Let Me Burn (Angel Sands 1)

Lucas closed the dishwasher and dried his hands, walking over to where his mom was sitting. He pulled the chair out next to her and slid into it. “What are you trying to do?” he asked her.

“To call Caitie on the videophone. I told her you’d be here, she wants to say hi.”

He glanced at his watch. Though it was morning here in Angel Sands, it would already be early afternoon in New York where his sister lived. “You just need to open up the webcam.” He slid his finger across the mouse pad and clicked on the lens icon. “Then pull up your address book.”

“My address book is in the drawer over there.”

He scrutinized his mom for a moment. He’d long since suspected she said things like that solely to get a rise out of him. She was an intelligent woman who ran a successful business, he was pretty sure she knew what he was talking about.

Sighing, he reached across again and clicked on her addresses. Then he highlighted Caitie’s email address. “Now, press connect and you’re good to go.”

Deenie beamed at him. “What would I do without you?”

“Ask Dad?” Lucas suggested, inclining his head at his father who refused to look up.

“This is why I like you being back in Angel Sands, you’re my on-call tech guy.” She gave Lucas a beaming smile. “I need you here with me.”

“I just clicked on a button, Mom. It’s not exactly rocket science.”

“I’ve had my fill of scientists. They’re no help at all.”

“Hey, I’m a retired scientist,” his father said, still not looking up from the article he was reading. “And Sundays are a day of rest. Strictly speaking we shouldn’t be using that laptop at all.”

Ignoring him, she pressed the connect button, and the camera clicked on. Lucas could see him and his mom on the screen, along with a black box beside it. A few seconds later, the call was answered and his sister appeared in the box.

“Hey.” Caitie was all smiles. Her long dark hair was pulled back off her face, and she had reading glasses perched at the end of her nose. Lucas couldn’t help but grin at how grown she looked. Whatever happened to that freckled little sister who followed him around everywhere?

Hard work and success, that’s what had happened. Like their mom, Caitie had turned out to be quite the entrepreneur.

“Hi, honey,” his mom said, leaning closer to the laptop. “We’re all here. Even Lucas stopped working to come over and talk with you. How are you doing? You look tired, have you been sleeping?”

Caitie’s grin broadened. “Lucas?” she said, looking straight at the camera. “I’m honored. What’s happened? Are there no emergencies in the whole of Southern California or something?”

“I heard you were gracing us with your presence and I couldn’t bear to miss it.” Lucas was deadpan. He hadn’t spoken with his sister in a couple of weeks. It was strange the way you grew up seeing somebody every day, and then suddenly you were adults and went weeks without speaking at all.

Of course, when they were kids she’d driven him crazy. She was two years younger than him, and as a child and a teenager that had felt like a lot. He’d hated the way she’d followed him and his friends around, always wanting to be part of whatever escapade they were planning.

As she grew older she’d withdrawn into herself a bit. He hadn’t noticed at the time, but now, looking back, he wanted to kick himself for the way he hadn’t taken care of her; he’d been too busy surfing with his friends to pay her any attention. She’d preferred sitting in the house, reading books, and working on her art projects. Her aversion to bein

g out at the beach had earned her the nickname of Vampira among his friends.

Yeah, they really were assholes back then.

“Did he tell you he’s on the Fair committee?” his mom asked. There was a note of pride in her voice that made him want to wince. If only she could read his mind, she’d know exactly how much he wished he wasn’t involved at all.

“No, he didn’t tell me that.” Caitie looked bemused as she turned her gaze on Lucas. “I thought you hated Angel Day. When we were kids I remember you surfing all day just to avoid it.”

“Yeah, well Frank Megassey talked me into it, and anyway it’s not so bad. Just a couple of meetings and the day itself. It’ll be over before I know it.”

“How’s the renovation going?” Caitie asked him. As part owner of the cottage she’d insisted on paying for half of the things he’d bought. He’d drawn the line at her paying for his labor though.

“Pretty good. I’m plumbing the bathroom in this week, finished the tiling last night. And then it’s onto the kitchen. After that, it’s just cosmetic work really. All the hard stuff has been done.” An electrician recommended by Frank had re-wired the place. It was amazing how much work he could get done once he put his mind to it.

Or once he was trying not to think too much.

“I’m so happy you’re finally doing something with the place,” Deenie said, putting her hand on his arm. “Gramps and Grandma would be happy.”

“Have you decided what you’re doing with it afterward?” his father asked.