Chapter 1
“Who is Addie Vance?”
I roll my eyes at my dad
because I know how much he hates it. “My roommate. Duh. We’ve only been living
together for seven months.”
He rubs his temples for
several seconds. I must have hit a nerve. The temple rub always proceeds the
deep breath, which is his way of tempering an explosion. My father would be the
first to admit that he has anger control issues, but he really does try to keep
them in check.
“I thought your roommate was a
weirdo, your word not mine, and that she reminded you of a crazy old cat lady
in the body of an eighteen-year-old.”
“That was like two month ago,
Dad. She’s my best friend.”
He raises a dark eyebrow. “Was
she your best friend before she offered to pay for your Spring Break trip?”
“Do you really think I’m that
shallow?” I glare at him.
He hesitates a few seconds too
long.
“Seriously?” I huff.
He kisses my forehead. “I
don’t think you’re shallow. I just think you’re a typical eighteen-year-old. I
know you find it hard to believe, but I was eighteen once too.”
It is difficult for me to
imagine my dad as a young man. He’s so stubborn and set in his ways. He’s the
type of guy you’d image came out of the womb as a 40-year-old.
“You know how important Spring
Break is. I really want to go.” I try not to whine. My dad hates it when I
whine.
“I thought we agreed that
you’d work at the office over Spring Break. Tilly already put together a list
of tasks for you.”
Tilly has been the office
manager for Seven Brothers Security Services for as long as I can remember. And
my dad has been in love with her just as long.
Of course, he’d never admit
it.
Guys like my father, men who
risk their lives every day to protect the lives of others, aren’t supposed to
have personal relationships. That’s what my dad proclaims anyway. And it seems
to be the philosophy held by his brothers as well. Not one of the seven
brothers, who make up the Seven Brothers Security Team, has had much luck at
sustaining a long-term relationship.
“I promise I’ll make it up to
Tilly this summer.”
“I don’t like the idea of two
teenage girls going to Florida on your own.”
“Sanibel Island is safe, Dad.
I did some research. The crime rate there is lower than it is here in Annadale.
You don’t have any issues with me walking around this town on my own.”
“Arizona is a long way from
Florida. If you’re in trouble I can’t just hop into my car and be there right
away. I would take several days for me to get to you.”
“I’ve been living on my own on
campus all year. You’re fine with that.”
He shakes his head. “Not fine
with it. I tolerate it. You’re still my little girl. I just want you to be
safe.”
“I’m an adult now. I can take
care of myself. You and your brothers have taught me well. I’ve been doing
self-defense training since I learned to walk.”
My dad eyes me skeptically.
“I’m still not clear about the financial arrangements for this trip of a
lifetime. Why exactly are Addie’s parents willing to pay for all of your
expenses?”
“Addie isn’t the most popular
girl on campus. She doesn’t have anyone else to go with. I’m her only friend.”
My dad reaches into his pocket
and removes his wallet. He counts out a hundred dollars and hands me the cash.
“I’m sure you’ll need a little pocket money for the trip.”
I place a kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you, Dad. This means a lot to me.”
He pulls me in for a hug.
“Stay safe, kiddo.”
***
“My parents will be here any
minute. Do you have everything you need?” Addie is a hairsbreadth away from a
total meltdown. Not that much of her life isn’t spent in crisis mode. Today her
craziness is in overdrive.
“I’m packed and ready to go,”
I assure her.
“Sunscreen,” she exclaims. “I
don’t have any sunscreen.”
“We can buy some there. You can’t
take stuff like that on the plane anyway.”
She nods. “I’m sorry if I’m
freaking out a little.”
“A little?” I laugh.
“Okay, I’m freaking out a lot.
This will be my first major trip without my parents.”
I place my hands on her
shoulders and look into her bright green eyes. “Everything will be fine.”
She takes in a deep breath
then exhales. “Thank you. For everything.”
“I’m the one who should be
thanking you. I’ve never been outside of Arizona before. And here I am going on
a dream vacation to Sanibel Island.”
She grabs an oversized sunhat
from the edge of her bed and plops it on her head. “Hat or no hat? What do you
think?”
Addie is tall and thin. The
floppy hat makes her look like the Scarecrow from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
It does cover her thick mop of curly auburn hair though. “It’s your call.”
“Are you bringing a hat?”
I shake my head. “They make me
look younger than I already do. I realize I’m petite, but the last time I wore
a baseball cap with my hair pulled back, someone mistook me for a
twelve-year-old boy.”
“Okay, no hats.” She sends her
sunhat sailing Frisbee-style across the room.
A loud pounding on the door
startles both of us. Addie answers it.
I’ve only met her parents once
before, the day they moved Addie into our dorm room. They struck me as two peas
in a nerdy pod, who reproduced an even more awkward pea sprout.
Mrs. Vance removes two plastic
document holders from her oversized handbag and hands one to me and one two
Addie. “Here are your plane tickets. There will be a car waiting at the airport
to take you to the island.”
Addie does an embarrassing
dance that makes her look like she’s having a seizure. “Spring Break here we
come!”
I just hope she doesn’t break
out those mortifying dance moves in public.
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