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 said as she started back toward the pier. "If I hadn't heard them, they could have done serious damage to Gus's boat." "Gus?" Dylan hurried after her. "Gus Macauley?" She stopped and looked at him. "You know Gus?" "No, but I'm looking for him." "He's not here." "I gathered as much when you said those kids were on his boat," he said, unable to keep the impatience out of his voice. "Do you know how to get in touch with him?" "Doesn't matter. Gus is unavailable." "What are you? His secretary?" Frustration and anger boiled up inside him. He pulled out a tissue and wiped his mouth impatiently. It had taken him far too long to get this lead. Gus Macauley was one of the few people still around who had worked with Stuart Van Allen. And now this woman was trying to keep him away from Macauley. Her gaze drilled a hole through him. "I'm his..." She clamped her mouth shut. "I'm a friend of his family," she finally said. "What's going on? Is he out of town?" 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. ClWatson, Margaret is the author of 'Small-town Family ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373714209 and ISBN 0373714203.