Dancing Tides (142 page)

“A
nd
?
”

“A
nd
w
h
a
t
?
”

“
W
h
a
t
’
d
y
ou
n
a
me
him
?
”

“O
h.
B
um
p
er
.”
B
e
cau
se
she
s
a
w
th
a
t qu
e
stioning look
f
o
r
m on his
face
, s
h
e
a
dd
e
d,
“T
he little
g
u
y
lik
e
s to bump
t
he
e
d
g
e
of
t
h
e
pool
w
ith his h
ea
d.
I
t
’
s like
h
e’
s
a
l
r
ea
d
y
sho
w
i
n
g
o
ff
.
”

A
ll
a
t on
ce
, Co
r
d spott
e
d
S
c
ott h
a
n
g
i
n
g
out
a
t the
oth
e
r
e
nd of
the
b
ar
n do
o
r
.
I
t piss
e
d him o
ff.

A
nd
w
h
e
n
K
ee
g
a
n
s
a
w
h
im look ov
e
r
a
s if
he
w
er
e
st
ar
tl
e
d
a
t som
e
thi
n
g
, th
e
n
a
nn
o
y
e
d, she
f
ollo
we
d his
g
a
z
e
.
W
h
e
n he
c
ontinu
e
d to st
a
r
e
in th
a
t di
rec
tion, she
not
e
d his
fa
c
e
h
a
d
c
ompl
e
t
e
l
y
c
h
a
n
g
ed
.

H
e
h
a
d su
c
h
a
ca
u
ght
-
o
f
f
-
g
u
ar
d, i
rr
it
a
t
e
d look in his
e
y
e
s s
h
e
f
in
a
l
l
y
a
sk
e
d,
“
W
h
a
t
’
s
wr
o
n
g
?
”

“
I
n a
million
y
e
ar
s
y
ou
’
d
n
e
v
e
r
b
e
li
e
v
e
m
e
.”

“T
r
y
m
e
.”

Cord
stu
ffe
d his h
a
nds in
h
is po
c
k
e
ts
a
nd l
ea
n
e
d his boot on the
ra
il of
one
of
the
st
a
lls
a
s if thinkin
g
, d
ec
idi
n
g
w
h
e
t
h
e
r
or
not to
c
on
f
e
ss.

“
Come
on,”
K
ee
g
a
n p
r
o
d
d
e
d.
“
W
h
a
t
’
s
wr
o
n
g
?
T
he
w
a
y
y
ou
’
r
e
a
c
ting
is o
nl
y
m
a
ki
n
g
me mo
r
e
c
u
r
ious.”

“
W
h
a
t the
h
e
ll,
y
ou
a
l
re
a
d
y
think
I
’
m nuts
a
n
y
wa
y
.
”

“
I
do not,”
she
c
l
a
im
e
d.
W
h
e
n his int
e
nt look l
a
s
t
e
d a
little
too lon
g
, she
a
dmitt
e
d,
“O
k
a
y
, m
a
y
b
e
a
t
f
i
r
st
I
did but t
h
a
t
wa
s b
ef
o
r
e
I
’
d
g
ott
e
n
to know
y
ou.
T
h
e
l
a
st
c
o
uple
of
d
a
y
s
I
’
v
e
rea
ss
e
s
s
e
d
y
our
w
hole
si
t
u
a
tion.”

“Y
ou
a
r
e
n
’
t put o
f
f
b
ec
a
use
h
a
lf
the
to
w
n
c
onsid
e
r
s me
a
nut
ca
s
e
?
”

She
g
a
v
e
him a
s
y
m
p
a
th
e
tic
look.
“
I
’
d s
a
y
, mo
r
e
like
s
e
v
e
n
t
y
-f
i
v
e
p
e
r
ce
nt.”
She
bump
e
d his should
e
r
in a
pl
a
y
f
ul
a
tt
e
mpt to
c
o
a
x
him out
of
thinking
a
bout it.

“O
u
c
h.
T
h
e
n
I
g
u
e
ss th
er
e’
s no h
ar
m in
g
oi
n
g
f
or
nin
e
t
y
-
nine
point nin
e
.
By
a
n
y
c
h
a
n
c
e did
y
ou know
S
c
ott Phill
i
p
s
?
”

“T
he
G
u
a
r
d soldi
e
r
fr
om
P
e
li
ca
n Pointe
w
ho
wa
s
kill
e
d in
I
r
a
q?
Su
re
.
H
e
us
e
d to h
e
lp
m
y
g
r
a
ndd
a
d
a
r
ound the
c
e
n
t
e
r
du
r
i
n
g
his summ
er
s,
e
v
e
n
we
nt on a
fe
w
r
e
s
c
u
e
s
w
ith him
a
s a t
ee
n
a
g
e
r
.”