#built raised planters

[sevenlittledwarfs]

Contemporary Deck

Example of a mid-sized trendy backyard deck container garden design with no cover

[sinuousmag]

Contemporary Deck Example of a mid-sized trendy backyard deck container garden design with no cover

[panela-na-janela]

Landscape Retaining Walls Manchester Summertime photograph of a small, modern courtyard with retaining walls and decking.

[stlinzk]

Outdoor Kitchen in Portland

Example of a huge trendy backyard concrete paver patio kitchen design

[gaboobers]

Beach Style Patio - Gravel Ideas for a substantial coastal backyard gravel patio renovation

[charlierises]

Calgary Landscape Fire Pit

Design ideas for a huge courtyard landscaping with a fire pit.

[cgtaxpe]

Outdoor Kitchen Outdoor Kitchen

An enormous contemporary backyard concrete paver patio kitchen design example

[erkiengill]

Calgary Pergolas Deck Outdoor kitchen deck - huge backyard outdoor kitchen deck idea with a pergola

[ahu-gozlumm]

Beach Style Patio - Gravel Ideas for a substantial coastal backyard gravel patio renovation

[raininginthenight]

Calgary Pergolas Deck Outdoor kitchen deck - huge backyard outdoor kitchen deck idea with a pergola

[catalaans]

Contemporary Patio in Manchester Ideas for a mid-sized modern backyard renovation with a concrete paver patio kitchen

[porraelmo]

Calgary Landscape Inspiration for a large traditional partial sun backyard formal garden with decking.

[yxminotenshi]

Boston Patio Mid-sized trendy backyard concrete patio container garden photo with no cover

[marlynnofmany]

Downhill Speed

You know what's a shame? Wasted potential.  Like this new place we were doing business, which was all swooping walkways and ramps — a spectacular opportunity for hoverboard fun, except for the fact that it would probably cause a massive diplomatic incident. The locals were an exceptionally stuffy and dignified species. I couldn't tell if they walked that slowly out of choice or necessity, though the planters full of edibles leaves every few yards felt like a clue. These guys were always chewing, as if they'd run out of the energy to move if they stopped.

I don't know. Maybe they were just like that for cultural reasons. But they kinda did look like koala-sloths in fancy robes. 

And as much as I wanted to find something with wheels or thrusters to ride whooping down the walkways, I didn't want to get our courier ship blacklisted from this sector of space. 

So I just waited patiently while Captain Sunlight worked out the details, and I helped Paint and Mur transfer the pile of small boxes from their hoversleds to ours. I didn't even comment on the inefficiency of all these small crates and multiple hoversleds when they could have had them strapped together in a pallet. Maybe the things came from multiple houses. Not my business. 

But then. One of the locals dropped a box.

It landed on a corner and cracked right open, to a chorus of horrified gasps, and its contents rolled out — a single glowy blue sphere, all sparkly and beautiful, the size of a bowling ball and just as fast. It gathered speed down the ramp while locals cried out helplessly. 

Well if that's not my cue, I don't know what is.

I jumped on a hoversled and flashed off after it, kicking madly to catch up. This was more awkward than I expected. I was out of practice — it had been a long time since I zipped between college classes on a proper board — and this was definitely not that. The little hoversled clearly wasn’t built for speed. It vibrated under me like it was panicking about the velocity we were going, and I couldn’t blame it.

This ramp was a pretty straight one so far, which was great, because I had no real way to steer. I’d kicked to a proper pace, and now I balanced with both feet planted and both arms out like an absolute amateur. But I didn’t want to tip over. I was closing in on the ball.

It made an ominous rumble along the floor.

It was just two yards away.

There was a corner coming up.

The ball was one yard away.

I crouched.

And I grabbed it, tucking it against my chest with one arm while I clutched the edge of the hoversled with the other, sitting down just before I slammed into the clear wall at the corner.

