or wh l . M yb owthat Nick was coming back, Daniel was rethinking things al-together. Now that there was a child involved, perhaps Danielwas sensing the thing that men seemed to pick up on innately:I was hopelessly nondomestic. I couldnt even make macaroni

d ch , h box d k d.I understand. I k w h w h corr c r po , bu I

couldnt orce the words out. I elt another unwanted stabo competitiveness toward little Nick. Looking across theroom, I ook p c ur o h m dr d G j r y,

m v oo b ll h lm h d h c h dow, o h

o ly hu m l how d. I v o d my l o qu l k NFL l m d k ock h m o h pl yld. I w b r h h w . . . .The thought was reprehensible, o course. It was only proo

o what I already knew: I was the spoiled, sel -centered, over-indulged, late-in-li e baby o the amily and would never growup. Compl ly hop l .

So . . . then . . . what . . . What are you saying? Whatdoes this mean? What do you want me to say? I r ch d upand rubbed my eyebrows, then pinched hard, a little pulsethrumming beneath my ngertips. The Im-not-going-to-cry l u my hro . D l p r would b h r

omorrow, ro d w ry r dr v rom Oh o, d o h rw y o v h r o h r r dk d . D l d I h d lr dyestablished that this wasnt the best time or me to meet them.Theyre a little touchy because of Nick, hed explained. NowD l w h v cold , oo.


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H old ou h h h o c h , D lr m rk d v u ly.

Things? My voice trembled a little, just getting thatmuch ou . I l l k I w rop d rk room, w

or Freddy Krueger to jump rom the shadows and slashmy h r wo. A o h r r l o h p m ru omd m .

A o l l l u h- or ru d my h r d my hou h .Now I was completely con used. Daniel ound this unny?I was dying here. Yeah, like the other day on the phone,he asked me why some people at Nanbees and Grandpashave one name, and some people have two. The second cous-ins, even the teenagers, who seem like grown-ups to him,

r A , Chr , Corr , d Z ck, bu h r - u du cl r Au T mmy, U cl C rl, d o o . Th ur ryladies at their church are Miss Lori and Miss Teresa. Hes

ll co u d.Oh. So w I ll co u d.Daniel shi ted on the so a, orcing me to sacri ce the warm

spot under his chin, so I could see him. Those eyes, thosebeauti ul green eyes, took me in. They were so pensive, soconcerned, as i an invasion o the Daddy-body-snatchersh d ol w y my yp y k .

I elt every heartbeat in my chest, elt the teary lump risingd row mor mm by h m u .Please dont say

it. Please dont say it .So, yw y, I w h k . . . h b .Here it comes, here it comes. I braced mysel . Or tried.

For om r o , pp o Jo h d K yly v d o- mprogrammer talk raced through my mind. Shields, shields,raise the de ector shields . . .

. . . what do you think he should call you? Daniel nished.I . . . huh? My disembodied sel melted back into the


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carcass o the highlighted-blond, brown-eyed girl on the so a.Seriously? I w d o y.You scared me to death or that?

I pretended to have a tickle in my throat and somethingin my eye. In reality, tears o joy had begun to seep onto

h br d o my o . Sorry. I mu h v o wh o something. I anned mysel , my body hot, then cold, then hot

. My o h. I w cr zy bou h m . How w hpo bl r o ly coupl w k ? I do k ow. I h d

hou h bou .Because I know absolutely nothing aboutkids. To my nieces, I was just a big kidsomeone un to playw h, bu compl ly u l m l m or b h m .

D l cr ch d h p o h ck, m o o zov r h qu o . I ju h . . . w ll . . . how v r w h m r d, h wh ll b or v r. K d r cr ur o h b , you k ow?

I odd d. Nop , d d k ow. Th whol u h d v rv cro d my y l l m d, or could I r lly ocu o

it now. I was still stuck on one word o that sentence: forever .Forever, orever, orever .

Why do you p ck? I u d. Im ok y w h wh -v r you d c d .

Whoops. I instantly sensed that Id given the wrong answer.He looked disappointedas i Id blown o something heconsidered important, indicating that I didnt understand theweight o it. Okay, let me think a minute. I said . Think.Think, think, think . . .

Im not his aunt. Im not his mother. Well, not yet, but a girlcan dream. These were changing times, but I had always beentaught that children didnt call adults by their rst names.My mother ound the amiliar way my older nieces spoke

o m o b compl ly d ul. S c h y would uAunt Mallory , h h d mp d o co v r h m oTanteM , h Fr ch word oraunt , wh ch, h r v w, h d r r


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h p o . I w op, u l h c w r ry o m . Th , wh Mo h r k d whod p ll d Kool-A d

o h k ch oor d l d o w p up, h yd c ll ou ,Tante M did it, w h mph o h Fr ch.

