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Genealogy Chart

To Glendon—for providing me with the inspiration for the scene with the sink… Even though you didn’t see the humor in it at the time, Emma and I thank you for your sacrifice.

And to the real-world Candace Gibson, who is a sweet and funny person, not at all the kind of woman as the Candace in the book. Thanks for insisting I make you a “bad guy.” I hope I did you proud.

Chapter One

June 1993

A
s soon as he pulled up in front of the hacienda-style house at the end of the street, Archer noticed the small group of children standing on the edge of the embankment across the way. A dark-haired girl stood out, not just thanks to the bright red and purple outfit she wore, but also because of who she was. Sydney Campbell.

She had her hands on her hips and was scowling fiercely at one of the other girls. The scowl was a look she got straight from her mother, Emma, and it never boded well for whoever it was directed at.

“Looks like trouble brewing.”

His passenger, Amelia Campbell, grimaced. “Sure does.”

Hoping to head off a scene he parked, then got out and hurried across the street. “Sydney. Hi.”

Sydney’s face cleared and she met him halfway. “Archer! You know all about pirates. Tell her.” She grabbed his hand in both of hers and jerked her chin toward the other little girl. “Tell her Noah and Eli are too pirates. She says I’m a liar.” Noah and Eli were Sydney’s cousins, a few years older than her own four-and-three-quarters years. She idolized them and they tolerated her, like boys do.

“Well, Noah does a good pirate impersonation, I have to admit. And it isn’t very nice to call someone a liar.” He sent the other girl a chiding look.

“Noah built a pirate ship, and he and Eli are coming down here on it.”

The other little girl rolled her eyes at the boy standing beside her who was shuffling his feet. He resembled her so much he had to be her brother. “You’ve been saying that for hours now. They’re not coming. They’re not pirates. Come on Kenny, let’s go play with the fun kids.”

Sydney’s scowl was back with a vengeance and only Archer stepping in front of her stopped her from pushing the other girl. “They are, too! You’ll see.” She wrapped her arms around Archer’s leg and turned her attention to the river twenty feet below them over the sloping embankment. As he watched, she pushed her glasses up with the back of her hand, sniffled, then wiped her eyes. “They are too pirates.”

Archer glanced to Amelia, whose face was full of sympathy. “Sweetie, they’re pretend pirates,” she told her niece. “And pretend pirates aren’t the same as real ones.”

“Come here.” Archer picked her up and settled her on his hip like he had a thousand times. She clung to his neck and his heart melted. Also something that had happened a thousand times. He wiped her wet cheeks with his thumb. “How about we head inside, get your mom? We’re going to go eat lunch, remember? Then Mom has a surprise for you.”

“Okay. But they told me they were coming when they called. Noah built the ship and everything.” Her voice was so full of uncertain confusion it set off a warning bell in Archer’s mind. He looked at Amelia over Sydney’s head. She was biting her lip, apparently having similar thoughts.

“You don’t think…?”

She crossed her arms and looked back at Emma’s house. “Maybe I should go call Zanny and John? Just in case?”

Before she could leave, Sydney’s entire body stiffened and she gave an ear-splitting shriek of excitement.

“See! I told you they were pirates!” She pushed against him and Archer let her down, distracted by the terrifying sight he wasn’t sure he believed was real. “I told you, I told you, I told you!”

Coming down the river on a tiny, rickety-looking raft, were Emma’s nephews.

Amelia grabbed his arm, horrified. “Archer…”

“Go get Emma. And yes, call your brother.” He started down the worn path that led from the street over the hill to the river, following an excited Sydney. Heart pounding, he prayed like he hadn’t done in years.

True, this section of the North Fork of the Kentucky River was slow-moving. It was probably only ten feet deep, and he knew both boys could swim like fish. The late-June weather was warm enough that if they fell in they shouldn’t even catch cold. But the adult portion of his brain was hardwired to caution, and he barely breathed as Noah expertly guided the small craft toward the shore with a long pole. As they came in, Archer moved into the shallow water near the bank, barely noticing the coldness lapping around his calves, and waited.