That was some painful skidding. I put my feet down to slow things further, which ended up spinning me around, dragging my feet behind me. But I didn’t drop the ball. And I probably didn’t get any friction burns through my sleeve, though I’d definitely have to check that later.

For now, I was busy sliding to a stop and taking a few deep breaths before standing up. As my blood stopped pounding in my ears quite so loudly, the realization trickled in that people were making a lot of noise around me.

Good noise? I think. Whew.

It took a second to be sure, but those were cheers of praise. Either this ball was an important holy item, or the stunt I’d pulled to catch it was just that impressive. Possibly both. I wouldn’t know until I got back up to the top, because there wasn’t anyone nearby to ask.

But they were hurrying down to meet me, as much as their species could be said to hurry. I found the height adjustment on the hoversled and raised it to where I could tow it without bending down, then started the long walk back up. I held the pretty blue sphere close.

When the koala-sloths met me in the middle, galloping with an undignified flapping of robes, they thanked me profusely for catching the high explosive before it leveled the place.

Multiple responses ran through my head.

I ended on “You might consider better packaging for it.”

They agreed, taking it from me (to my relief) and pulling the hoversled as well. By the time we reached the top, our entire crew was going to town with bubble wrap on the other boxes, and Captain Sunlight had arranged a significantly higher delivery fee.

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come! And I am currently drafting a sequel!

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This gorgeous 1860, (reno'd in 2004), mansion in Bangor, Maine, is only $599,900. 5bds, 4.5ba, plus 2 guest suites w/kitchens & full baths. This is a bargain, it should be over $1M.

Beautiful fireplace and built-ins in the sitting room.

Love the crown molding and wallpaper in the dining room, but the inlaid flooring is magnificent.

They made a wine rack in part of the built-in cabinet.

Isn't this an elegant kitchen? There's a bas relief scene on the island and a smaller one on the matching exhaust hood.

Beautiful kitchen with such attention to details.

Check out the sunroom- they've got it set up with hydroponic growing units ($400ea.).

Spacious primary bedroom with nice built-ins and wainscoting.

Plus a big, luxurious en-suite.

The closet.

Stairs to the upper level bedrooms.

Another bath is a lovely vintage style.

Extra guest room up here.

Suite #1.

Suite #2 has a sauna and a sunken tub.

What a lovely garden gate. The lot measures .42 acre.

There's a patio.

Art in the garden.

And, a large area with raised planters.

[roanofarcc]

BABYDOLL: CHAPTER TEN. AN OLIVE BRANCH

jj maybank x fem!routledge OC // read on Ao3

In which a boy with zero self preservation falls in love with a girl clawing at life.

chapter summary. regrouping after midsummers, John B. made a breakthrough in their axed gold hunt; after a meetup gone wrong, the Cameron's propose an alternative to the twins being kicked off the island.

word count. 4.2k || masterlist

previous chapter < >next chapter

After ditching Midsummers, John B. called a mandatory meeting of the Pogues to explain the cryptic “super secret spy shit” he’d been talking about. Since Kie and Pope’s parents were pissed at them, JJ’s house was almost always a no-go, and the Chateau was apparently being watched by more than just the DCS, they had to meet in a secluded little area John B., Lottie, and JJ had discovered when they were kids and claimed at their hideout. There wasn’t anything to it but a lazily built fire pit, which was just a circle of rocks surrounded by large logs to sit on. 

They started a fire with JJ’s lighter and gathered around it, eager to hear John B. explain what he’d been up for the past day and a half. 

“The gold never went down with the Royal Merchant,” he began. 

Pope groaned, hanging his head in the firelight. “Again with this?” 

“Just hear him out, all right?” JJ had already conspired with John B. after he was released from the police station, being the first one up to speed. 

John B. continued, “The gold’s been here the whole time on the island.” 

Lottie wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She didn’t want to get her hopes up too high again, but it was hard to not be convinced by the twinkle in her twin’s eye. 

