Treading Water Read Online Free Page B

would Mom
say?”
    “ Um, forever?”
    “ That sounds about
right.”
    Jill moaned. “Seriously. How long?”
    “ How does a month
sound?”
    “ Like forever.”
    “ But fair in light of the
crime?”
    “ I guess.”
    He held out his hand. “I’ll take your phone
and keep it safe for the next month.”
    “ Oh come on!”
    “ As I recall, cell phone
surrender was a key part of Mom’s grounding program.”
    “ Why does it have to be
part of yours?”
    “ Cough it up.”
    She dug it out of her back pocket and
slapped it into his hand.
    They sat on the bathroom floor until she
sagged against him, asleep. Somehow, he managed to lift her off the
floor and carry her to the sofa in the family room. Covering her
with a blanket, he kissed her forehead. Then he got comfortable on
the other sofa.
    Just in case she needed him again during the
night.
     
    Leaving the port of Point Judith on the
Friday night ferry, Jack stood on the bow and watched the ship
sluice through the foamy water. He took a drink from his cup of
coffee, wishing for a shot of whiskey instead. “Here goes nothing,”
he whispered as he turned away from the rail to join the girls
inside.
    As usual, Kate sat by herself, strumming the
guitar she never left home without these days. Maggie was attached
to her iPod, and Jill had curled up with a book on one of the
benches. An obnoxiously large pile of duffel bags sat on the floor
next to them. Jack had been so glad they were coming with him that
he’d chosen not to make an issue of how much stuff they’d brought
for one weekend.
    He had no plan, per se, for
when they got to the island. All he knew was that he had to
do something to
get their attention, to reconnect with daughters he’d somehow
managed to grow estranged from while living under the same
roof.
    The ferry backed into Block Island’s Old
Harbor just after six. Disembarking with their two tons of luggage,
Jack and the girls piled into the old station wagon he kept on the
island. Their silence during the short ride to the south end grated
on his already frayed nerves.
    “ Another busy weekend on
the Block,” he said, feeling stupid and desperate as the words came
out of his mouth.
    More silence.
    “ What do you guys want for
dinner?”
    “ Pizza from Aldo’s,” Maggie
said.
    “ Aldo’s it is,” Jack said,
smiling at her in the mirror.
    It was just pizza, but it was a start.
     
    By Saturday afternoon, Jack was ready to
shoot himself. With each of them immersed in some form of
technology—iPods, computers, cell phones, televisions—they were
doing an excellent job of ignoring him. The cowardly part of him
wanted to go up to his room and kill time until they could go home
the next day. However, the coward was overruled by the inner voice
telling him he’d already squandered too much time with them.
    Bracing himself for outrage, he stepped into
the huge living room that overlooked the ocean. “Hey, guys.” He
waved a hand at Kate to get her attention, since she had her
earbuds in. “Let’s go for a ride.”
    “ I’m watching something,”
Maggie said.
    “ I was just about to take a
shower,” Jill added. She’d been only slightly friendlier to him
since their interlude on the bathroom floor. He took the progress
where he could get it.
    “ We’re going for a ride,”
he said more forcefully this time. “And Kate, bring your guitar,
will you?”
    Sending him a quizzical look, Kate did as he
asked. Though they grumbled all the way, they found shoes and coats
and trooped out to the car.
    As Jack drove toward the bluffs on the
island’s north end, he so hoped he was doing the right thing. He
got them as close as he could in the car. They’d have to walk the
rest of the way.
    “ Am I bringing the guitar?”
Kate asked with a wary glance at the rugged trail.
    “ Yes, please.”
    As Jack watched them exchange puzzled looks,
his gut clenched with nerves. “Listen, guys, I know I haven’t given
you much reason to trust me or to