It crossed my mind that whenever I did nally work upthe guts to con ess to my mother that I was seriously dat-

d vorc d uy w h hr - d- -h l -y r-old o which time she would rown gravely and remind me that Iw r c ly ou o wo-y r r l o h p h would obe impressed i Daniels preschool-aged child was calling meby my r m .

How about Tante M? Its French or aunt . Its sort o a weird handle my mother made up. She hates it when the

c c ll m by my r m .T M. D l l ck d h l p , h word.I watched his lips, elt mysel swoon. Everything about him

l m up l k Chr m r . H h d v r d o puh mov o m , wh ch, co d r h h w DC, whock . D l w p r c l m , old- h o d

his view o things. I ound that as charming as everything elsebou h m. Id lmo lo h h h r w r uy l k hrou d ymor , bu d p d m , h r w h m

o my p r rom c h pool. Id lw y k ow hc u l r l o h p w r o ub u or ru lov d l -

m comm m . A d rom h , Gr - r dm Louhad avidly assured us girls that a man does not buy the cow i h c h m lk or r . You do or m l ml k h o . Ev r.

But we can pick something else i you dont think thatm ood. M yb h hou h h whol or l u

h w dorky.He shi ted, bracing a hand on the so a arm and leaning

toward me. I dont know. Im not sure I want some other


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man talking to you in French. His voice was throaty andr ch. You m h l k h m b r h you l k m .

Not possible, I whispered, and he kissed me, and thestorm o worry in my mind whirled o into a corner, growing

m ll r d m ll r, u l w ju l l w rl, l k w rp dow h dr r ho b h.

Not possible that I could like someone better than you.I om h dd p r o my oul, I k w hlike w hword I m . I d d ju like D l. I w lov v ryw y rl could b . I wo w k w oo oo o b u

h word, I could h lp . Th w . Th Amy A hl yrom c ov l k d o lov . I w d o b h Ir h br d .

No o h r m I would v r m could po bly m k ml l k h , I w c r .

But as it turned out, little Nick took a pretty good stab at itthe very next day. I liked him the minute we met, over a picnico r d ch ck d o y po o w d . Id b bur

h m d h o l work, d h b I could do w qu ckbrown-bag dinner in Bartholdi Park. I was, at least, newlyou o h w lk c , o h roll ov r w o probl m.

Nick was not only adorable, he was unny, articulate,andperhaps because he elt the absence o a mom in hisli esurprisingly attuned to women. Moments a ter we met,h old m h l k d my h r. Id l dry w vy h d y, dhe said it was princess hair . I ell in love. While Nick explored

h o ly r ckl w r ur rby, I old h h r hh d comp o or my c o .

Figures. Daniel let his head droop orward, his shouldersrounding in a display o surrender. Nick always gets the

rl . You hould h m d y c r .I h k your do ll r h your l . I r ch d o o

my tiptoes or a kiss while Nick wasnt looking. The nexth I k w, om h w pu h o my k , ry o


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orc m w y rom D l. A l r, I r l z d h was Nick, and that wed been caught. Guilt sledgehammered

me. Id watched the talk shows. I knew that this rst meetingshould have been about getting acquainted in a nonthreaten-

w y h w y or N ck o dju o. L h h l hour together, and Id blown it already. He hated me. Stepaway from my daddy, the pressure o that little hand said.Who do you think you are, strange-princess-hair-woman?

Daniel and I yielded to the push in unison. There was ah d pr o h l , oo. Wh w look d dow , N ckw po d b w u l k y A l , ry o hold woworlds apart. Daniel cleared his throat, obviously uncom ort-

bl . H v m worr d look. I w orry h w h d waited or a less rushed time to begin introductions withN ckm yb llow d h m w d y o r ccl m o DC.

Sorry, buddy, Daniel said, and Nick just rolled a lookat himthe kind o honest scorn that comes rom a littlepsyche not yet attuned to hiding eelings in order to make

v ryo l w rm d uzzy.W d r lly cr w d up.Daniel extended a hand to take Nicks. Cmon, bud. Lets

o h w r.I took a step back. Now would probably be a good time to

exit, since this hadnt gone so well. I should . . . ummm . . .I thumbed over my shoulder, wincing apologetically. Gob ck o . . .