“Are you serious?” Kie asked to which John B. nodded with enthusiasm. 

Pope raised his hand. “I’d like to voice my skepticism.” 

“I’m sure you would, but can I please present my evidence first, sir?” 

“Fine. Proceed.” 

John B. grabbed his backpack and pulled out a piece of paper, holding it up to show the group. “This is a letter from Denmark Tanny, a slave who survived the Royal Merchant wreck. Slaves weren’t mentioned as crew members of the ship, but dad had found the complete manifest. That was his big discovery,” he explained. “Tanny used the gold to buy his freedom and after that, he bought his farm. Where is his farm, you may ask? It’s Tannyhill plantation.” 

Lottie blinked in surprise. “Tannyhill?” she repeated, making sure he heard her brother right. 

“Yep. And after he bought his farm, he used his money to free even more slaves. He also sold a shit-ton of rice, which pissed off all of the white planters. They decided to lynch him, and on the day they came to get him, he wrote a letter to his son as a farewell. In the last line of his letter, there’s a coded message about where to find the gold.” 

With each sentence John B. spoke, excitement started to stir between the Pogues, the mystery unraveling before their ears. 

“Where did he hide the gold?” asked Kie. 

“He told his son to ‘harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water.’ Except, he wasn’t talking about wheat; that was code for gold. The gold’s in parcel nine, near the water.” 

Pope snatched the latter from John B.’s hands and read it over carefully. Lottie leaned halfway off her log to see it too under the glow of Pope’s flashlight. It did seem too good to be true, but at the same time, it felt more real than it had before. If what John B. was saying was true, and it seemed to be, then the gold could be within their grasp. 

“All we need is an original survey map of the property and we’ve found the gold!” They shared looks of excitement and disbelief. 

Pope handed the letter back to John B. and said, “Okay, this might have a small chance of being true.” 

Jumping up from his seat, JJ hugged John B., picking him up in the process. He stumbled, nearly knocking them both into the fire before JJ placed the taller boy down with a beaming smile. 

“I’m so proud of you right now, man,” JJ said. 

John B. laughed and patted JJ’s cheek. “That’s really sweet of you, dude.” 

“So, what’s the plan?” 

“Good question,” John B. said, clearing his throat for a moment as he avoided the eyes of the group. “Sarah Cameron is coming tonight and she’s bringing the original survey map-” Despite him speaking quickly to get everything out before being interrupted, Kie cut him off shortly after the name Sarah Cameron settled in their ears. 

Lottie winced, knowing what was coming. Only Kie and Pope were unaware that John B. had been in cahoots with the Kook princess, and Lottie didn’t know the full extent of their cahoots. All she knew was that Kie hated Sarah with a fiery passion and even gold might not be enough to break up that feeling for Kie. 

“Hold on, Sarah? Why Sarah?” 

JJ sat back down beside Lottie, leaning closer to her to whisper, “This’ll be good.” 

Scratching the back of his neck, John B. seemed to brace himself for the conversation. “Sarah, um, she got me into the archives at Chapel Hill yesterday. That’s where I got the letter.” 

Kie scoffed, betrayal seeping into her features. “You went to Chapel Hill yesterday with Sarah Cameron?” 

“Uh, yeah…” 

JJ smirked, making matters worse. He said, “He was mackin’ on her too.” 

“I wasn’t macking-” 

“You were totally mackin’!” 

John B. huffed in annoyance at his friend. “No! I wasn’t. I was using her for access to the archives.” 

As much as Lottie wasn’t a fan of Sarah because of her Kook status and because of Kie, she didn’t feel great about her brother using the girl for their treasure hunt; it felt gross. 

“Did you tell her about the treasure?” asked Kie, crossing her arms over her chest as the nighttime breeze swept through the air. They were still dressed in the Midsummers dresses with goosebumps on their arms. 

John B. sputtered for a response for a moment before he rushed out, “I was just trying to get into the archives!” 

