Page 94 of Summer Holiday Lifeline

“I’m sorry I didn’t pick up his first call. I should have.”

“I’m sure you’ll hear about that, but cut him some slack too. He’ll never admit how scared he is. Sixteen isn’t that old, no matter how he wants to pretend he doesn’t need you.”

“I know.”

“See you soon.”

“See you.”

When he walked into the Y lobby, he spotted Jet sitting at a table in front of the café counter. He had a muffin and a box of orange juice for when Shelly came out of her class.

“Blueberry muffin,” Myles observed. “That’s her favourite.”

Jet didn’t look at him.

“How did you get here?” Myles asked him.

He scowled.

“I drove him over.” Ozzy stepped out from the shelter of a wide beam, where he had been leaning watching a swim practice. “What the hell?” He gripped Myles’s face and turned it to the light. “Who hit you?”

Jet’s head snapped up at that.

“Leave it,” Myles muttered.

But of course Ozzy wouldn’t. “What happened?”

“You got in a fight?” Jet was on his feet now. “Why? How?”

“Really?” Myles glared at Ozzy, who now had one of his hands and was studying his bruised knuckles. He yanked his hand free. “Leave it!”

“Who did you fight with?” Jet demanded.

“Can we⁠—”

“Who?” Jet was in his face now, but Myles glared at Ozzy over his head.

“Thanks for that,” he snapped.

Ozzy shrugged.

“Jet, please.” Myles backed him off a step. “Everything is fine. I’ll go put your name on her list of people allowed to pick her up. I should have done that in the first place.”

Jet stood, mutinous, arms crossed. “You should have answered your phone.”

“Please,” Myles said. “We can talk about this later.”

“Always later,” Jet muttered, but was interrupted by a burst of children’s voices and Shelly happily skipping over to them, a piece of pink construction paper flapping in one hand.

“You’re all here!” She grinned and jumped in place in front of Jet, holding up her art to him. “Look!”

“Shells, that’s great. Tell me about it, okay?” He led her towards the table and the snack he’d bought for her.

As angry as he was at Myles, his demeanour with his sister was calm and kind, and Myles marvelled. The kid was something else.

“He’s very good with her,” Ozzy observed.

“I know that.”