I v r h d h c . Th mo m z h h p-pened, and in that moment, I elt certain that angels must havebeen swirling overhead. They smiled down on us as Nick turned

o m , h c r o h l h , h blu y r m d w hhis athers thick lashes. He reached upward, ngers extended,

ll o h m, r h y would o, d h p c o h r b , I u d r ood h h w d m o p ck h m up.


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D l d I l c d ch o h r, d h ju hru d.W ll, I c Im co d-r .

I picked Nick up, swinging him onto my hip somewhatwkw rdly, bu h d d m o o c . I d, h h d

an over-the-shoulder smirk at his dad, a pleased look withperhaps a hint o gloat in it. Daniel grinned wider and shookh h d, d rk curl oy r h y brow. I h k om -ones a ter my best g-i-r-l. He spelled the last word, andN ck qu d h m, ry o d c r h m .

I l l k qu , l k rock r, l k up rmod l w hadoring ans crowding in at the edges o the catwalk, ghtingov r m . N ck w pu h m w y rom h d d. H wpu h h d d w y rom m .

Nick wrapped his little arms around my shoulders, androm h mom o , w w r r d . H qu ckly d cov-

ered that although I didnt know how to properly cut upa hot dog into toddler bites and I could not even begin toname the characters on Thomas the Tank Engine , I couldk p b lloo h r or lo m w hou r u yp r o my body, I w pr y ood w h occ r b ll, d Ih d poor hor - rm m mory h m d m y o b

h m mory m ch c rd m . T m r m , w my ry o m wh ch c rd h d h purpl d o ur u d r

d wh ch h d h rubb r ducky, d o o . N ck lov d habout me. He also knew more arm animal sounds than Id d, d h lov d h , oo. I h d o d wh o m h

y, d I d d k ow wh h r bull wouldmoo l k cowor or l k r -br h dr o . N ck k w b c u h

r dp r l v d rur l hborhood w h rm judown the road. I didnt mind losing parlor games to a kidwho h d y o r du rom d y c r o ofc l pr chool.I w ju h ppy h h hr o u w r bo d o w ll.

We made dinners together. We played games. We did things


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on the weekends. We watched the last o the spring blossomsall and new leaves come in. The Gymies, earing that Id been

k d pp d by om u d r rou d ov r m cy, br co o r , f ou h u o , k co c r dqu o .

Dont you think things are moving a little . . . ast, though?K yly w d o k ow wh I c ll d o k Jo h I couldborrow w o h D y DVD or coupl d y . D lhad to go out o town to some sort o symposium about

r l z r d c lly mod d up r crop , d du o u w h h b by- h d rr d, Id r d o y

w h N ck hrou h h w k d.I m , ou d l k your pr c c lly mov ov r

there. Kaylyns romantic notions o St. Patricks Day magicd Ir h d y m d o h v d d w y. I o ly b ,

l k , mo h, yk ow.A month? Had it really been only a month? Im just

w ch N ck or h w k d wh l D l o . Im omoving in . Bu h p o my om ch h r w ddyl l dom c l h I h d old yo bou . I wlooking orward to spending the weekend with Nickboilingho do , work o my b l y o m k box d co v c

ood , w ch D y mov , d r d vor ory-book b or uck h m o h l l r c c r b d.

Whats your mom think about all this? Kaylyn had beendragged along on enough o my mothers DC shopping visits

o ully u d r d h u d r ow b w Mom d m .I havent . . . exactly . . . said anything to them, I admitted.You havent told your parents? Kaylyns shock caused

m o hold h c ll pho w y rom my r.I w ll. I w ll, I rou d ou , h pr ur p ch l k

h rm cr b d u d r h mop o h r h b ck o myck. Im ju w u l I o hom or E r x w k.


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Th w y, I c ll h m p r o or o Mom o, o h do o b r rk. Th whol h bou D l

b d vorc d-w h-k d m h hrow h r l l . Sh h kdivorced guys are damaged goods. Shes prehistoric that way.

You h v old your p r anything ? K yly r r-d, h h cov r d h pho d h r d h w w h

Josh, who was probably hard at work on the other side o theircub cl , cr y ch r c r d p x l-b d word

or om w v d o m . M llory h old h r m lyy h bou Mr. Wo d r ul or L l Mr. Wo d r ul.I h rd Jo h r po . Who . Th r d c l.The conversation went on rom there, Kaylyns admonish-

ments heaping guilt and trepidation on me until I almost gaveup my quest to wrestle away some o Joshs prized DisneyDVD .

