“God, no.”
“Who is she?”
“The Island Mouth.”
“That’s impossible.Islands don’t have mouths.”
“It’s a figure of speech.A nickname.It means she’s a gossip.”I’d finished changing and just rolled my damp clothes up in a ball and stuffed them into my backpack.Pinching the bridge of my nose, I collapsed into my chair.“She wants to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s a busybody and needs to know everybody and their business on the island.”
“That sounds horrible.I don’t want to know anybody or their business.Why would you actively go searching out to find other people’s business?That sounds … terrible.”
“Preach.”
“Do you think she will come back?”
I sighed.“I think you can count on it.”
Mabel matched my sigh with one of her own.“I pulled all the blinds, but I don’t really want to.I can’t see the birds.I’ve finished my homework for all my classes, and I was going to go down to the beach to sketch.Do you think it’s okay for me to go down to the beach behind the house?”
“It’s public land, but nobody can access it without cutting through ours or Maz’s property.So you should be safe.Just don’t go in the water.The current there is strong.”
“I’ll just sit on a log and draw.”
“Go in and out through the back door.Just in case she tries to ambush you at the front.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“Tell me about it, kiddo.”
We hung up, and I clenched my molars together as I set my phone on the desk before I threw it across the room.Fucking Jolene Dandy.I thought I’d made myself very clear the other day.She was not to be ambushing me or my child.
I punched in Tommaso Barone’s number.It rang three times before he answered.
“Ciao, Principal Ox.You are not calling to cancel tonight, are you?”
“How soon can we get the materials to build a gate?”
He exhaled.“Did the Mouth show up again?”
“Good guess.”
“I have already called Cameron.He works with your friend, Spencer.Cameron says the wood will be here by the weekend.Your cameras will be here by tomorrow.”
“Cameras?I didn’t order any cameras.Not yet anyway.”
“I ordered you cameras.The same ones that I have.You come for beer tonight and I will show you.Then, tomorrow we will install them.We must protect you, your child, and your privacy.”
A soft tickle at the back of my neck made me wonder if he knew more about my situation than he was letting on.Did Naomi tell her family?While I was beginning to trust, and I already liked the entire vineyard family, I wasn’t ready to divulge my full history to the lot of them.It’d been a big step telling Naomi.
“You didn’t have to order me cameras.I’ll pay you back.Tell me how much and I will Venmo you.”
“One dollar.”
I rolled my eyes.“Come on.”
