Chapter 1
Morgan coasted to a stop and tapped the horn. Easton Estate’s front door flew open. Tristan Blakely, her new nephew, clad from head to toe in winter gear, from the top of his red and white striped knit cap down to his fur-lined rubber boots, waddled toward her.
Reaching across the seat, Morgan flung the passenger-side door open. “You’re dressed for some winter weather.”
“I told Mrs. Arnsby I was a little cold.” Balancing on one leg, Tristan lifted his foot. “I can hardly walk.”
“You look like Puffy the snowman,” Morgan teased.
“I’m hot.” Tristan set his backpack on the floor and crawled onto the seat. “Can we please roll the windows down?”
Morgan hit the button and lowered the windows to let fresh air in. “I have to admit, your snow pants look a little bulky.” A sudden thought popped into her head. “But I’m glad you have them because I have a surprise for you.”
The boy promptly wiggled out of the cumbersome boots. The snow pants weren’t far behind. He slid his jacket off and set the knit cap on top. “Now I’m not so hot.”
“Good, because it will get really cold, really fast if I leave the windows down.” As soon as Tristan buckled up, she swung her SUV around and headed down the driveway. “I’m sorry Brett had to postpone your fishing trip today. I know how much you were looking forward to it.”
“He said he won’t be gone too long, and as soon as he gets back, we’ll go.”
“I’m sure you will. I know he felt terrible about breaking his promise.”
“It’s okay. Uncle Jeff has stuff like that happen too.” Tristan brightened. “I talked to my uncle this morning on the phone.”
“How is he?”
“Still traveling. He’s gonna be back in a week or so to see me.”
“I bet you miss him,” Morgan said.
Tristan thought about it. “Yeah, but he was gone a lot, so I’m used to taking care of myself.”
“But not anymore.” Her newly found nephew had been through a lot the past few months, including losing his mother. The man he’d looked up to as a father figure had walked out of his life. Finding out Brett, his real father was alive, moving from Nevada to Easton Island and, to top it all off, adjusting to a completely unfamiliar environment.
“Are you ready to start school?”
“Kinda.”
“Why only kinda?” Morgan stopped at the bottom of Dead Man’s Drop, checking for traffic before making her turn.
“What if the other kids don’t like me?”
Her heart plummeted, noting the anxious look on the boy’s face. “Why wouldn’t they like you?” she asked softly.
“Because I’m different.”
“Different is good.”
“Jax said lots of the kids on the island hunt and fish.”
“You can learn, and maybe even teach them a thing or two,” Morgan said.
“Like what?”
“What do your friends back in Nevada do?”
He shrugged. “Some of them go camping in the desert, but we never went. Mom didn’t like being outdoors too much.”
“Brett will be back to take you ice fishing so you can check that off your list.”