Bu I w d ho mov , o I p r v r d, d hourl r, I w p ck h m up o my w y o r b N ck romd y c r . K yly w co c r d bou my b l y o h dlover orty-eight hours o parental responsibility. She dredgedup h u o h l l w dow-h ch d r h d

v m or Chr m . Th o h mp y wh l d -ranchised birds cast wist ul looks rom nearby electrical lines.

Im not going to orget to eed the kid, I insisted as Jo h c r d h ck o D y mov , pp r o h v

co d hou h . Imnot . S r ou ly, Iv o ll pl dou . H ju o l l boy, d h dor bl , d w h v

bl o h r. Wh could po bly o wro ?I hould h v k ow h uch qu o o ly mp .N ck p ck d h w k d o h om ch u.I learned about thermometers and wet wipes, sensitive skind D , po b h , d hydr o , hrow up, w h

h , w h h , crubb ou o c rp ,d c ll h m r cy ho l h m ddl o h h .


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I also learned what ully quali ed caretakers already know.Th om ch u co ou .

By the time Daniel came home, Nick and I were a couple o washed-out rag dolls, strung across the recliner, nibbling sodacrackers and blearily watching Bambi or the umpteenth time.D l w dow o h Ch r ur o h cor r

d bou h oup or u . Wh h c m b ck, h x d r yd h o o work cl up h o l o ow l , clo h ,

DVD , oy , d mp y P d l bo l h h d ov r kh p r m dur our qu o urv v . Th pho r

wh l h w c rry rmlo d o u o N ck oy box.H ook h c ll h b droom. Wh h c m ou , h w

p l N ck d m .Whats wrong? I asked. He looked like someone had

died. I immediately thought o his amily in Ohio. I only knewwhat Daniel had told me. He had a mom, dad, grandparents,and various cousins, aunts, and uncles all living within athirty-mile radius, and a brother who lived in Boston with hisw d k d . L k my p r , D l p r ll ow d

h hou h d row up . I hop d h c ll h d brou hb d w c r cc d or om h .

I h k I ju o o r d job, h d, h j w hl ck r h word , h o v oclock h dow yo h c h , h ru h o r ur hom o N ck d m ,

h h d v h v d h mor .A job? Th d d ou d l k b d w . Why h hor-

r d xpr o ?He nodded slowly, his eyes shi ting toward the bedroom

doorw y, h p r o om h l r d l - l r

w r hov r h r , d h xp c d o com orm uph h llw y y mom .H x wo word xpl d v ry h . I T x .


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34

The course o true love never did run smooth. W ll m Sh k p r ,A Midsummer Nights Dream

(L by Br , who p h houtside h )

Chapter 3

A job.I .T x .I heard it that way, as i it were several sentences rather

than one. My li e ashed be ore my eyestwo lives, actually.Two completely di erent possibilities. In one, I was sitting at

bl w h h Gym , w k rom ow or m yb mo h, rou d-rob p , d y o h r co -

versation about video game characters, Disney animation,d c compu r-r l d op c l k b , by , dblack-hole servers. Meanwhile, Daniel and Nick were ar,

r w y T x . Pr y clo o h o h r d o h world.In the opposing scenario, I was packing my pumps and my

bl ck u , ho k ocko d r pur I lov d o much,d h r o my worldly b lo . Ou d h w dow,

mov m w h dolly w pu h my l up h r mp w box m . I w h d d or T x , o om bc y or o h r. Th y d d h v b c T x comm rc ,corporations, skyscraper ofce buildings, shopping malls . . .


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Id w ch d r o o Dallas r ru o DVD dur- rl r p w h my r . I could l v h world o h

Ew . F d ou who ho J.R. or r l.Once again, Id be moving ar, ar away rom my amily. . . .My mo h r would h v coro ry. . . .Youve only been dating the man a month. What are you

thinking?Maybe we could do the long-distance thing. I could y

dow o w k d . D l d N ck could v or h hol -d y . . .

Flying with a three-and-a-hal -year-old would be a hassle . . .Those thoughts and a dozen others raced through my

m d, r p d- r , bu ll I m d o y w Oh.Yeah, Daniel breathed, then pressed his lips togetherd w llow d h rd. B h d ho or ou y , I could

the wheels turning, ull speed like mine. I wondered whereh y w r h d d.

Umm . . . wh r T x ? I d m vo c w w l-,Say something. Tell me what youre thinking. I m lly

cycl d hrou h h po b l , c ll up c r d hr do T xolo y l d rom pop cul ur r r c d ofcchitchat. One o the cosponsors o the Clean Energy Bill was

co r m rom T x om pl c ou h p r lypopul d p r , wh r cowboy d o l w ll do d h lopr r .