Sydney was jumping up and down, elated, as they waited for the raft to dock. Noah, however, had gotten a glimpse of Archer’s face, and his own had paled, eyes widening with trepidation.

“You even brought Mr. Clucky!” Sydney crowed as the boys got close enough to the bank that Archer was able to grab the end of the raft.

“He’s our mascot,” Eli said with a grin as he untied the colorful rooster’s leash from a small ring. “Of course he had to come.”

The pounding of fast-approaching feet sounded, and Archer looked up to see Emma and Amelia heading down the path. Emma’s face was pinched with shock.

“Noah James Campbell! Eli Thomas! What in the hell were you thinking?” Normally calm even under stressful circumstances, she was clearly scared to death. She crouched down and pulled both boys close, her voice shaking. “You could have drowned! Do you know what your parents are going to say?”

Eli and Sydney exchanged a less-confident look, and ten-year-old Noah hung his head. “We were careful, Aunt Emma. I tested the raft for two days before we got on her. She’s solid.”

Emma’s jaw dropped. Archer could tell she was about an inch away from spanking them both. He stepped in, keeping his voice calm. “Noah, you had to know this was a bad idea.”

Noah gave a one-shoulder shrug. He peered up at Emma, hopeful. “I guess. Do you have to tell them?”

Emma gave him a “mom” look. He sighed.

“Guess you do.”

Amelia gestured to the street. “Why don’t we go topside, take the rooster to the yard and wait for your parents? I called them. Tried to play it down as much as I could,” she told Archer.

With Sydney in the lead and the rooster following along at her heels, Amelia got the kids started up the slope. Archer studied Emma while her head was turned, watching them go. Her cheeks were flushed a soft pink and she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. With rich and silky dark hair cascading around her shoulders, and clad in jeans and a T-shirt worn more for comfort than for fashion, she made a picture he could have spent the entire day watching.

“What were they thinking?” she muttered. “Noah’s only ten but still. In what universe did this sound like a good idea?”

“In the little-boy universe.” Archer turned to examine the raft’s construction and was impressed with what he saw. The corners were held together with well-formed rope knots, and empty plastic containers had been strapped to the bottom for buoyancy. He put it back in the water and stepped onto it. It only gave a little under his weight, and he wasn’t a small man. “This is actually pretty sturdy.”

Emma was shaking her head slowly, one hand up to her mouth. “Do you know what could have happened to them?”

“I do. But they made it here safely, and I would just about guarantee neither of them is going to forget the lecture John and Zanny deliver for a good long time to come.” He got back off and tugged the raft up onto the bank. A small knapsack was strapped onto it, and he undid the straps to see what was inside. Now that the boys were safe, the child in him was starting to admire their moxie. He held out a smashed banana, a sandwich in a bag, and a small container of dried corn. “And they brought snacks for themselves and Mr. Clucky. As far as childhood stunts go this seems fairly well-thought-out.”

It was his turn to get the “mom” look leveled at him. He stamped down the flare of heat that followed, putting it safely into a corner of his mind set aside for Emma, a corner she knew nothing about.

“I should have known you’d find this amusing,” she scolded.

He handed her the knapsack and picked up the raft with a grunt. The contraption was heavier than it appeared. “I don’t find the danger amusing. My heart just about stopped when I saw them coming around the bend. I don’t know if I could have gotten to them in time if things had gone bad, and I’ll probably have a few nightmares about that. But danger aside, can you imagine from a little-boy perspective how cool it must have been? Come on, Em. I know you have a daredevil buried under the mom. I’ve heard too many stories about things you did as a child.” He drew abreast of her and gave her a little smile. “You have to admit the rooster was a nice touch.”

She shook her head again, this time with reluctant amusement. “Yes, it was. It’s a pretty good adventure. But if you tell any of those kids I said that, I’ll wring your neck.”

“Yes, ma’am. After you.”

He followed her up the hill not even trying to pretend he wasn’t looking at her butt as they climbed. After all, he wasn’t a saint. He’d never claimed to be. And he’d been in love with Emma Campbell from the first day he’d laid eyes on her five years earlier.

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