“So, is that a yes?”

“I-I left out key details!” 

Throwing her hands up in frustration, Kie’s gaze hardened. “You let a Kook in on our secret?” 

“I told you, I was using her for information!” The more he said it, the more it sounded like he didn’t even believe that was the full truth. 

If he liked Sarah Cameron, there was very little chance that would end well. Sarah was already dating Topper, everyone knew that, and he had already tried to kill the Pogues with Rafe on more than one occasion without the knowledge that his girlfriend was sneaking around with John B. From what Kie had told Lottie about Sarah, she wasn’t a great person to be friends with, let alone date. 

If he was just using her for information, that was a bad look on his part too. That wasn’t even mentioning the whole Kook vs. Pogues bullshit that held strong between most people on the island. There wasn’t one positive thing she could think of that could come from a relationship with Sarah. 

“Why don’t I believe you?” said Kie. 

John B.’s attitude started to turn sour. “I’m trying to make us fifthly rich so we can pay off a boat or send Pope to autopsy school to study dead bodies. You guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?” 

He looked at Lottie for some kind of backup, but she shook her head and said, “You don’t want me to answer that, dude.” 

“You don’t even know her yet. I do!” Kie cried. A look of hurt flickered across her face, replacing the anger and annoyance that had just been there. She hadn’t spilled everything that happened between her and Sarah during Kie’s year at the Kook academy, just that they had once been friends until they weren’t. Whatever happened was enough to make Kie practically seethed at the sight of the sun-kissed blonde. “You can’t trust her.” 

Pope aligned himself with Kie. “Her brother did hit me in the back of the head with a golf club.” 

“And tried to beat up JJ twice,” added Lottie. 

JJ shrugged. “Yeah, but he only got away with it once.” 

“Rafe and Sarah and two different people, okay?” 

Look at Kie, JJ asked her what exactly Sarah had done to her. 

“She’s like a…like a spitting cobra! First, she blinds you, and then…” Kie stumbled over her comparison, earning a shake of the head from Pope. 

“That’s a terrible analogy.” 

With a frustrated sigh, Kie forwent a real explanation. “Just listen to me. Whatever we get, she’s gonna try to take.” 

Lottie looked between her best friend and her brother, reading that he didn’t know what else to say. They needed that map to find the gold, and if the only person who had access to it was Sarah Cameron, they didn’t have much of a choice. Lottie wasn’t a fan of the idea, but they didn’t seem to have another option. 

“We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen,” she said after a beat. “All we need her for is the map. Then we’ll cut her loose.” 

They all filed into the Twinkie and headed toward the spot where Sarah was supposed to meet them with the map. The air inside the van was tense, radiating off John B. and Kie the most. Lottie sat on the floor beside JJ with her legs kicked out in front of her, the skirt of her dress fanned out over them. She forced herself not to pick her nails and opted to toy with the silky fabric of her dress as a distraction instead. She at least wanted Kie’s nail polish job to last one night without Lottie ruining it. 

Once they arrived, everyone readied to jump out of the van but were stopped by John B. “Actually, I think I’m gonna do this one by myself,” he said, making the silence in the van fall even heavier. “I don’t wanna spook Sarah with the peanut gallery.” 

“I just don’t understand why we’re including her at all,” Kie muttered bitterly, not looking John B. in the eye. 

His want to appease Kie faded into an eye roll. “We’re not involving her. It’s just a business meeting. Like Lottie said, once we get what we need, we cut her loose. Plus, we can’t do shit without the map.” 

With a sigh, Kie glanced at him. “Promise me nothing’s happening between you two.” 

“Nothing is happening,” he said, but Lottie knew her brother like the back of her hand. He was lying, it was obvious in the shiftiness of his gaze and his tapping fingers against the center console. Maybe she should have called him out, but she couldn’t bring herself to. It seemed like he was trying to convince himself nothing was happening. 