City names swirled through my mind, potential back-drop or my po l w l .Dallas, Houston, Austin . . .uhhhh . . . San . . . something . . . San Antonio. Abilene, likein the old song about cattle drives. Or was that in Kansas?Abilene, Kansas, or Texas?

Mo L k . D l w r brok hrou h h cl r my m d, l c mom r ly.Moses Lake. Never heard of that one. The word Lake


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implied something pleasantwater, sun, sur . Texas did havecoastal areas and large inland bodies o water. The Clean

Energy Bills Texas cosponsor had tucked something in thereto provide nancial incentives or hydroelectric power genera-

o o T x r v r .Mo L k could b ood.Keeping an open mind here.Where is that? I inched into new territory, since I had no

d wh D l w h k d how h job o r m hc h wo o u .

A b d h d h k w r d my qu o . Im o x-actly sure. Somewhere in the middle. Theres an island in-volv d. F r y I l d.

But whats it near? Dallas, Houston, Austin, San An-tonio. Give me a reference point. Someplace to anchor my

antasy uture.Daniel shook his head again, his gaze analyzing the room,

as i he were already considering the size and number o moving boxes needed. Dont know. I didnt want to lookl k d o , k h m m ll o qu o . H w

l mo o h w y rom h rpor , o h d d ll m lo ,except that he maintains research crop plots there, as well as astate-o -the-art lab, and then he mentioned something aboutFire y Island. Im sure, being Jack West, he just assumes thatp opl k ow ll bou h m. H w m h r mo h.

Jack West . . . Why w h m m l r?Nick tapped my hand with a cracker package, and I opened

it without thinking, then handed it back to him. Thereyou go, peapod. Over the past couple days, Id adoptedmy mo h r u u l d rm or yo u d r h o

w y- v ,peapod.I d m p, D l mu r d d h d d or h door.

A r l p p r m p I c look ll o c . H d d v


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k I would y d w ch N ck. H ju l . Som how,I l k d h . I mpl d h I b lo d h r .

By h m D l c m b ck, h d lr dy look d hmap and olded it to two panels surrounding the mystery joblocation. Moses Lake was a tiny dot in a crease, the letters sosmall it practically blended into the background. Surroundingit, although not too closely, lay other little map-dot townswith names like Cleburne, Blum, Aquilla, and Walnut Springs.There was nothing o major metropolitan size nearby. Dallas,Austin, San Antonio, and even smaller cities like Waco seemedd urb ly r w y, r ch bl o ly v p c l- h r p o h hw y pr d u prom l h r y.

I l my l o qu y, my bou d- or-T x v r o o the uture warping like an image in a unhouse mirror. Clearly,I would b ollow D l d N ck o T x , pply

or jobs nearby, setting mysel up in a little apartment aroundthe corner until such time as wed come ar enough in ther l o h p o m r our l v , o o p k. Th pl c h

old, h Mo L k , w l w hou m .I could D l y h h w r ou ly co d-

r h r d -o . I could h r h vo c h lk dbou h o r rom J ck W , h ow r o y, bu w ll-unded, West Research. Daniel was more excited than Id ever

seen him. Hed heard Jack West speak at the symposium.App r ly Mr. W h d h rd D l, w ll, d h wimpressed. He elt that Daniels work with genetically modi-

ed grains would t nicely into Wests master plan to developsuper crops and super growth environments designed toproduce ood in the increasingly harsh conditions o a worldplagued with erratic weather. By some standards, Daniel ad-m d, J ck W w k , or h v ry l , cc r cand anti-establishment. Hed ound ame in the sixties as an

c or, h h d hor pol c l c r r b or m rry o


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Texas oil money. Hed inherited an un athomable ortunewh h r w d d.

Wh l h w ou look or m p, D l h d cour dthe Internet via his phone and come up with a New YorkTimes r cl bou J ck W . A I r d , D l w ch dm , h z ry o bor hrou h h d o my h d dd c r my hou h . Th r w o h room holdits breath, as i every stick o urniture and stitch o clothing,including Nicks toys, were lining up, whispering, Toy boxor moving box? Which one? Which one?

