“I dunno. Not much.” Her mom and Frankie’s dad had met in Grand Teton and shared a ... what do you call it when old people flirt? Like ... a spark? They kept in touch for a little bit, but it fizzled out. Frankie’s dad was a big shot in the NPS and super busy. And Maisie’s mom could be a little ... needy.“He’s busy a lot. That’s always been the thing between Frankie and his dad. He’s too busy for his son.”
“Did he happen to say if his father is involved with anyone?”
“Mom!” Maisie yanked at a loose thread on her sleeve. “Are you evenlisteningto me?”
“Yes, listening carefully,” Mom said. “You wish you hadn’t gone to Acadia and your grandfather is preoccupied. No big surprise there, honey. But I have some news that’ll turn your day around.”
“You got a job?”
“Not yet. Soon, though. Remember Rebecca Woodbine?”
Maisie frowned. “Yeah. We lived in her basement for a while after you lost that art teaching job.” One of the many jobs Mom had lost.
“Well, she called the other day to check in. She always asks about you. When I told her that you were in Acadia for the month of July, she said she’s always wanted to visit Maine. So, she said, why don’t we go together?”
Maisie blinked. “The two of you? Coming here?”
“Yes! Rebecca has some frequent flier miles that are about to expire. Use ’em or lose ’em, she said. I told her we could stay with your grandfather.”
Maisie wasn’t so sure about that. Pops’s place was small. Super rustic. Like, mice-running-around rustic. “When do you think you’ll come?”
“Rebecca is working on the flights now. If she can get them, we’ll be coming over the Fourth of July weekend. I’ll let you know.”
“That’s just a few days away! I can’t wait to see you, Mom!” After Maisie hung up, a grin crept onto her face. It would be fun to show Mom and Rebecca around Acadia.
Pops might let her throw a Fourth of July party at his place. Maybe Frankie would come, and Mom would whip up herfamous trash can nachos. And maybe Maisie would wear a slightly sexy new top she’d been saving for a special occasion, one that made her look a lot older than fifteen. Frankie would see her, do a double take, and realize she wasn’t just Ranger Rivers’s awkward granddaughter anymore.
The bus rumbled up, brakes hissing, and she stepped to the end of the line. Then she saw them hop off the bus.
Frankie.
Sophie.
Holding hands like they’d been superglued together.
Ranger Rivers wasn’t in his office and didn’t answer his phone, so Scout and Naki kept the gold with them and headed off Mount Desert Island toward Penobscot Indian Island. It was the first time in over two months that Scout had left Acadia, and she welcomed the chance to see more of Maine. The Penobscot River stretched out on either side, glinting under the late afternoon sun.
But as they approached the narrow bridge leading to the island, Scout was full of questions. “So ... do you live on the island now?”
Naki sat calmly in the passenger seat, his hands resting lightly on his knees. “No. I do have an office there, but most of my work is in Bangor. I visit often. Penobscot Indian Island will always be home.”
Scout chewed on that for a moment as they rolled onto the bridge. “Your partner ... where is she?”
“She?” Naki frowned slightly, confused.
“You’ve mentioned that you have a partner.”
“Ah. Yes. So I did. She’s a he.”
“Oh.” Her eyes went wide. “Oh!”
He coughed a laugh. “Myworkpartner, Scout. We consult together on shipwrecks off the coast of Maine.”
“Oh.” Scout felt an unexplainable lift in her spirits. “Then you’re not ... uh ... married?”
“Not married.”
Oh, really? Her heart skipped a beat. She was in this pretty deep, why not go all the way? “But you said you had many children.”
