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didn’t have any insurance, and he owes the town a bunch of back-taxes anyway. If the town puts a lien on the property then he’ll have to sell, and I’ll try to pick up the land cheap. I’d rather pick up more property I don’t need than have someone put up another shack.
    This summer has really heated up. Hard to believe after the cold, wet spring. I heard it was the second wettest spring on record. I’ve got some really interesting plants out back. Your pasture is almost done. At least the clearing part is almost done. I know, I’ve said it before, but I finally broke down and bought one of those brush clearing machines, so it really does look like a pasture now. I’ll get one of the Hucker brothers over here to level it out and then maybe hydro-seed it. I wish you were here. I can’t remember exactly what seed mixture you wanted out in the back pasture.  
    Anyway, this one type of plant popped up this spring in a place I cleared last fall. It’s over near the oak tree you said would straighten out once it got full sun (it never did straighten out, but at least it filled out). This plant is a short vine with two sets of leaves on it. The big leaves look almost like grape leaves, but it also has these tiny, oval leaves running up the stem. It moves! It’s like a mimosa. When the plant is disturbed, the leaves fold up towards the stem. That’s the one I’m thinking of, right? The stem also has these little barbed thorns. When the leaves fold up the whole vine kinda curls, and it sinks its thorns into your legs. Really odd—I’ve never seen anything quite like it. You’d probably know exactly what it was, I’m sure. I just thought it was a nuisance until I went back there with shorts on today. When that vine muckles ahold, it’s really painful to get it unstuck.
    Well, that’s the bulk of what’s going on. I miss you so much.  
    Much Love,  
    Brad

Chapter 3: In the Snow (Fall)

    “W E ’ RE STICKING TOGETHER ,” SHOUTED Sam. He addressed Paulie and Robby in the driveway.
    The storm erased Robby’s shoveling while they ate. The wind drove the snow sideways. The two men huddled together at Robby’s level so he could hear. Paulie tapped Sam’s shoulder and the two men stood up to confer alone.
    Robby couldn’t hear Paulie’s question, but he heard his Dad’s response.
    “Because he sees more than most people, and he can figure stuff out better than either of us can," Sam said. “No offense. He’ll be fine—he’ll stay on my right hip the whole time.”
    Sam turned to include Robby. "Wontcha, Robby?”
    Robby nodded. He moved to his dad’s right side to punctuate the point.  
    Paulie nodded, but glanced back to the house.
    Only the kitchen windows glowed with light. The power went out halfway through supper and they started up the lantern just to see their plates. Sarah interrupted her supper to draw buckets of water as soon as the power went out. They would only have a limited quantity of pressure from the island water supply. It probably wouldn’t be a problem with so few people on the island, but Sarah didn’t like to be without fresh water. She and the Norton boys were using some of the water to rinse the dishes while Sam’s expedition went to look for other islanders.
    “Grab ahold of my jacket,” Sam told Robby.
    Robby fell in behind his father as they got out to the sidewalk. The snow was too deep to walk side by side. Paulie fell in behind Robby.
    They headed south on Cottage Lane. Paulie suggested they go check up on Irwin Dyer, a sixty-ish bachelor who lived a few doors down. He never traveled for Thanksgiving or any other reason if there was a football game on. Sam trudged through the thigh-deep snow to cross the street so they could follow the Sampson’s picket fence. The snow and wind made it difficult to even walk in a straight line.
    Paulie closed ranks from behind until Robby felt sandwiched between the two men. They moved in lockstep, leaning into the wind. Despite the