On television, Owl was talking to Bambi and Thumperbou b w rp d, hop l u o h c u

love-struck young creatures to completely lose their minds h pr .I do k ow . . . I look d cro h bl D l d

hou h ,Dont go. Dont do this. I w o ly co d rmysel , considering us. I was a raid or him, and or Nick. It

ou d k d o . . . cr zy. I m , youv o N ck o h kabout and your job and . . . well . . . health insurance andretirement . . . everything. And what about day care? Nickwould have to get used to someone totally new. And thenthere are your parents, and your brother and his kids. Theyllbe so ar away. I heard air slowly escaping Daniels lips. Ik w I w d h m, bu I could h lp . S l h mo-tives and genuine concern were a mishmash at this point, likemul color d blob o Pl y-Doh c r l ly p ch d o h r,impossible to separate now. I didnt want Daniel and Nick

o o. I could b r h d o .I look d N ck, r d o m h m row up om -

wh r l . M yb w hsomeone l .Drawbacks popped into my mind in rapid succession, and

I hr w h m ou l k ro d p k D l x p h. A dthen theres all the everyday stu . I mean, that town looks


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tiny . Where would you nd a good preschool next year? Wherewould you v live ow h m ll?

D l r h d hrou h h h r, dr w b ck h l lcurl that hung over his orehead, making him look like Chris-topher Reeve in Superman . Thats just it, well . . . thatso h . Th pl c o r mo h hou com w h

. Th r rch l b d h crop plo r c u lly o W r ch, wh ch I or wh h d hou d cr ,or om h , om o r h lo h l k hor . Th r hou h r or h r ch h d , d o o ho houis part o the job o er. Three bedrooms, two baths. Helooked at me, the expression in his eyes almost pleading withm o br h ly o h dr m, c u o p rk r h rthan blow out. Nick could grow up in a house, a real house,instead o this dumpy little place. He could run around inthe woods, build tree orts, catch rogs and lizards like mybro h r d I d d Oh o. I w r w y o row up, youknow? As long as we were home by dark, nobody worried

bou u . Mom could d u ou h door h mor ,d ll h d h v o ll u w o w ch or k d b

home by supper. And this place is even better than that. Whatk d would l k o h v l k o h door p?

I d d w r mm d ly. I w ll uck orogs, liz-ards, d snakes . Id v r l v d mor h o hrow

rom neighbors and a mini-mart. Even my parents housein Maryland was sandwiched between other large houseswith manicured lawns. The only lakes Id ever spent anytime on were the sort at which my ather schmoozed withcongressmen, senators, and their amiliesthe kind with

or ou r or ur c , cl w mm pool dlov ly c b . W r h r b ch om wh r h w r l d w h r or , l r d w h u b h r , d do d w hcolor ul umbr ll ? D d uch pl c x ?


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I l r pr , crowd my y d my .My yp y k w ly ll m ood-by , ju y ll

h r o h d d o o. I h rd h vo c lmo hbackground now, like a television droning on when yourebu y w h om h l .

. . . The salary isnt really any higher, but theres so muchincluded. The house, the utilities paid, a company vehicle. Itslike making twice as much as I make now. Id be able to nallywork my way out rom under some bills and start puttingaway money or Nicks college. His eyes met mine again,and I took a small bit o encouragement rom that. Maybe her lly d d m o co u our r l o h p lo -d c . Id d how. Th r w m jor rpor Mo L k .Its the di erence between two completely di erent lives,M llory, D l d.

Yes, it is, I thought, my long-distance antasy dissolvingl k m r o ho d y. I w h d r c b wus

d you-there-and-me-here .And thats not even mentioning the work. Daniel was so

xc d, h w lk y m l hour, ov rlo d mybrain, causing it to whir. This guy is a little . . . atypical, buthes light-years ahead o conventional science on all kindso things, not just the super crops, but low-impact growth

v ro m d ood h h c c r. You would b -l v ll h ood h work could do. A d h o h u d

o k p o . Pr v u d . A d Ill h v h r yp w r r d. I w com up w h h k d o mod -

ed seed grain I think we can, theres no telling what thebio-patents could be worth. Imagine corn that could grow inthe desert, or wheat that produces under drought conditions.Im wh h could m .

I odd d, w llow h rd. Su m , bu h p r cul rmoment, I didnt care about growing corn in the desert; I


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c r d bou h l I w o o h v . W h D l. Idlly ou d h r h o , my pr c h d com , d om

billionaire was determined to tumble my castle o cards be oreI could d b ou h lu o . Why could J ck W buy

om o l boy r d? Why d d h h v o h v m ?B c u D l w br ll , d h w w w y

that USDA lab, and he was made or better things. I knewh r o . I k w I hould lov h m ou h o l h m o.