Kie didn’t relent. “This is serious. This isn’t about you or us. This is about her. She’s gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing is gonna happen between you guys.” 

That time, he seemed to take her words a little more seriously, pausing for a beat as he took them in. Maybe he was considering that Sarah may not be as great as she looked, or maybe he was thinking of a way to prove Kie wrong. Either way, he said, “I promise,” and left the van. 

The rest of them slumped back in their seats, left with nothing to do but wait. Kie stared out the window, JJ worked on rolling a joint, and Pope complained about the hot car and lighting that rolled in across the sky. Another storm was settling in, illuminating the distance in bright flashes followed by quiet hums of thunder. 

One normal day would have been nice, Lottie thought. Don’t get her wrong, she had guarded excitement that they had a real plan and knowledge of where the gold was, but she hadn’t realized how much she took for granted normal days she had just a week ago. 

If they did get the gold and went full Kook, Lottie wanted to relax somewhere where no one but her friends could reach her. She wanted to swim and surf without a storm cloud lingering over her head, ready to rain down doom at any second. 

“You know, holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die, Kie,” Pope said, breaking the silence in Twinkie and circling back to their Sarah Cameron situation. 

Kie said nothing, continuing to sulk with her head against the window. 

Lottie answered for her, looking between the boys with a sigh. “You guys don’t get it. Girls don’t fight like guys do. We don’t beat the shit out of each other. It’s nastier, passive-aggressive, and it usually ends in life-long grudges, okay?” 

A puff of smoke left JJ’s lips, filling the already stuffy air of the van with the smell of weed. Lottie swatted the smoke away from her, not wanting her nice dress to reek. “Chicks are malicious, bro,” JJ said. 

Violence wasn’t the answer to a disagreement like most of the boys and men she knew believed, but grudges weren’t great either. She just hoped that either John B. kept his promise to Kie or Sarah turned out to be a lot different than Kie made her out to be. 

Their conversation lulled as time stretched on. The gaps of silence were filled by JJ smoking and the storm that brewed. Lottie got tired of the stuffy air and opened the back door, letting in the humid air and dangling her feet against the grass as she stared out at the darkness of the lot they were parked in. She listened to the thunder, but her ears were pricked by something else picked up by the wind. She heard it first, a voice yelling something she had trouble making out. 

“Do you guys hear that?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at her friends. They listened too for a moment, before the scream struck them louder, more frantic, calling for help. Without another word, they all scrambled out of the van and sprinted through the sand, following the voice that came from the Hawke’s Nest, a lookout post that gave a nice view of the island. 

Sarah Cameron was the source of the screaming. She was on the ground at the bottom of the lookout, holding a sprawled-out John B. to her chest. 

Lottie’s stomach dropped at the distressed sight of her brother, lying on the ground. She kneeled on the opposite side of him, peering at a tear-streaked Sarah who held onto him tightly. Through hiccupped sobs, she explained that John B. had been pushed by Topper from the very top of the Hawk’s Nest. The tall wooden structure loomed behind them, lightning illuminating a broken railing at the top. A fall from that height could have killed him. 

Tears welled up in Lottie’s eyes and a rattling sense of fear squeezed her frame. She had already lost her mom and dad, but she never even thought of the possibility of losing her brother. Her twin had been the only constant throughout her entire life; they were the only family each other had left. It had never even crossed her mind that John B. could leave her too. But as she stared at his screwed-shut eyes, the thought punctured her heart in such an awful way, nearly knocking the wind out of her. 

Everything moved in a blur. Someone had called an ambulance, and they arrived in flashing red and white lights, competing with the lightning. Lottie was shifted into someone’s arms while John B. was carried into the ambulance. Somehow, she ended up in the ambulance with him, listing off all of the medical information of his that she knew. 

Once they arrived at the hospital, Lottie was left alone in the waiting room for a while, numbly sitting on an uncomfortable chair under fluorescent lights. She pulled her knees up to her chest, burying her head in the fabric of her dirty and damp dress. 

