“And a woman must keep her word,” Mom said, leaning to kiss Emery’s cheek. “Doug, she’ll need some money. And the spare cottage key.”
Standing in the courtyard, with a twenty in her pocket and the cottage key in her hand, Emery waved good-bye to Dad and Mom. She startled when Delilah hooked her arm around her shoulders.
“There’s no need to worry,” she said.
“What do you mean? Worry about what?”
“Oh, nothing. Just when your parents drive off and leave you behind in a new place for the first time, it can be kind of scary.” Delilah smiled down at Emery and squeezed her shoulders. “ButI’ve got a hundred bucks for the girl who can clean the two cottages vacated this morning. My regular cleaning service is running behind, and new guests are checking in at noon.”
“Where do you keep the cleaning supplies?” Emery said.
By lunch, she was a hundred dollars richer and considering a career as a motel owner. Back in Cottage 7, she showered, ate a quick sandwich, then picked her outfit for the afternoon—the new jean shorts she bought before coming down, a pink tank top, new Converse, and her crossbody bag.
At three o’clock, Caleb came knocking.
“I don’t think your dad likes me,” he said as they walked past his truck, up Avenue C, toward the lights and music of the carnival.
“He likes you. He just likes me more.”
He laughed. “My sister says our parents like me more. But it’s not true.”
“Is that why she’s causing trouble?”
“Nah, I think it’s whatever happened in the spring.”
The carnival was set up in the lot by the abandoned Doyle’s Auto Shop, and Caleb stepped up to the ticket window for two passes.
Emery walked with him toward the crowded thoroughfare. “So, what do you want to do first?” He paused by the Serendiporama machine. “Want to know your future?”
She glared at the mystical mechanical man at the top of the machine, with the wild, kaleidoscope eyes and lopsided turban. “No. That guy gives me the creeps. Do you really think this machine knows the future?” She tapped the name of the machine. “Serendiporama isn’t even a word.”
“Maybe not on earth, but—”
She chuckled and playfully nudged him. “Not even on Krypton.”
“Okay, then just for fun.”
“Or to throw away your hard-earned money.”
Caleb slipped two quarters in for himself and handed Emerytwo. She groaned as he closed his eyes and crossed his fingers. “Say I’ll be a millionaire, a millionaire.” Thenbleep,bloop,bloop—the Serendiporama spit out a white card. Caleb pressed it against his abdomen. “Okay, you go. I won’t look until yours comes out.”
“Fine, but if I get a curse, I’ll never forgive you.”
“You won’t. But if you get the millionaire one, it’s mine.”
“You wish.”
“Hey, who gave you the quarters?”
“Oookaaay, I’ll give back your quarters when I’m a millionaire.”
“Even better, we split the million. Deal?”
“Geez, Ransom, I’m beginning to see why Cassidy hates you.” Emery heard her words as she paid the machine the required fifty cents. But it was too late. She meant to be light and airy. Teasing. But her comment changed Caleb’s expression, and a dark glint flickered through his blue eyes.
“Caleb, I’m sorry.” Emery said as the machine spit out her card. “I didn’t mean it.”
“Forget it, whatever. Let’s go.” He walked off without waiting for her.
