Page 237 of Out of Left Field

Isaac snorted. “It’s true. The last time we stopped in for lunch it had gotten pretty rough in there.”

“Roan’s cleaned it up and added a few things to the menu. He’s a real chef from what I’ve heard. Worked in New York City and everything.”

“Why does Rosie call it the pirate island?” I finished my plate and pushed it back. “Is there a good story there? Buried treasure?”

Isaac laughed. “Not quite. The waters around Flamingo are a little deeper. The story is that pirates used it as a final pitstop on the way to and from Tampa Bay.”

Everett took over. “They’d fill up on fresh water and food. Rest for a few days on the island.”

“But there are grimmer rumors,” Isaac added. “Before the Adelaide’s lost the island it was named Keelhaul Island. It got renamed, hoping to rebrand it.”

“What does Keelhaul mean?” I clearly missed something important.

The brothers traded a look. Everett cleared his throat. “It’s, uh, a kind of torture. When they left the island they’d throw any deserters or traitors over the side, attached to the bow by a rope.”

“Oh…no. Keel, like the keel of the boat, and haul, as in dragging them through the water?”

“Yep,” Rosie of all people answered, still busy with her drawing. “And because the water here is too shallow that means pretty much instant death. But that’s only if the rumors are true. Whether there were any actual pirates in this area of the gulf is unknown except in rumors and legends, most of which are thought to have been made up for tourism.”

“And who taught you that?” Isaac asked, all while laughing.

She rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows that. I learned it in school, scouts, the sign at the park. All the places.”

“You learned about pirate torture in school?”

She sighed as if adults were so hard to deal with. “Of course not. I learned about torture in scouts and from Gramps. He tells me lots of stories.”

Not long after Isaac took Rosie to clean up, giving us a five-minute warning if we wanted a ride to the resort. Megan set two care packages out for us to take with us. Then she and John said their goodbyes.

Leaving me alone with Everett.

He stared me down. “I have two questions.”

“Thought you might.” The longer we were alone, the more it felt like we were alone. The electricity between us reignited and crackled despite the fact that the only parts of us touching were our feet.

“What made you sad after we sat down?”

I might have preferred explaining my silent conversation with Megan to this. But then again, Ev knew my story. This shouldn’t be a shock. “I’ve never had this.” I twirled my finger around the deli. “Family banter, a mom to make care packages, a dad to run a rescue mission while the family prepared breakfast.” I shrugged. “Made me a little sad.”

“Your dad is awesome.” Ev took my hand. “And I do take for granted how tight knit we are. That it can be a good thing.” He frowned as he stared at our entangled fingers.

He didn’t say anything else. Didn’t ask his other question. When Rosie scrambled down the hallway he let my hand go and waited while I stood. Rosie took my hand and pulled me out the front doors and over to Isaac’s pickup truck. She insisted I sit beside her and didn’t stop talking all the way out to the resort.

With Rosie holding down the entertainment I was able to ignore the silence in the front seat and focus on the pretty island scenery passing my window. Shops gave way to homes. Stretches of low, brushy vegetation acted as dividers between stretches of beach. We went over a small bridge and were immediately swallowed up by towering trees on a narrow road. The only sign of homes or beaches were the occasional mailboxes with wooden signs declaring the name of each piece of property.

Dolphin Paradise

Manatee Manor

Smith’s Shell House

Sunset at Singhs

The list went on. Most of the homes weren’t visible but every once in a while I caught a glimpse of how the other half lived.

Isaac parked outside the main part of the hotel where we were staying.

“Thanks so much for the ride.”