BooksBarbecue
Back The Long Sunset
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Prologue
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. 28.
  33. 29.
  34. 30.
  35. 31.
  36. 32.
  37. 33.
  38. 34.
  39. 35.
  40. 36.
  41. 37.
  42. 38.
  43. 39.
  44. 40.
  45. 41.
  46. 42.
  47. 43.
  48. 44.
  49. Epilogue
  50. About the Author
  51. Copyright

Ordinarily, she’d never have allowed herself to be seen in public in that outfit. But after all, there was no public. She doubted she could shock the islanders even if the suit did fall off. It was a crusty brown color, and, had it fit properly, it would have looked perfectly normal on an ocean beach in 1906. She had to tie the shoulder straps together at the back to keep the top from sliding down. And the bottom, which should have stopped at her thighs, hung below her knees.

Derek had joined Arin and Ken in the living room, where they were pointing at furniture and books and lamps, and exchanging vocabulary. “You guys want to go?” Beth asked. That surprised Hutch, who was planning on a girls’ day out.

“I’d better stay with this,” said Ken. “Got to learn the language.”

“I can’t get into the suit,” Derek said. “Wave if you see Wally.”

Arin said something to them, and repeated it when Ken appeared not to understand. He also pointed toward the door. Or maybe in the direction of the beach. There was another exchange, and then Ken said he was offering a ride.

Arin brought out a beach umbrella for them. Beth got a blanket and they were ready to go. Ken went along in the car. “We are making some progress,” he told them. “But it will take a while.” He explained that Arin had apologized that the suits weren’t a better fit. “Apparently, they just don’t make anything in your size.”

As they pulled up at the beach, Arin said something. Hutch thought it was only one word. But Ken caught it. “He wants to know how long you expect to stay.”

“Two hours?”

“Okay. I’ll try to figure out when it’s up. We’ll be back for you. Have a good time.”

•  •  •

There appeared to be even more bathers in the area than there’d been the previous day. And of course, Hutch and Beth caught everyone’s attention as soon as they came out of the trees. The islanders didn’t crowd around them as they had before, however. Everything was more surreptitious. They glanced toward them but quickly looked away. Many of them waved and smiled, but they steered curious kids in other directions.

It was warmer today. They set up the umbrella halfway between the line of trees and the surf, and rolled out the blanket.

They sat for a few minutes, wishing they had some sunblock. “It might not be a good idea to stay two hours,” Beth said.