How to Keep a Secret

She was so relieved to be home and safe she almost cried. Instead she stroked Captain. He licked her palm again and again, as if he knew she needed comfort. “I love your dog. How long have you had him?” She hoped he’d stick with the subject of the dog. It seemed the safest thing to talk about.

“Couple of years. I found him washed up on the beach.”

“Washed up?”

“Someone tried to drown him, but Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are great swimmers. He managed to haul himself as far as the dock and then collapsed with half the ocean in his lungs.”

“That’s terrible.” Mack was horrified. “How can people be so cruel? And he has the nicest face of any dog I’ve ever seen.”

“You don’t have a dog?”

“No. I would have loved one, but we lived in London and our house wasn’t exactly dog friendly. We didn’t have a big yard or anything.” But if they were staying on the island, maybe they could get a dog. The thought cheered her, until she remembered that her grandmother was selling the house. To Scott. She decided that wasn’t a topic she wanted to raise. She’d had all the stress she could handle for one night. “Dogs are always pleased to see you. You don’t have to pretend to be cool. You don’t have to try and fit. You can be yourself. You probably have no idea what I’m talking about.”

“I know exactly what you’re talking about.”

He pulled up outside her grandmother’s house and Mack found herself wishing the journey had been longer. A few moments before she’d been ready to jump from the car, but with the dog’s warm nose nudging her sympathetically she was in no hurry to move.

“When you were my age did you have to move and change schools?”

He stared straight ahead. “All the time.”

“How did you make new friends?”

“I got to like my own company.” He turned his head to look at her. “That’s usually better than the wrong company.”

“I know I try too hard, but I want to feel accepted. I guess because things are a bit rough at home.” She leaned her head back against the seat, braced for him to say something that would make her feel worse.

“Have you told your mom how you feel?”

“No. She’d worry, and believe me she has enough to worry about. I may not be the daughter of her dreams, but even I’m not going to dump another load of crap on her head. You want to know something crazy? Sometimes I lie there at night and imagine I have superpowers like in the movies.”

“Resilience is a superpower.” He leaned across her and opened the door. “You have that.”

“You think so?” She wasn’t sure. She would have liked to talk about it some more, but he’d opened the door so presumably he was done with her. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in? The fact that you saved me probably gives you plenty of plus points. I’ll be the one in trouble, not you.” She shrugged it off, pretending to not care even though she cared very much.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He sprang out of the car and Captain jumped out after him, tail wagging as Scott unloaded her bike. “Do you have a phone?”

“I’m a teenager. My phone is the equivalent of life support.”

He held out his hand. “Give it to me.”

Was he going to confiscate it? Wary, she handed it over and he tapped the screen and entered a number.

“You’re giving me your number?”

“In case you’re ever in trouble and you don’t want to call your mom.” He handed the phone back to her. “I can’t guarantee not to say the wrong thing and upset you, but I can guarantee to come when you call.”

She felt as if someone had thrown a warm blanket around her shoulders.

For the first time since she’d arrived on the island, she didn’t feel alone. There was someone she could call. Worried she might burst into tears, she bent to kiss Captain on the head and then straightened. “Thanks.”

Scott reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up. There’s not a person alive who hasn’t made bad choices at one time or another.”

“Did you?”

“I made more than most.” With a brief smile he whistled to the dog, climbed back into his pickup and disappeared down the street.

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