Bookishly Ever After (Ever After #1)(64)
Cradled on the Waves Pg 32
“Sorry I’m late. I had to help pull some girl out of a rut back on Whelan Road. She was definitely from away—” at that, he looked straight at Kaylie and grinned, then turned back to Uncle Matt, “—and would have completely torn her axle out the way she was going.”
Uncle Matt let out a big laugh that echoed through the small kitchen. “Let me guess—trying to drive over that big tree root near McIntyres’?”
“Yup. It looks like the rut got worse after the storm last night.” Evan then turned that grin back on her, sticking out his hand, red dirt still crusted under his fingernails. “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself,” he said, pointedly. “I’m Evan, nice to meet you.”
Kaylie schooled her features into a look of disinterested politeness. “Kaylie.” One word, no need for embellishments or “pleased to meet you”s. Even though he was decent enough not to embarrass her in front of her uncle about the car thing, she hadn’t missed his emphasis on “from away.”
“Kaylie’s my niece from Connecticut.” Uncle Matt said, giving the soup one more stir before turning off the stovetop and joining us. “She’ll be helping at the ceilidhs this summer.” Evan’s eyebrows jumped up and he looked back at Kaylie like he was seeing her in a new light. “So you’re the violinist Mr. McClellan’s been talking so much about? Looks like we might have a lot in common.”
“Evan’s the best fiddler on the Island,” Uncle Matt told her, pride in his voice. “He’s been bringing crowds to our ceilidhs since he was around ten?” He glanced over at Evan, who confirmed the age with a nod.
Like a fiddler had so much in common with a concert violinist. “Right. I just can’t wait to trade tips.” She opened her mouth to say something, paused, thinking it might be a little too much, then said it anyway. “I’m working on Paganini’s Concerto number five. What are you working on?” She asked in her most conversational tone. Years of cutthroat junior state orchestra tryouts and practices meant she could rock a distant but never overtly rude way of talking. Back home, it was to avoid getting torn apart by some of the other violinists. Here, it was to get back at smug farm boy fiddlers from who seemed to be always laughing at her.
“Oh, I’m just working out some new stuff for the show, nothing as easy as that,” Evan countered with an easy smile. “I can’t wait to introduce you to some real challenging music. You’ll be playing like a true Islander in no time.”
Kaylie narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh, I’m just dying to dive into Turkey in the Straw.” She winked at Uncle Matt, then looked towards the dining room. “Excuse me, I’m going to go see if Aunt Ilse needs any help.” She swept out of the room with a little wave, tossing her hair over her shoulder like she hadn’t even heard his last comment. Podunk farm boys from podunk islands were aggravating.
40
I held the red plastic cup gingerly in my hands and as far away from my body as possible. Ms. Forrester had given us counselors a few hours off while the campers had to sit through a zoologist talking about bats. I didn’t know which option was worse—the dark woods and smell of the beer in my hands or the thought of petting a flying rodent.
Someone plucked the cup out of my hand, replacing it with a different one. “It’s seltzer water,” Cassie said, coming into my line of sight as she dropped my old cup behind a fallen log. “I don’t drink, either. The guys are cool with it,” she added, probably at the surprise that had to be all over my face. “With that stupid reveille so early tomorrow morning, I don’t know how any of them can do it, anyway.”
I shifted my weight from side to side, my feet sinking into the soft sand. “Aren’t we going to get in trouble? We’re supposed to hang out in our cabins or on the docks…” I let my voice drift off. This place, far down a barely used trail, definitely didn’t count as one of the acceptable spots the teachers had listed for us.
“Relax, they’re too busy with the kids. Trust me, we’ll be out of here before anyone comes to check on us.” She gestured with her cup at the trees around us. “Every group of counselors has been coming back here on the first night for years. My brother did, when he counseled two years ago.”
I took a sip of the seltzer and tried to look relaxed. “Sorry, I’m just not really used to rule breaking. Em calls me a super holy virgin,” I confessed.
Cassie giggled. “’Super holy virgin?’ You guys are too cute. We should hang out sometime when we get back to civilization.” She squeezed my arm and started making her way back towards the circle of flashlights near the keg. “I’ll talk to you later. I’ve gotta get back to Mike. Besides, I don’t want to be a third wheel.” She winked and tilted her chin at something over my shoulder.
“Huh?” I turned around to find Kris right behind me, the moonlight reflecting off his hair and features making him look even more like a paranormal book hero than usual. I mentally flailed for a minute before my catalogue of bookish flirting started working on disaster control. Hold the cup to your lips. Smile a slow smile. A quick review of my outfit concluded that my jeans and hoodie weren’t too awful. Speak. “Oh, hi, Kris.”
He smiled. At me. “I’m glad you’re here. The guys by the keg started talking about football again. Like they have nothing better to talk about. At least there’s one person in this place I can hang out with.”