The Forgotten Daughter

by Lauri Robinson

  Brock then lit four Roman candles, each one shooting ten small balls of fire into the air that all burst apart high in the sky. Scooter then set off four torpedoes. They whistled as they shot upward and the boom that followed was louder, as was the roar of the cheers coming from the crowd on the beach. As soon as the last torpedo shot out of the metal stand Scooter had built, he lit two mortars.

  The crowd really cheered then. The mortars were the ones they’d come to see. High above the lake, they exploded with a great bang and illuminated the sky with red and green sparkles that reflected off the water, making a spectacular show.

  Dac lit off his sky rockets again, which were followed by Brock’s Roman candles and then Scooter’s torpedoes and mortars. The men set a steady rhythm that was timed perfectly so there was always a firework exploding, even before the previous one faded. Besides the crowd cheering on shore, several other boats were on the water, with people watching the show.

  “Wow,” Ginger said. “This is fabulous.”

  “Yes, it is,” Josie agreed, scooting herself forward so she could lean her head against the back of the boat. “It really is.”

  Ginger was lying in her boat, in much the same way. “This is the best way to watch fireworks, don’t you agree?”

  “I guess I do,” Josie agreed.

  “The only thing that would make it better would be if Brock was lying next to me,” Ginger said wistfully.

  “Then there wouldn’t be any Roman candles,” Josie pointed out. “Be happy he’s standing next to your feet.”

  Ginger giggled. “You’re always the sensible one. Happy with whatever you have. Making the most of everything. Sometimes I wish I was more like you.”

  “No, you don’t,” Josie answered honestly.

  Ginger was quiet, perhaps because Scooter had let off two more mortars and the booms were loud. When the quieter sky rockets shot into the sky, Ginger asked, “Why do you say it like that? Is something wrong?”

  “No,” Josie answered. Knowing her sister wouldn’t give up without a reasonable explanation, she added, “No one should ever wish to be like anyone else. You are your own person. Appreciate that.”

  “Now that sounds like you,” Ginger said. “The sensible one.”

  Silently they watched the sky light up again. Josie couldn’t help but wonder if that was what was wrong with her. That she was tired of being the sensible one. When two mortars exploded simultaneously their blue and white lights intermingled, along with their booms. Oohs and aahs floated from the watchers on the beach. Josie closed her eyes as the lights faded, holding the sparkles in her mind for a second longer. She took her own words to heart. No, that wasn’t it. Sensible or not, at this moment she was very glad to be who she was. Where she was. Glad that she hadn’t crept away. Doing so would not have been sensible. Then again, she hadn’t been overly sensible lately.

  She didn’t want to admit that. Didn’t like admitting it. But it was the truth. Whether she wanted to believe it or not. Getting involved from the beginning hadn’t been sensible, but she liked helping others. She liked knowing she was making a difference to even one other person in some small way. Going to Duluth was exciting, and the secrecy had been challenging and thrilling, until lately... Scooter was right. It had become dangerous. She wasn’t a fool, and only fools continued when they knew they were in over their heads.

  But she couldn’t stop. It was impossible. It was also a part of her. A part she liked.

  She’d liked tonight, too. Especially being with Scooter. Fighting or not, with him at her side she didn’t feel like the odd man out. It had always been that way with Scooter. His mother and hers had been close friends, and Josie clearly remembered being little, very little, and telling her mother she was going to grow up and marry Scooter. A crazy notion, dreamed up in a child’s mind. He’d probably stopped one of her sisters from picking on her or something—

  The boat rocked hard, and her eyes snapped open as she shot upright.

  Scooter was yelling. So were Brock and Dac.

  Josie stood. A boat, with a motor, sped toward them. “Who is that?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” Scooter yelled, before shouting for the boat to slow down.

  From that moment on, everything turned crazy.

  The boat didn’t hit them, but the wake it left as it swerved sent the raft and all three of the boats tied to it rocking uncontrollably.

  Someone yelled, “Fire!”

