The frustration Rae had expressed in the first days at Isla Paraíso made a whopping return. “Am I dead here? Has everyone forgotten me? Why can’t I talk to anyone? I want to go home. I want to go home!”

“Where’s home?” Max asked.

Kellen clenched her fists. No, Max.

Frustrated, Rae huffed like a steam train. “Where I can talk to my friends! And my grandma!”

Kellen brought the balsamic vinegar and olive oil out of the pantry and handed them to Max. Gripping his wrist, she looked into his eyes. “Did you hear about Verona? Is she—” safe was the wrong word to use “—having a good time?”

“She is.”

Kellen released him.

“She’s with Irene and Annabella, in the old family village where everybody knows everybody and all strangers are kept under careful observation.” Max made the dressing and tossed it with the salad. “Don’t worry, Rae, I’m sure Grandma is fine, and missing you, too.”

Before Rae could react to that platitude, Kellen said, “That pizza smells done.” She mouthed to Max, Never let Rae get hungry.

“Right.” He opened the oven, and the wonderful smell of basil and garlic, fresh crust and bubbling cheese wafted out.

Great way to change the subject.

Max cut them each a hearty piece, turned off the oven and slid the pizza inside to stay warm.

As they seated themselves, Kellen looked around the little table and thought that they had become a family. Not a perfect family, not a family with no problems, but a bonded family that in a crisis supported each other.

Max must have been thinking the same thing, because as he served the salad, he said, “This is nice.”

Rae nodded, her mouth full of pizza.

Kellen picked up her fork and dug into the salad. “What are we going to do tonight?”

“The same thing we do every night.” Max did a great imitation of The Brain. “Try to take over the world.”

Rae, who didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, said, “Daddy, you are so weird.”

Kellen asked, “Are we going to read? Play cards? Play a board game?” All activities they’d enjoyed in the past. “Watch a movie?” They had a stack of DVDs that the old caretaker, Olof Humphreys, had owned: war movies, mostly, and some really gruesome horror.

“We could read more of Ruby’s journal.” Max sounded eager.

Kellen and Rae exchanged guilty glances.

“Really? You read it without me?” Clearly, Max was hooked on the story.

“It’s okay,” Kellen said soothingly. “Rae and I don’t mind. We can read it again.”

“And more!” Rae polished off her first piece of pizza. “I’ll get it. Come on, Luna!” She bounded out the door.

Max took advantage of their alone time to kiss Kellen, and when they heard Rae coming back down the stairs, they separated and smiled a promise to each other.