“Si, si.He was.But he’d just lost his mother and was bonding with the surrogate.He was weak because his mother had been weak.She was in a kill pen before she was brought to me.They did not know she was pregnant.She did not survive the birth.It was very traumatic.”
“I can only imagine.I’ve heard many things about my predecessor.All I can do is try to be better—in every way.As a principal, a neighbor, and a person.”
“Who are your neighbors?”
“Rolph Mazurenko and his wife.”
“Oh,si, si.They have good eggs.”
“There,” Sam said, lifting her head.“We’ve secured the splint as best we can.Now all we can do is hope that it makes it overnight.It won’t be able to fly for a while, so we’ll need to feed it.”She glanced at Mabel.“What do osprey eat?”
“Fish,” my kid said without hesitation.“Do you have any fish here we can feed it?”
Sam made a face.“I’m a vegetarian.”
Chuckling, Tom rested an affectionate hand on her shoulder.“Si, piccola.But we can find the bird something to eat.Gabrielle, do you have some fish for the bird?”
The way he said Gabrielle’s name was almost musical, with a play of inflections and a gentle roll of ther.I could tell he wanted to add anaon the end and say “Gabriella,” but stopped himself.
The woman who’d opened the door for us re-entered the kitchen.“You want fish?”
“Si,” Tom said.“For the bird.”
“Like, what kind of fish?Will a can of tuna work?Or do you want a whole herring?Because you have to go to the dock for that.”
“Tuna should be okay for now.Or salmon,” Tom said, following her to the fridge where she opened the freezer side.
Naomi sidled up beside me.“I hope you don’t mind, but I set your pizza box out on the table too.But I didn’t open it.I figured maybe Mabel has a thing about sharing food?”
I stared down at her for a few heartbeats, stunned by her thoughtfulness and those gorgeous green eyes.“She does, actually.Her pizza is also a little strange.Olives, feta, and bacon.Thank you.”
“Ah, that doesn’t sound too weird.I’m one of those weirdos that likes barbecue sauce, pineapple, banana peppers, mushrooms, and chicken on my pizza.”
I gasped.“You put pineapple on your pizza like a heathen?”
“Like a proper heretic.I even dip the whole thing in ranch dressing too.How do you like that?”
“I may have to call the cops.That sounds illegal, and not in a good way.”
Her smile was cheeky and sweet, and brought out a single dimple on the right side of her face.“I’m friends with the cops on the island.I’ll walk on the wild side with my pizza selection.Take my chances.”
“Are we going withCraniumtonight, or justPictionary?”came a loud voice from the living room.It was an open-concept space, so I could see that the voice belonged to a pretty redhead who was next to an enormous, bearded man on the couch.They had a stack of board game boxes in front of them on the coffee table.She craned her head around and waved at me.“Hi, Principal Paul.Come to join the chaos?”
I gave her a wave back.“It would appear so.”
“Come on,” Naomi said, giving my elbow a gentle but familiar tap.“I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
I followed her into the living room where a bunch of kids I recognized—Austin included—as well as an older boy that I didn’t, sat around the coffee table eating pizza.
“This here is Raina,” Naomi said, pointing to the pretty, freckle-faced redhead.“Her son is Marco.And this is her boyfriend, Jagger McEvoy.He’s uncle to the McEvoy kids.Jagger and his brothers own the brewery.”
I shook hands with Raina and Jagger.I recognized them both from the parent meet and greet.
“This here is Maverick Roy.He is with Gabrielle.”
“Wait, hold up,” I said, pausing before taking the guy’s hand.“TheMaverick Roy?Like NHL Maverick Roy?”
Maverick shook his head.“No, you’re confusing me with someone far more handsome.I’m the Maverick Roy who discovered electricity.Much more important, significantly less famous.”
