At Max’s request, Kellen had hired a tracker, a friend from her Army days, and set her on Mara’s trail. According to Diana’s latest report, so far their plan was successful. Right now, Mara was far, far away and with Diana’s help, would soon be apprehended.

That would make Kellen happy. Because she was a coward. She didn’t want to explain the truth of the situation to her newly sharp-tongued daughter. Max really wanted Rae to remain an innocent child as long as she could, while Rae would not appreciate the deception.

Whoever said parenting was easy had never been a parent. She looked at Max. Especially when the parents had differing opinions.

Now Kellen backtracked and used a different angle to speak to Rae’s anxiety. “Still, I like the idea. Sometimes I like to come and check on you.”

Rae mulled that over. “That’s all right, I guess.”

Luna ran in, a big, strong dog with her nose to the floor. She stopped and smiled at Kellen—she held no grudge about the piano music—then dropped her nose again and sniffed around the room, following a trail only she could discern.

Rae flung herself onto a low-slung chair. “No phone. No apps. No online. What are we going to do here?”

“Tomorrow we’re going to explore the island,” Kellen said.

“The whole island? Really, Mother?”

Rae used that snotty tone that made Kellen think she was about to go off like a Roman candle. Putting her arm around Rae’s shoulders, she said, “Olympia has a snack for us in the dining room.”

At the word snack, Luna alerted and sat up.

Rae didn’t budge.

Kellen got her up with a little gentle pressure. “Not the whole island. Not in one day. But don’t forget, your dad ordered new bikes for us.”

“See? I’m a good guy,” Max said.

“A guy without pants,” Kellen answered.

“Pantless Max,” he agreed, and came around to Rae’s other side. He helped Kellen maneuver her out of the bedroom and down the hallway. “Tomorrow, we can take a picnic lunch and find out what we’ve got here. I can’t wait to explore the beach. It’s going to be different here than in Washington.”

“This is all cliffs. We can’t jump off the cliffs.” Rae was displeased and unwilling to have her mood changed.

“It’s not all cliffs. You saw that.” Max may have sounded exasperated. “There are all kinds of beaches, and while it’s quite a climb, about a half mile from here there’s a stairway down and we can sit in the warm sand, wade in the cold Pacific—”

“Until our legs turn blue.” Rae had been to Northern California before.

Luna trotted beside them, all lolling tongue and smiling teeth.