H w h ppy h job h r . H w r pp d .H h d l d cro h m p, cov r d m , cl p d . Il r l y r m dow l k Ro w l r, d rk- y d d

m l vol .Com w h u .A r I w ur I h rd h word corr c ly. Huh?Come with us, he repeated, more emphatically this time,

h y k o low h pull d m . Com o , M l-lory, think about it. We both know that we . . . us . . . the two o us and Nick . . . Something so right doesnt come along everyd y. I r l z o h b m o ly b mo h,but li e isnt about waiting or per ect timing. I youre notcare ul, li e happens while youre stuck in a holding pattern.

My h r l p , d ll, d l p , d ll, h r bou d l l l compl ch m , l k h bou c o b k b ll

lowly lo r. D l, I do v k ow wh r Id l v pl c l k h , or wh r Id job, or . . .Anything.

. . . how Id p y my b ll or . . . M lly, I cycl d hrou hthe arguments. This was nuts. Even thinking about it was nuts.

L v w h u . H z l d w h m , h r h drising, covering my ngers so that he had me in a double grip.

You w m o . . . mov w h you uy ? I w oo h h Id prom d my l I would v r do. C ll mold- ashioned, and this was the twenty- rst century, but I

ll h d Gr dm Lou d h r Sou h r w dom bou


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cow d m lk h b ck o my m d. Wh k d o d owould mov cro h cou ry, v up h r job, h r m ly,

d v ry h l o mov w h uy?A d o hop l ly lov . . . m yb ? Or m yb o . My

p r h d r d m o o cr c my pr c pl . I wa strange dichotomy, considering what my ather did or al v . Lobby r k ow or pr c pl .

D l l u h d o ly, h l p orm lop d d r . Hl d h ch , ho or ou y p rkl , m m r z .Im asking you to marry me. Ive been thinking about it

c I l o h m p.I elt moisture on my hands, as i suddenly his skin had

o ho . You d c d d h . . . wh l you w r oubuying the map ? I mm r d, hock d d cr dulou , hou h Id d w o b . P p l v b h d u or u lu

r l o cy c m. Ev ryo who com o your l r-w rd c h lp pp h m. Id h d m k m om rry h m o wh m o c b or . I h rm h, I k ww w r m or ch o h r, d m yb I w m

or m rr ll.Gro , D l l h h d ll orw rd. U h . . . Im

r lly bo ch h . I l l l r mbl h h d , buthere was a resoluteness in his jaw. I love you, Mallory Hale.I h v rom h r m I m you. Th m y ou d cor y.M , I k ow ou d cor y. I l l k Im ch l omsappy made- or-cable movie here, but its the truth. I canthelp it. Thats all I have to o er, Mal. A sappy-sounding line,Nick and me, stomach- u germs rom the day care, and a li e

h look l k m h b dv ur . I do h v lo o mo y or b hou , d h w k I m you w prob blymy r d l m o rub lbow w h h pol c l pow rbrok r . I k ow o wh you pl d o . I k ow youru d o b r.


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There is no one better, I thought, but instead, I said, Well, h r dv ur d h om ch u volv d, h cou

m .Irreverent laughter spilled rom his lips. You know Imr ou h r , r h ?I met his gaze, tumbled in, and saw the uture. Not in

h cr p cl r y o pho o b c u I could p c ur hov r- h -r bow l h w d cr b , or m bu

h d o color. Th o r y o mor , h mu d rod v ol o u , h rk, bl d y llow d wh

o m dd y . I w hol d y d o d y r . Growup, row ou w rd, row old. I d d w o l v oy r, o o , o d y w hou D l d N ck.

I know youre serious, I whispered. My heart traveled onh word . I l l kHis Irish Bride . Amy A hl y w r h

about the St. Patricks Day thing. She had to be. This wassome kind o magic. There is nobody better than you, DanielWebster Everson. Nobody in the whole world. I youre going

o T x , h I u Im . . .Gulp. My hro h d. Iw ur I could y . By h r orc o w ll, I m d

o cro k, Go o T x , oo.Th r . Th d d w do , h prom m d . A ru h o

emotions came at me, leaving me con used and uncertain.Wh d d I do ow? C ll mov comp y? Wr r -

o l r or my job? T ll h Gym ood-by , l vK yly w h bl k ch ck o buy dl rom c ov l ?Try o ubl my p r m ?

