“Did you two just finish lunch?” Iris asked.

“It’s my study hall and Misty’s lunch period, so I worked in here during lunch and went to lunch during study hall so we could eat together. A bunch of my girlfriends have this lunch hour so we can all eat together. That’s okay, isn’t it? Because you said—”

“Of course it’s okay,” Iris said. “You can manage your schedule. Both of you do so much for me and it’s appreciated.” She squinted at Misty. “Did you get a new haircut?”

Misty beamed. “Do you like it?”

“Very sharp,” Iris said. She looked like a new girl. Not a hint of sadness or stress. She even looked more mature.

“Oh, by the way, I signed up for the PSAT without the prep course, just to see where I stand without a lot of studying ahead. That’s what Krista did and it worked out for her.”

“It was perfect,” Krista said. “I took it again the following year and did great.”

“Good,” Iris said. “But let me ask you this—is the syllabus for the prep course ready for me to pass out? It’s coming up soon.”

“All ready,” Misty said, pointing to a neat stack of papers on the bookcase.

“You are lifesavers. I hope I’m paying you enough for all this hard work.”

They melted into laughter all over again.

I couldn’t have planned that better if I’d planned it! Iris thought.

* * *

Seth could count on one hand the number of people from his childhood who’d kept up with him after the accident and Robbie Delaney wasn’t one of them. Of course, most of their lives, from grade school through high school, they were rivals as much as friends. It seemed to Robbie that Seth got every break, Robbie was clear about that.

Now, so many years later, Seth was trying to figure out a little bit about Robbie. He’d been seen around town regularly, going to the occasional football game, but he had a small business in North Bend and had lived there for years. Robbie painted lines in parking lots and cut down trees. His cell phone number was on his business card and internet advertisement.

Seth called him. “Hey, Robbie, it’s Seth Sileski. From Thunder Point. How are you?”

“Good, good. Need some lumber cut?”

“No,” he said. “But I do need to talk to you. Can we get together?”

“What about?” Robbie asked.

“Well, about your boy, as a matter of fact. Nothing too serious, but... Sassy didn’t tell you I gave Bobby a lift home the other night?”

Seth heard a heavy sigh. “No, no one mentioned that. What happened?”

“Look, can I just get a half hour of your time?”

“I’m real busy today. I like to get a lot of work done when the sun’s shining. Why don’t you just lay it on me. He in some kind of trouble?”

Seth didn’t answer. “You break for lunch?”

Robbie was quiet. “I’ll meet you at the casino. I’ll be the guy in the truck in the parking lot with the line painter. I can’t take a lot of time, Seth. But if that’s the only way you’re going to tell me about my boy, we can meet there.”

Seth went to the sandwich shop and got a couple of subs and a couple of drinks and pulled slowly into the casino lot. It was easy to see where Robbie was working—a big area was sectioned off with orange road cones and tape. The line painter was a handheld piece of machinery about the size of a large lawn mower and Robbie had his head down, watching his work, the painter chugging along.

Seth parked outside the tape and carefully made his way over to Robbie, watching the wet white lines. Robbie finally looked up, raised his visor and turned off his machine. Seth was struck by how much Robbie looked like his dad—he was large and a little overweight. Then he gave a half smile and pulled off his cap, wiping a hand over his balding head.

“I brought lunch,” Seth said. “I know you’re on a tight schedule.”

“I’m painting lines,” Robbie said.

“In the sunshine.” Seth handed him a bag. “I bet it’s a good business.”

“It’s not like I carry a gun or anything,” he said.

“You could, if you wanted to. It’s not as if you’re likely to use it. I haven’t used mine and I’m hoping I never do. Let’s go sit under that tree. Might as well enjoy the weather. It’s not going to stay warm and dry much longer.”

Seth was barely settled when Robbie spoke. “Hard to believe Bobby did anything bad.” He opened the bag and pulled out a thick sub. “He’s a really good kid. He helps me on weekends and he’s easy to be around, easier than I was at that age. He’s nice, you know? Good-natured.”

“Might not have been as much bad as a stupid prank,” Seth said as he pulled out his sandwich. “But it might be something you want to talk to him about, just to be sure. It was Halloween night and I was sitting in the dark on a street just keeping an eye on things when I saw a kid dressed all in black charge a couple of smaller kids and grab their candy bags. He wasn’t alone, he was with another boy, also dressed in black. I caught Bobby while the other kid got away. I made him give back the candy and took him home.” He took a bite of his sandwich, chewed and swallowed. “I suggested to Sassy that she tell you, get you involved in talking to Bobby, make sure he’s not headed down a bad trail.”

“Sue Marie didn’t say anything,” Robbie said, reminding Seth that Sassy had a name preference. Robbie ate a little more. “But then, we don’t communicate very well.”

“You’re divorced?” Seth asked.

“Might as well be, but it isn’t official. She left a couple of years ago. She works here,” he said, pointing to the casino. “She’s a cocktail waitress. Hard work.”

“I didn’t know that,” Seth said. “I knew she lived with her sister, is that right?”

Robbie nodded. “Look, I’ll talk to Bobby. I see the kids all the time. Not Rachel so much anymore—she’s sixteen, got a boyfriend, does a lot of babysitting, cheerleader, all that. But the boys are with me almost every weekend and they’re good kids. The little guy, Sam, he’s only nine and a real kick in the pants, but what a sweetheart. I’m no hotshot cop or anything, but I do the best I can and those kids are good kids.”