  Scooter shouted to untie the boats. Josie found the rope on her end while he did the same on his. As the knot slipped loose, Scooter grabbed her arm.

  “Get down!”

  She landed on the floor of the boat, between two of the bench seats, as the explosions started. A scream escaped her throat and when something covered her head, she clutched on to it. The scent and feel of the material told her it was Scooter’s coat, and that, despite all the noise and commotion, provided a sense of security.

  The boat was moving, gliding fast over the water. Josie lifted her head slightly to peer out from beneath the coat. Scooter was behind her paddling with both oars. She was on the floor of the boat, sitting between his knees. She twisted to glance toward the raft, which was now several yards away.

  Fireworks were shooting off in several directions, a dozen at a time. A loud boom, accompanied by sparks that engulfed the raft and spit into the air, made her pull the coat back over her eyes.

  When the boat slowed, Josie once again lifted the jacket. They were almost to the shore. Gradually, the boat spun around to face the raft, where fireworks of all kinds were exploding.

  “Are you all right?” Scooter asked.

  “Yes.” Twisting to look up at him, she asked, “Are you?”

  He nodded as his gaze went to the floating platform. Sky rockets, torpedoes, Roman candles and large mortars were all going off at once. Most were still shooting skyward, but a few shot off the edges of the raft, landing in the water and disappearing.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Whoever was in that motorboat threw something into one of the crates. Something that was on fire.”

  A shiver rippled through her so fast she shuddered. Scooter settled his coat tighter around her and then rested both hands on her shoulders. “We’re safe here,” he said. “Far enough away. Dac and Brock and Ginger are far enough away, too.”

  Josie nodded even while she scanned the lake, looking for the others. The constant flash of lights in the air made it easy to see them. “Who would do such a thing?” she asked.

  “Don’t know. Maybe someone thinking it would be a fun practical joke.” Scooter tugged her backward. “Lean back. We might as well enjoy the show. The fireworks were packed in sawdust inside those crates and barrels. It’ll take a while before they’re done.”

  The mass of explosions overhead was something to see. Red, blue, green, yellow and white lights lit up the sky. All at the same time. There was no waiting in between, just constant booms, pops and bursts of color. Josie maneuvered her legs out from beneath the bench seat to stretch them in front of her. “Want to sit down here?” she asked. “You won’t have to bend your head so far back.”

  “I’m fine,” he said. “But you make yourself comfortable.”

  “All right,” she said. Resting both elbows on his knees, she leaned all the way back, until her head touched his chest. “You make a pretty good chair, and it is a rather spectacular firework show.”

  “Yeah, it is.” His hands were still on her shoulders, and when they started to gently rub, she closed her eyes. There was no rhyme or reason to the pops and booms of the fireworks, and she could almost see the lights through her closed lids. Once again, she admitted she was glad to be where she was at this very moment. Normally, she’d never admit that, never do this, but tonight, she wanted to be more like her sisters. Like those fireworks. Wild. Unconventional. Free.

  All day, all week actually, she’d watched Twyla and Norma Rose snuggling and kissing the men they loved. Both h
ad continued to work, to ensure this party would be a success, but even then, while working at her side, her sisters had giggled and talked about Forrest and Ty. Moments ago she’d caught Brock and Ginger in their boat in an embrace that said they were certainly not watching fireworks.

  She’d never had anything remotely close to what her sisters had, and wondered if she ever would. Nestled between Scooter’s knees, with fireworks exploding overhead and the gentleness of his hands easing the tension from her shoulders, here she was as close as she’d ever come.

  Scooter’s arms folded around her shoulders from behind and he rested his chin on the top of her head. “It’s quite the display, isn’t it?”

  She opened her eyes and gazed heavenward, toward the bursts of light. “Yes. I’m sure the crowd is loving it.”

  “Are you?”

