The Carrier (The Carrier Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

laughed. “You
make it sound so easy.”
    “Just check ‘ em .”
    Passengers began to descend the stairs and down
onto the blue dock. “Later,” I said, tucking my phone away. “I’ve got a tour to
give.”
    “Right on!” Jack said, taking his place at the
back of the boat. “All aboard!” he yelled.
     
    *     
*     *      *
     
    On
Wednesday Nolan was finally back at Lower One. Once the last tourist walked off
my boat from my first tour, I wanted desperately to push through the crowd,
scale the stairs two at a time, and run back to that corner booth. But I knew I
needed to restrain myself as well as I could. Jack told me he had to fuel up
the boat and asked if I’d run up to the Last Chance Snack Stand to buy him some Rolos .
    “Take it out of my tips, kid. If we have any.” He tried to smile, but I knew he was
completely serious.
    Glad for an excuse to leave the dock, I took
the stairs to the dispatch booth maybe too quickly for DBT safety regulations
and breathlessly said hi to Rob as I passed by. I walked right by the Last
Chance, thinking I’d buy the candy on my way back down to the dock. I needed a
Nolan-fix as soon as possible, but as I rounded the corner, I saw only Suzanne
standing in the triangle booth. I stood there stuck for a moment. I didn’t
really want to go hang out with Suzanne, but she caught me curiously peeking
around the corner for Nolan.
    “He’s not here!” I heard Suzanne yell in a singsongy voice.
    Shoot!
    “Okay,” was all I managed to squeak out. What do I do now? Was it rude to turn around and walk
away?
    Before I could tell my feet to move she
continued, “But he asked me to give you this.” She held out a piece of white
paper folded in half. She shook it teasingly out the open window, gently
drawing me in. A note? What, were we in junior high? Even
so, I smiled widely and took three very excited skips toward the booth.
    Stop, idiot! I must look ridiculous,
so I slowed it down to a casual walk.
    I grabbed for the paper, but she pulled it away
quickly and held it up near her face, which was hosting the strangest grin.
“So, Queenie ...what’s with you and Nolan?”
    My cheeks burned with embarrassment. My voice
was stuck—I couldn’t say anything! “What do you mean?”
    “I mean, the kid doesn’t stop talking about
you.”
    He doesn’t?
    I stood there, smiling like an idiot, and then
reached up and gleefully took the note from her hands. I could feel Suzanne
peering over my shoulder and turned forty degrees right so she couldn’t see,
although I knew she had read it already anyway.
    Hey kiddo. They moved me out
to Delton Corners for the day. I have to work until 8. You should stop by when
you’re off work.
    Nolan
    He wants me to stop by.
    “I think you should go out there and see what
he wants,” Suzanne said. “He’s a handsome guy, you know, and if I were twenty years
younger I’d have already bagged that hot piece!” Then Suzanne laughed her
boisterous laugh, and I walked away shaking my head, slightly disturbed.

Chapter
Four
    My heart was racing as I pulled my baby blue Oldsmobile
into the parking lot at Delton Corners. Delton Corners was the ticket booth
owned by DBT located farthest from the docks. Lake Delton was a small town
butted right up against the city of Wisconsin Dells. There were attractions in
both towns, and many tourists probably never knew they crossed the lines into
another town when they drove down Highway 12.
    I turned the keys in the ignition and pulled
them out. Suddenly, I felt a sharp stab behind my left eyeball. “ Ow ! What the heck?” But then the pain was gone as quickly
as it had come on.
    “Weird.” I rubbed my eye for a few seconds
until I was sure the pain was gone, and then I looked up at the ticket booth. I
could barely see Nolan’s face behind the wall of closed windows. I took a deep
breath, held it for a few too many seconds, and then let it fly loudly out of
my mouth.
    I sat fiddling with my