Family Trees Read Online Free

“With all due respect, I don’t care if you’re Captain Ahab. This is your first time on this lake. It’s my job to make sure you have a plan. You need to wear your wet suits and respect the water. And by all means, gentlemen, keep your eye on the sky. Conditions here can change on a dime. I have no interest in pulling kayakers off the lake,” John said point-blank. “Even the experienced ones.”
    â€œAll right! All right!” Pete put his hands up.
    â€œJesus,” Brad muttered under his breath.
    â€œWe get it, John,” Ryan said calmly. Ryan respected John because he didn’t give him any special treatment. In fact, he didn’t seem to give a damn who he was. “We appreciate the advice. What the guys mean to say is that we’ve kayaked in the ocean, in cold weather conditions, in remote locations.”
    â€œSuit yourself,” John said, turning toward the side door that opened to the lake.
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    John led them outside and down to the shore, where three kayaks sat in the sand, packed and ready for launch. As they walked, Brad casually asked, “Hey, John, do you know who that woman was?”
    â€œWho?” John dropped his cell phone in the sand. “Damn it!” he uttered under his breath while reaching down and brushing the sand from his device.
    â€œYou know, the brunette who was leaving as we walked in?”
    John hesitated, shoving the phone into his back pocket. “Can’t say that I do.”
    â€œHuh. It seemed like she knew you.”
    â€œNo.” John shook his head. “Nope.”
    Brad eyed John as they neared the lake’s edge, but his look wasn’t returned. “You sure?” he asked again.
    â€œOkay, all set,” John announced, slapping his hand down on the nearest kayak. The sound echoed within the vessel’s hollow chamber. “Time to get you guys on the water.”
    â€œIt seems we have a mystery on our hands,” Brad taunted as each man chose a kayak and shoved his day pack into the deck hatches. “And no one likes a good mystery better than you, Chambers.”
    â€œThat’s enough. Now let’s hit the water.” Ryan was the first to put his kayak in the shallow. He settled into the narrow cockpit and took a firm hold of his paddle. Before taking the first stroke, he looked over his shoulder and saw John standing on the beach. John’s arms were crossed, his jaw clenched. He stood silently, feet firmly planted in the sand, almost as if he were waiting for some kind of threat to cast off and disappear into the deep. Ryan turned back to the lake and took his first couple of strokes. He then set his rudder and kept on paddling, enjoying the sound of water lapping against the kayak’s hull as he glided out toward open water.

C HAPTER 3
    ROCK
    S eeing that the ferry was already full and preparing for departure, Shelby raced down between the two lines of cars waiting for the next ferry, and then hurried up the boarding ramp and onto the boat. As expected, Nicole “Nic” Simone was waiting for her.
    â€œCutting it close this morning?” Nic commented as Shelby joined her on the ferry deck.
    â€œI know! I got a bit sidetracked,” Shelby said, catching her breath and setting her bag down at her feet. She turned her head to glance back toward shore, but Benjamin and his father were gone.
    â€œI’d say,” Nic mumbled with a raised eyebrow. She followed Shelby’s gaze. “Looking for someone?”
    â€œHmm? Oh, I just saw Benjamin. He was with his dad.”
    â€œI saw them, too. Anyone else?”
    â€œNo.” Shelby’s attention turned to the crewman who was loosening the ferry’s stern lines.
    â€œReally.” Nic ran her hands through her bottle-blond, pixie-cut hair. What she lacked in stature, she made up for in estrogen-fueled bravado. Nic could talk down the mangiest character with just a few well-honed words. While