ac

Jeanie and my father took one of the makeshift stump-and-board benche

wo weenies on one stick and had his arms around Jeanie, teaching her to ro

turned his weenie over the fire. They’d come cold, nearly frozen, from the co

aleb knew that this was my worst birthday since I’d tur

oulder with his. “I am so

nswered non

ar. “And I’m sorry about

ropped my stick, hotdo

groaned.

an make you a sandwich

like we’re anywhere near a Cu

e expression on his face told me he mig

y dropped his stick in

celyn?” Caleb asked me, turning his ba

so red, I wondered if Jeanie was goin

king back at

I wasn’t hungry and keep my father happy. Or I

t after Caleb. Caleb smiled slightly at me and put an arm ar

ed plenty of food. You know that.” Jeanie soo

influence,” and it made me feel a bit better about the whole situation. I’d never ad

MY birthday but so far had just doted on Jeanie. He was a

year for your birthday?” Caleb asked me softly, as though reading my thoughts. H

yeah,” I

e folding table we’d recovered from my father’s stash in

d to show Jeanie thi

im shared? He didn’t, I don’t know, s

eyes on me, and my cheeks heated up. “He really wanted to have you

wich while he shook his head and slap

alizing he’d made my sandwic

cheese,” Caleb

“You rem

or me,” Caleb grinned, dropping two

help it.

Then something in his eyes changed, something

lyn,” Caleb murmured. His ey

cked

eaned f

and grabbed the knife out of the Miracle Whip jar. He licke

dangerous game,

uld smell campfire on him, and that he

and made my heart pou

ok his sandwich out on a pa

table for a moment before going b

tomorrow,” my father grunted, eyeing us and our

” Jeanie said, leaning against his arm. Th

ad, either.” Caleb w

sandwiches tomorrow,

me smartass remark, I was sure,

my stepbrot

plates in the fire. My father stood and took

were going fis

and looked up

me. “You and Caleb are welcome to go out in the

nted. “I guess we’ll just go out brig

part right,” my father said. “But yo

” I asked,

sponded. “Somebody’s got

y birthday

I wish you and your brot

Jocelyn out in the boat. You two have fun tonight. But get your fucking head out of your fucking ass, you asshole. Jocelyn w

Caleb. So di

Jacey, I’m so sorry. I’ve rui

ively thunderous. “How dare you spe

ng me off for your own twisted sense of fun because you think I’m not going to call you on your bullshit. You’ve b

er’s arm to stop him from stomping over to Caleb. I put my hands on Caleb’s chest a

ed with Caleb. “Please, Cal

sing a damn thing I bought you!” my father shouted aft

I have two poles and plent

own to the canoe. True to his word, Caleb pulled his own tackle box out

e nice to th

nicer to the boat cush

ut your lifejacket

nd he said I wasn’t going to be using

u shouldn’t wear your lifejacket. Lifejackets are mandato

ody die?” C

his lake, swimming from this campsite...” I pointed back the way we’d c

ed his lifejacket in place. “Shit. Y

he rope and untied us, pushing the metal canoe out in

r enough away from camp that we couldn’t be seen. Then he turned to me

that we only go to once in a while that I couldn’t tell you where the

Caleb repeated,

t in holes or drop-offs a lot of the time in twenty to twenty-five feet of water... so when you

one,” Caleb chuckled. “An

eful,” I said. “The canoe’s a

did a kind of crawl walk with his hands on th

could move out of my seat and maneuver around him. I crouche

s, lifejacket to life jacket. If it hadn’t been for those lifejackets, we

lips nervo

done that,” Caleb whispered a