By the end of the morning, Martine and the boys really did feel like friends. Julie didn’t care that she had to come all the way to France to find kids to hang out with. Even doing gardening chores seemed like more fun than she’d had in months. They made a plan to meet at the bus stop in the village and go to the beach together. Anouk drove them to town with a basket of snacks, towels, and sunscreen, along with dire warnings to keep the little ones safe. The three boys showed up, and the bus lumbered down to a little coastal village with a busy harbor, tourist shops, and signs pointing toward the hiking trails that led to the beach.

Granite cliffs soared above the Mediterranean, and the water was so blue it hurt Julie’s eyes. As promised, it was a rough hike to get to the most remote and dramatic peaks and inlets filled with crystal-clear water. A rocky descent brought them to a beach of fine sand, with only a few groups of tourists and locals lying out on towels or having lunch in the shade. Julie was too excited to eat. She and Martine took the little ones into the surf, and they squealed as they played in the waves. The guys climbed up the rocky outcroppings to jump in, yelling and splashing in the cool water.

“Let’s give it a try,” Julie said to Martine.

“It’s too high,” Martine said, shading her eyes.

“That’s what makes it fun,” Julie said.

“I’ll stay here with my cousins,” said Martine. “We’re building a sand castle.”

Julie climbed up the rocky path and stopped at a ledge that jutted out like a natural diving platform. Her mom would have a cow if she knew her daughter was about to jump off a cliff.

“Want to take the plunge?” asked André.

Julie was totally exhilarated. “Sure.” Then she looked over the edge. “Yikes,” she said. “I don’t know how to say that in French.”

“Yikes,” André repeated, grinning.

“It’s really far.”

“About ten meters,” said Yves. “The landing is plenty deep, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Yikes,” Julie said again. But she was loving everything about this day, and she knew she’d love this, too. “I’ll go first.”

Taking a deep breath, she walked to the edge of the platform. The straight-down perspective was dizzying, but the water looked beautiful, its variegated shades of turquoise and deep blue flickering in the sunlight. Her stomach tensed, but she pushed aside the fear. After dealing with Vanessa Larson all year, a thirty-foot drop would be like a walk in the park.

She turned and looked back at the boys. André offered a nod of approval. Her mom was always warning her about not letting other kids talk her into doing dangerous stuff.

What Mom didn’t realize was that no one had to talk her into anything at all.

Fourteen

The Bond girls are here,” Camille said, looking out at the courtyard as Finn and two supermodels got out of the deux chevaux.