Someone else, one of the hospital staff or police Lottie presumed, called DCS because they obviously wanted to make the night even worse than it had suddenly become. Cheryl showed up, sporting her blue button-down and a sympathetic frown. She tried to speak to Lottie; nothing came of it. Lottie was much too lost in a numbing daze and an awful, sinking feeling digging into her chest. John B. had always been her other half, quite literally. No matter what happened, he was always there with some bullshit plan, a stupid idea, and a promise that they’d always stick together. 

The paramedics said he’d be fine, and the doctors said he’d make a full recovery, but she was still shaken up. Her mind wandered back to when they first played with the idea of hunting for the gold when JJ said they had nothing to lose, the three of them, but that was even more untrue than Lottie originally thought. They had each other to lose, and what would happen if they did? What would she do?

Eventually, a nurse grabbed Lottie, allowing her to wait in John B.'s room until he woke up. The steady sound of beeping and John B.’s gentle snores were the only sounds in the room. It was still dark outside, nearly the wee hours of the morning. Taking the seat at his bedside, Lottie curled up and closed her eyes until she dozed off. 

The position she had fallen asleep in, only for a couple of hours, was horrendous. Her back ached and feet were asleep. Her hairdo was half undone, and she had lost the flowers Kie had put in it throughout the night’s events. With a yawn, she stretched her legs and arms. John B. was still fast asleep with a cast on his arm that she could see better in the morning sunlight. 

A light knock sounded on the door before it was cracked open. “Hi,” a soft voice spoke. Peering inside the room was Sarah Cameron. She too was still dressed in her Midsummers attire and looked probably as rough as Lottie did having spent the night at the hospital. However, along with Sarah’s sleep-deprived appearance, she also looked sad as her eyes fell onto John B. Her nose was red, and she sniffled as she wiped it with the back of her hand. 

Returning her gaze to Lottie a moment later, she asked, “Could I wait here with you? Just until he wakes up?” 

If Lottie had slept better or didn’t feel the lump stuck in her throat, she probably would have said no. But when she looked at Sarah, not the Kook Princess sipping beer at Keggers or prancing around the country club, but just Sarah, she remembered the way the blonde had hugged John B., crying like someone who really cared about him. At that moment, she cared less about Kie’s feud and more about how John B. would probably want Sarah there too. His promise that nothing was happening between the two had to be a lie because there was no way Sarah would have reacted like that or stayed at the hospital overnight if there was nothing there. 

Did Lottie still think it would blow up in his face at some point, more than it so clearly already had? Yes. But Sarah’s boyfriend already tried to kill John B. twice, so Lottie supposed it couldn’t get much worse than that. 

“Sure,” Lottie said, nodding at the extra seat beside her. Hesitantly, Sarah crossed the room and sat down, shivering slightly in the sterile hospital air. 

The other Pogues tried to stay with Lottie, but the hospital wouldn’t let them pass the front desk. It was well after visitor hours and them being “practically family” didn’t count in the hospital’s eyes. How Sarah managed to not get kicked out too was beyond Lottie. 

“I’m really sorry,” Sarah whispered. For a moment, Lottie wasn’t sure if she was talking to her or John B. until Sarah met her gaze. “I didn’t know Topper would show up. I tried to convince him he didn’t see me talking to anyone at the party but clearly, he did or someone told him. And I…” She sighed, dragging her hands down the length of her face. “I’m just sorry.” 

With her eyes all red and puffy, and her lips downturned in a watery frown, Sarah looked far from a “spitting cobra,” as Kie had described her. 

“It’s not your fault,” Lottie said, looking back at her brother. His injuries weren't as bad as they could have been, but he took a long fall. “I don’t think it’ll be seen as anyone’s fault. I’m sure your boyfriend will get off scot-free.” The bitterness in her voice wasn’t directed at Sarah but rather at the fact that no matter what they did, the Kooks would never get in trouble. 