  She twisted slightly to look up at him. The fireworks were reflecting in his eyes and his smile was one of those that had her wanting to smile in return. A wave of warmth rushed up inside her, making her want to sigh, and all the while her heart picked up the pace of its beats. He truly was a handsome man, and right now, for whatever reason, that fact seemed to be sweeping her out of her world and dropping her in one she didn’t know, but was excited to enter.

  “Are you enjoying the fireworks, Josie?” he asked again, while brushing her hair off her forehead.

  “Yes,” she answered, although her whisper was so soft he may not have heard. Her voice didn’t want to work. Nothing wanted to work.

  Scooter leaned closer. The idea of what he was about to do struck her so swiftly Josie gasped and pulled her head back to look him in the eyes. He grinned and lifted one eyebrow. Excitement shot clear to her toes, leaving her tingling all over. She bit her bottom lip, even as she leaned forward.

  The moment his lips touched hers, Josie wondered if the fireworks were going off inside her instead of over their heads.

  The warmth of his mouth was divine and a greedy need burst forth inside her. You shouldn’t be doing this, she told herself as she moved her lips against his. It can only make things worse.

  But I want to do this, she argued with herself. I want to do this more than I’ve ever wanted to do anything. If just to understand what all the fuss is about.

  Scooter’s arms tugged her upward. She twisted about and tucked her knees beneath her. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him with all the passion that had been building inside her lately.

  Scooter’s hands, rubbing her hips, her back, her shoulders, gave her encouragement.

  The fireworks continued to rumble in her ears, flashing before her closed lids, but Scooter held her attention. She’d never been kissed and was utterly enthralled by each movement of his lips. How they pressed against hers, how they parted briefly and met hers again. He caught her bottom lip between his and tugged slightly, making her want to smile. She couldn’t help it.

  His hands were on the sides of her face as they separated. He was smiling, too. She’d truly never experienced a blush like the one burning her cheeks.

  Scooter leaned forward again, and this time, when his lips parted, she instinctively copied the action. His tongue swept inside her mouth so swiftly she grasped his shoulders at the wave of pleasure flooding her system.

  The kiss continued until she was breathless and felt rather boneless. Her entire body would have sunk to the bottom of the boat if he hadn’t been holding her. Or if she hadn’t been holding on to him. She no longer told herself she shouldn’t be doing this. Now her thoughts were more along the lines of never wanting to stop. This was certainly something to fuss about. And something to indulge in.

  Scooter was the one who stopped, backing out of their kissing with such slow tenderness Josie slumped against him.

  “The fireworks have stopped,” he whispered next to her ear.

  “No, they haven’t,” she replied just as softly. They were still going off in the recesses of her mind as brilliantly as ever.

  His chest rumbled as he chuckled. “Listen.”

  Eyes closed, Josie focused on hearing. Although it was hard. Scooter smelled so wonderful and his enveloping warmth offered comfort she’d never known. Eventually, she had to acknowledge there were no echoing booms, but there was the faint sound of a plethora of cheers and clapping. Letting out a sigh, she opened her eyes and lifted her chin to peer up at him. “Maybe they are over.”

  “Maybe?”

  She sighed again. “Yes, maybe.”

  He laughed again and kissed her forehead while wrapping his coat around her shoulders once more. Josie didn’t want to move, not even when he gently lowered her. Her body seemed to have lost all coordination as she sank back down to the bottom of the boat between his knees.

  She’d never been here before. It was as if she was teetering somewhere between dreamland and reality. The splashing of water from the oars and the movement of the boat slowly brought her senses around. Letting out another sigh, Josie asked, “Is it safe? What if they all haven’t gone off?”

  “They’ve all gone off,” Scooter said.

  “How can you be sure?”

  He gestured toward the water with a nod of his chin. “The raft is on fire, so I think it’s safe to say they all went off.”

  Dropped into reality like a rock pitched off a dock, Josie spun around at the same time she asked, “What?” Sure enough, a ball of flame sat on the water directly in front of them. “What do we do now?”

  “Throw some buckets of water on it,” Scooter said rather lazily.

  Disbelief rippled her spine. “Aren’t you upset?”