C ll my mo h r?Ohhh . . . my mother. I was supposed to go home to Mary-

l d or E r x w k. I d dnot w o d l v r h win person. I didnt want to deliver this news on the phone,

h r. I d d w o d l v r h w . P r od.My mother would ip her lid so high, it would land


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om wh r Bo o h rbor. Sh d h v m comm d. Myh r would h r pr v v or o look o D l

background, or nd an interventionist to deprogram me. Icould po bly m k h m u d r d h .I d d ullyunderstand it. I hadnt even told them about Daniel and Nickyet. And now I had to in orm them that I planned to get mar-r d d mov o T x ? N x mo h?

You know what, orget I said anything. Daniel brokeo my hou h . I r l z d h N ck h d com ov r rom

h l v o o cl mb o h d d l p. ThBambi cr dwere rolling, the DVD getting ready to cycle back to the mainm u. Id w ch d ou h h w k d o k ow. ForI k d, ok y?

For hal a second, I was relieved. I actually had the eetingr l z o h , I d d m rr d d mov o T x ,I wouldnt have to tell my mother. Then Forget I asked hitme like an unexpected right cross. He was having second

hou h ? Alr dy?Daniel backpedaled. I mean, dont orget I asked, but just

pr d d d h pp . Wh w r old d r y, d ourr dk d k how I popp d h qu o , I do w h

ory o b bou r p o h w d d drop oupwith soda crackers. Let me rewind and do it right, okay? Youo ly o do o c .

N ck, compl ly co u d, p r lly d hydr d w h hy l d droop , burrow d u d r h d d ch . My ch

swelled, lling with the sight o them until I thought it mightbreak me open. Old and gray, grandkids, only once. This was

. Th w , d w bo h k w . I w d o ll h m hh propo l w p r c ju h w y h d d . I d, I

bl k d, v h m bl k look. Wh ? D d you y om -h ? So how w your r p o h co r c ?

Po r m , h w k d d r d.


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Th x d y, h v ry hour Id r m D l W b rEv r o , h v ry m po ju o h C p ol ro u d ,

D l d N ck how d up, p h d h r E r u ,c rry wo doz r d ro . E ch v m r . D lc m bur u dy v lv box rom j w lry or . N ckcame in the plastic bubble rom a gumball machine. Bothw r qu lly pr c ou , bu v mor m z w h cthat Daniel had secured the help o the grouchy personalassistant in Congressman Fabers ofce. It con rmed my

u p c o h h w , d d, Sup rm . My Sup rm .Ch r w up h C p ol bu ld hour o h

morning normally quiet. Even the Gymies were there. Kaylynd Jo h h d wr p c l v d o m m ju or

Daniel and me. We watched it on Daniels computer later thatv . D l l l cowboy ur ch d m hrou h

maze, and when the two nally met, he lassoed his sweetheartand said Yee-haw! Nick thought it was awesome. By thetime he was ready or bed, wed watched the video game over

d ov r d ov r.A ter Nick was down or the count, Daniel and I made

plans to go home to my parents place together or Easter,o d l v r h w p r o . W d d c d d h , v h

short time rame and all the practical details o moving acrosscountry, a quick trip to a wedding chapel made the most sense.

Ev ry h m d o b cl ck o pl c . . . u l hparents actually got involved. A ter the initial attempts to talk

o u , h d d hr w up h r h d d h momb lk o h pho d ly. D l d I w r h v r l w dd , wh h r w h d m or or o . My mo h rw p r cul rly d rm d h I would b m rr d by hPresbyterian minister who had per ormed my sisters cer-emonies. She pulled the minister out o retirement and orcedmy h r o hrow dow b buck or l -m u ux do ,


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owers, music, wedding cake, a zillion yards o tulle, andrented candelabras at the little white church Id attended since

ch ldhood, lb mo ly o p c l occ o d hol d y .Du o urpr roo c l w k b or h w dd ,

and an inconvenient problem with the medications, I hadpr c c lly o h o do w h h pl .

On an evening o gale- orce May storms, with a smallcrowd o amily looking on, I walked down the aisle in a whitedr wor by my r dmo h r, mo h r, d ll our o my

r . T ch c lly, I w hom l , d lmo v ry h Iowned was in a shipping container bound or the Texas rancho m o u c r r pu o .

My youngest niece panicked at the last minute and re usedto walk the aisle with the basket o ower petals. Nick tuggedher along and hammed it up with the ring pillow, stealing the

how, bu o o m r d.

I w m rry h m I lov d. I w b com mom.I w o lo r lo y, bu h l o whol , o h rdo r o.

A d ll o h r, w w r h d d or T x .

Firefly Island

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