Carousel Nights Read Online Free PDF

as if he’d just announced an elegant tea party in the maintenance garage.
    â€œI don’t know,” Virginia said. “Electricity can be dangerous.”
    Evie laughed and rolled her eyes at her mother. “Water-skiing was dangerous, Mom. The water rescue thing two summers ago was dangerous. Even the conversational French got pretty dicey when some of our locals tried it on the international workers we hired that year.”
    â€œThat was not my fault,” Virginia said. “French is a very romantic language.”
    â€œSounds like voltage is the safe choice this summer,” Mel said. “Can’t cause an international incident with that, and I’ll make sure no one gets electrocuted.”
    Virginia sipped her drink and stared at Mel. “Do you think you could teach hundreds of summer employees about electricity?”
    â€œI’d need plenty of help,” Mel said. “Some of the other maintenance guys are really good and all of them know at least something about electricity. But I still need volunteers. Guys I can get, but I’d like females, too. It’s good evidence there’s no gender bias in wiring a circuit.” Mel grinned, catching June’s eye. “Women can handle sparks just as well as men can.”
    June wanted to be mad at Mel for trying to be a hero. But she couldn’t. Because she was the one he saved. She had no idea why he’d thrown himself on the STRIPE grenade, but she had a feeling she was going to find out.

CHAPTER FOUR
    O PENING DAY WAS PERFECT . Blue sky, a forecast of 75 degrees and a tiny breeze off Lake Huron. The typical first-day crowd was a combination of roller coaster fanatics, families with little kids anxious for their turn on the helicopters and bumper cars of Kiddieland, and locals who’d had enough of long winters in Michigan. Folks who wanted to smell and feel summer.
    The newly improved loudspeakers played theme park music. Food vendors sent heavenly aromas to lure guests in.
    Perfect. Except for one thing.
    â€œWe need a parade,” June declared. “Floats, music, live performers.”
    Evie and Jack exchanged a look. “I knew we shouldn’t have let you conduct the ceremonial gate opening,” Jack said. “The excitement went to your head.”
    June giggled. “It was exhilarating. I thought the pack of preteens would break a speed record as soon as I declared the Point open.”
    â€œThere’s a certain cachet to being the first in line at the Sea Devil,” Jack said. He cracked his knuckles. “I already rode it twice yesterday, but I won’t tell the coaster fanatics. It’d burst their bubble.”
    â€œI haven’t been here on opening day in seven years,” June said. “I forgot about the adrenaline.”
    â€œI’m glad you’re here this year,” Jack said. His expression sobered and he slung an arm around both his sisters. “We’re in this together.”
    Evie leaned into the hug. “I know,” she said. “I miss Dad the most on days like this.”
    June felt tears prick her eyes and nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
    Standing off to the side and watching guests stream through the gates, June, Evie and Jack did a paradoxical combination of holding their breath and deep breathing.
    â€œOff and running,” Evie said. “If we made it through last year, we can make it through anything.”
    They watched parents with strollers moving at the back of the pack. Older people with no ride-crazed kids dragging them forward sauntered along. They’d be the first to notice new paint, signs, different offerings in food and merchandise. Everyone else was headed for the queue lines, ready for a coaster fix after a long winter.
    June kept her eyes on a couple roughly her parents’ age, holding hands and looking around, pointing things out to each other. Laughing. Really noticing the sunshine and the flowers