  “No sense being upset,” he said.

  Little by little, she drew her eyes away from the fire and turned to look up at Scooter. He was still grinning, and the way he winked sent the blood rushing into her cheeks again. This was the Scooter she’d always known. He took life in stride, with a smile. Until— Oh, what had she done? Please don’t let him say something about kissing. She wouldn’t know how to reply.

  Spinning around, she gathered up his coat and then went ahead and stuck her arms in the sleeves. While they rowed closer, and her mind conjured up all sorts of embarrassing bits of conversation, she climbed onto the seat in front of her, edging close to the side so Scooter could see around her.

  Brock and Ginger were approaching the fire from one direction and Dac from the other. What if they’d seen her and Scooter kissing? They’d been some distance away, but the fireworks had been bright.

  “That was one hell of a show!” Dac shouted.

  Josie’s stomach dropped to the board beneath her feet. Lower even.

  “It sure was,” Brock replied.

  “Everyone all right?” Scooter asked.

  “We are,” Ginger answered. “How about you?”

  “We’re fine,” Scooter replied.

  The boat was rocking. Josie turned to watch Scooter dip a bucket over the edge.

  “Looks like it’s just the crates and barrels burning,” he said. “Let’s get it put out and see if the platform can be salvaged.”

  The other men started using the buckets in their boats and the fire was soon extinguished. Scooter then rowed the boat up to the edge of the raft, and Dac and Brock did the same.

  “Soaking the platform before we anchored it was a good idea,” Dac said. “It’s barely charred.”

  A fourth boat rowed up beside Dac’s. It was Ty and Norma Rose. Josie wanted to groan. An accident like this was sure to upset her sister.

  “What happened?” Norma Rose asked.

  Ty grabbed the edge of the platform to keep their boat from colliding with Dac’s. “We saw a motorboat speeding past, and the flames.”

  “Do you know who it was?” Scooter asked.

  “No,” Ty said. “They were too far away for us to get a good look. Do you know?”

  Scooter had climbed onto the platform and was pushing debris around with his feet. “No, but it was one of the resort’s boats.”

  Josie hadn’t noticed tha
t. Then again, there hadn’t been time to notice much.

  “Need any help here?” Ty asked.

  “No,” Scooter said. “I’ll take the stands with me and come back in the daylight to clean up the rest of it.”

  “We’ll head back and see who took out boats with motors.”

  “I don’t think those on the shore know what happened,” Brock said.

  “Me neither,” Dac agreed. “Not with the way they were cheering.”

  “Let’s leave it that way,” Scooter said. “Not give whoever did this the satisfaction of knowing how close they came to ending the show just as it got started.”

  The glances shared between the men said they were attempting to make light of the situation. As Josie questioned why, a consensus to agree with Scooter’s suggestion was made. Shortly afterward, with the stands loaded into their boat, Scooter started rowing toward shore.

  Stars glistened overhead, reflecting off the water, and music filtered through the air from the resort, disrupted only by the steady splash of the oars hitting the water. Dac was rowing toward shore a short distance away, and Josie tried to hold her attention on why the men wouldn’t want to discover who was behind the fire. She didn’t have much luck with that, not with the way her mind continued to bounce back to something else. No one seemed to have seen her and Scooter kissing. As much as she didn’t want people to have seen them, she wanted to kiss him again. That was disconcerting.

  Her entire being filled with warmth just thinking about it. There were a few impious sensations swirling around her head and body, too. Things that had never entered her before, not in anyone’s company. Certainly not in Scooter’s presence. He had been around her entire life. He’d been there whenever she’d needed things. Tangible things, like new tires or someone to light fireworks. Or a ride from Duluth.

  Josie couldn’t hold in her sigh. What was happening to her?

  Scooter’s long exhale sounded from behind her. “About what happened tonight,” he said.

  She closed her eyes. Here it comes, his regret at what they’d done. Her teeth clamped together in preparation, but it didn’t help. She lifted her chin. “Don’t think anything of it. I’m not.”