“Ex,” Sarah quickly said. “Ex-boyfriend. I was telling John B. last night before Topper showed up that I was going to break up with him.” 

Lottie rubbed her tired eyes with a pang of sympathy in her chest. “I don’t think we’ll be here much longer,” she sighed. “DCS has been on our asses for weeks now. I don’t think we can hide from them anymore. We don’t have a legal guardian here and their not super stoked about letting two minors run loose, unfortunately.” 

Sarah opened her mouth to say something but stopped when a small groan sounded from John B. His fingers curled around the blanket tossed over him and he started to blink his eyes open. 

“Where am I?” he croaked out, squinting in the sunlight that bathed the room. 

“St. Olive’s,” Lottie answered, relief replacing her nonstop worry at the sight of his eyes open and him talking. “You fell from the Hawke’s Nest but the doctor said you just have a broken wrist and a concussion. I told him that was funny because I didn’t think you had a brain in that big head of yours.” 

John B. cracked a smile, his eyes falling past Lottie and onto Sarah. 

“Hi,” he said. 

Sarah smiled. “Hi.” 

It took him only a moment to realize what Lottie had shortly after they arrived at the hospital. It was a lot easier to find the kids you’ve been looking for when they’re unaccompanied minors admitted. He quickly tried to sit up, groaning in the process. 

“We gotta get out of here.” 

Lottie shook her head, shoulders slumped in defeat. “Can’t. They’re already here.” John B. squeezed his eyes shut and fell back against his pillow. There wasn’t anything they could do now. Cheryl was probably ready to haul them straight from the hospital to the ferry. 

“Actually,” Sarah piped up, looking a bit too happy. “I don’t think that’ll be an issue.” She stood up and strode toward the door, peeking her head out into the hall and ignoring the confused faces of the twins. A moment later, Sarah stepped back inside as her dad entered the room too. 

Yesterday, Ward Cameron looked as intimidating and asshole-ery as most of the rich men at Midsummers did, but standing there in the hospital room, he looked anything but. Ward didn’t look like one of the richest men on the island; he just looked like a dad. 

“Sarah told me everything,” Ward said. “About your little adventure and about you two runnin’ away from DCS.” He looked at John B. “She also told me about how you protected her in the tower.” Sarah and John B. exchanged a look, a sweet one that made Lottie both want to smile and gag. 

“John, I believe I owe you an apology. You were honest with me about a small indiscretion, and I fired you anyway. I shouldn’t have done that,” Ward said with a shake of his head like he was truly disappointed in himself. “Unfortunately, from time to time, I have a bit of a short fuse. But I’d like to make it up to you and to your sister. I spoke with Sheriff Peterkin and I’ve offered to be your legal guardian if you’ll let me.” 

Lottie nearly toppled out of her chair. “W-What?” 

“It would mean a roof over your head and no more runnin’ from DCS.” 

The twins shared a look, both beyond confused by the offer. For a long time, they’d been told the world was an unfair place and they were at the bottom of the food chain. They were taught to fend for themselves, and their dad hated handouts more than anything. That was why Lottie never got hand-me-downs from their neighbors and had to share clothes with John B. until she was bullied on the playground for it; their dad thought it was charity and turned it away. That was why the twins learned to cut their own hair and pocket candy bars from the drugstore. But Lottie was tired of running and lying to DCS. She was tired of fending for herself if she was being honest. Accepting Ward Cameron’s act of charity meant they got to stay in Kildear, which was all Lottie wanted. 

John B. sat up a little straighter on the bed as he answered, “Sure.” 

Ward looked at Lottie for her answer. “Yeah. That sounds…nice.” 

The man smiled and Sarah looked like she was biting back a squeal of excitement. “Okay then.” Ward clapped his hands together, sealing the deal. “Welcome to the family.”