Small-town Family

"What do you think you're doing?" The floating pier dipped and swayed beneath Dylan's feet as a woman leaped from a boat and ran toward him. The sun glinted off something large and shiny in her fist. Dylan instinctively stepped backward, but the woman ignored him as she jumped onto another boat. Moments later, two young men scrambled out of it. "Stop them," the woman shouted to Dylan. Dylan tried to block them in the middle of the narrow pier, but they didn't slow down. Dylan grabbed at the first one, but his hand slid off the kid's slippery track jacket. The boy twisted, using his shoulder to knock Dylan off balance, then threw an elbow at Dylan's face. He tasted blood as the second boy shoved him against a post. By the time he regained his footing, they were past him. As he turned to chase them, the woman flashed past, holding a huge wrench. She didn't spare him a glance. Before Dylan could catch up he heard the sound of motors revving and gravel spitting in the parking lot. He reached it in time to see the woman fling the wrench onto the ground. She stood with her hands on her hips, watching the two boys zoom out of the parking lot on dirt bikes. Sun glittered off the metal lying at her feet. "You want to follow them?" he asked. "My car is right here." "Forget it," she said with disgust. She kicked at the wrench and it spun on the gravel. "We can't drive a car down the bike path." "What was that all about?" The woman bent to pick up the tool. "They were trashing one of the boats," she said. "Thanks for trying to stop them." "Didn't do much good, did I?" "You tried," she said, shoving her hair out of her eyes, and he got his first good look at her. Her blond hair, falling out of a ponytail, looked streaked by the sun and tousled by the wind. Anger still burned in her bright blue eyes. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the wrench. He'd seen her before. He frowned as he tried to remember where. She scowled. "Why are you staring at me?" "I know you." "I've never seen you before." "I'm Dylan Smith," he said, sucking on the inside of his lip as he held out his hand. She hesitated before taking it. "Charlotte Burns." "I saw you at Kendall Van Allen's house," he said, smiling and remembering his glimpse of the blonde in the pickup truck and the kick of interest she'd inspired. "You were leaving as I was arriving. I asked Kendall who you were." "You know Kendall?" She pulled her hand away from him, still wary. "I'm staying at Van Allen House." The tension in her shoulders eased and she smiled ruefully. "A tourist. Great. This isn't the image of Door County we're going for." "Yeah, I'm shocked. I've never seen kids acting like knuckleheads before." "This was more than a prank," Charlotte are you? His secretary?" Frustraanger boiled up inside him. He a tissue and wiped his mouth It had taken him far too long lead. Gus Macauley was one of people still around who had Stuart Van Allen. And now was trying to keep him away She studied him and he stared right back, not giving an inch. He'd thought she was attractive when he'd seen her outside of Van Allen House. Close up, she was striking, with high cheekbones and huge eyes. But now he could see the steel beneath the beautiful surface. "Who are you?" she asked. "Dylan Smith." "I remember your name. What do you want with Gus?" "That's between Mr. Macauley and me." "Fine. I'll tell him you were looking for him." "It's business. I need to ask him some questions." Her hand tightened on the wrench. "Did those developers send you? Did you set this whole thing up? Send those kids to vandalize his boat, then conveniently show up in time to chase them?" She stepped closer. "Did you deliberately get in my way to keep me from catching them?" He sucked at the bloodied inside of his lip. "Oh, yeah, thisWatson, Margaret is the author of 'Small-town Family ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373781652 and ISBN 0373781652.