“Wow! That was neat!” Sam exclaimed.“Let’s follow them!”
The oldest scout held up her hand. “No, we need to get back to camp. Those coyotes could be part of a pack. We need to stick together and make lots of noise so they know where we are.”
“Are you sure they weren’t wolves? Will they try to eat us?” one of the younger girls asked.
“No—those were coyotes. I’m surprised they even came out of the woods. We must have been where they didn’t smell us, and they were paying more attention to the elk than to us.”
Cecelia walked back to camp with Sam. “It was neat how that big elk went after those coyotes, wasn’t it? Protecting the smaller ones. Like a daddy elk. I guess they were lady elk, the ones without antlers.”
Sam grinned. “I think so, too. He reminded me of my dad when he didn’t like one of Brittany’s old boyfriends. Dad wouldn’t let her go out with him, and told the boy to get lost. I was glad. He wasn’t as nice as Brittany’s new boyfriend.”
“I thought you didn’t like him—the one who smokes.”
Sam looked at Cecelia and snorted. “He’s the old one. He finally went away. My dad threatened to call the cops the last time he came over. Then he had a big argument with Brittany, who cried and stomped around a lot. My dad told her he was going to send her away if she didn’t stop seeing him. So she’s been good. Now she has a new boyfriend and she doesn’t yell at me as much, either—except after I read her diary. It was full of yucky stuff. Do you want to read it when you come over?”
Cecelia thought about that, then shook her head. “Aren’t diaries supposed to be private?”
Sam nodded. “But if we’re careful, she won’t know. She only knew I read it because I forgot to put it back where she hides it—you know, under her bed where she had that book she showed us before my mom took it away. I thought she was going to kill me when she figured out I knew what was in her diary.”
“She must have been really mad.”
Sam nodded. “She grabbed me and pulled my hair. So I told her what she wrote was nasty and I was going to tell Mom.”
“What did she do then?”
“She started to hit me. That’s when my mom made her stop. Then my dad sent me to my room for an extra-long time out.”
“Maybe we should leave Brittany’s diary alone. I don’t want her to be mad at me, too.”
“I don’t care if she gets mad. She’s always mad about something.” Sam took off in the direction of the other campers who were far up the trail. “You’re lucky you don’t have a big sister. Come on. It’s time to eat. I’ll race you.”
When they got back to the campsite, they shared their story of seeing the elk and the coyotes with the rest of the troop. Most of the girls had finished setting the tables when Cecelia’s mother drove up as dusk was settling on the high hills.
Amanda reached for the phone later that evening. “Hello?”
“Amanda, it’s Evan.”
Her spine stiffened at the sound of his voice. Coolly, she replied, “What do you want?”
“I want to apologize. We didn’t get off to a good start the other day. I shouldn’t have spouted off like I did. I let my frustration get the better of me.” When she didn’t reply, he continued. “I know we could get along, if you’d just give—”
“I don’t think so,” she interrupted him. Her foot bounced nervously against the table leg.
“Look, I shouldn’t have accused you of—you know, getting it on with Dunbar. I was out of line.” He paused. “Or putting my hands on your kid. I’m sorry about that, too. But, hey, I don’t want to go out with her. It’s you I’d rather spend time with.”
“Evan.” She stood up and looked out the window. “I’m not interested in going out with you. Not now, not in the future.”
“Amanda, give me a chance to—”
“Evan, what about ‘no’ are you not hearing? I said no. I mean no.I’m sure there are lots of women who would be happy to go out with you.I’m not one of them. Good-bye.”She hung up.
When the phone rang again, almost immediately, she fairly shouted into the phone, “The answer is no!” and started to hang up.
“If you’re playing Jeopardy,” Marcus said, “what was the category? Or maybe you could give me a hint about the question.”
“Oh!” She laughed, relieved. “I thought you were someone else.”
“You sounded upset. Are you alone?”