The Siren's Call (Last Chance Motel Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

volunteer. I was conscripted.”
    When Eva gave him a funny look, River assured her, “We’ll be fine.”
    “Just be back before the storm.”
    River looked at the sunny sky. “What storm?”
    Eva pointed to a dark horizon out across the ocean. “Storm is coming in. Down here they pop up with scarcely any warning, but this one is coming in fast. You don’t want to get caught in it.”
    “We should be back in plenty of time,” said River. “Right, Jenny?”
    Jenny looked up from the kayaks and nodded.
    Eva went over to Jenny and kissed the top of her head. “See you in an hour. Stay close to the shore and please be careful.”
    Jenny didn’t respond, but hurriedly got into a kayak. She gestured for Eva to push her off.
    Eva stood on the beach and watched while Jenny and Mr. Egan paddled around the mangroves and out of sight. Reluctantly, she went back to the office thinking about how Jenny didn’t seem to respond to her anymore.
    Before she married Mike, she and Jenny had been very close, and Jenny seemed to crave affection from her. Now she was constantly pushing Eva away.
    Wondering what she had done to make the child change, Eva glanced at the clock. It was twenty before three. She made a mental note to check for Jenny in an hour.
    To be on the safe side, Eva put the keys for the motel’s boat in her pocket.
    Better safe than sorry.

10
    “J enny, wait up!” called River. He paddled hard to catch up with the little girl.
    “I was following the manatee,” said Jenny, pointing to the slow-moving creature ahead of them.
    “We shouldn’t do that,” cautioned River. “Manatees are shy things. They aren’t like dolphins that like to play with humans. They like to be left alone.”
    “No. No. She was calling to me. She wants me to follow her.”
    River looked at Jenny’s sweaty face. He noticed the fierce determination in her eyes. He also saw the pain. There was something going on with this kid. “Jenny, can we rest here for awhile? My arms feel heavy.”
    Jenny nodded.
    “You know, Jenny, sometimes people get confused about why they do things. And sometimes they do things that might not be good for them, but they still feel compelled to act. When a person feels that way, confused and angry, it’s good to talk to someone. It doesn’t have to be family, but someone they can trust.
    “I know that I like to discuss problems with someone when I’m feeling not right. You know, just talk things through. I have a war buddy I confide in. We have a pact, this buddy and me. I can talk to him and he can talk to me too. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”
    “I think so,” replied Jenny. However, she seemed preoccupied with a baby bull shark swimming under the kayaks.
    “Jenny, is there anything you would like to tell me?”
    Jenny kept her graze on the water and shook her head.
    “Jenny, I can see that you’re not enjoying this trip. Are you trying to prove something?”
    Jenny looked up at River and shook her head again.
    River thought for a moment, and then came up with an idea. “I’ve heard that people sometimes try to punish themselves by doing things they fear. Are you trying to punish yourself, Jenny?”
    Jenny looked at River with tears in her eyes and nodded. The tears spilled over and ran down her flushed cheeks.
    River felt sorry for the little girl. “Jenny, what could you have possibly done that you would want to punish yourself?”
    Jenny began sobbing so hard that she was finding it hard to breathe.
    River became alarmed. “Jenny! Jenny! What is it?”
    Between the sobs, Jenny confessed, “I . . . like Eva too much. Makes me forget my real mommy.”
    River reached over and pulled Jenny’s kayak close so he could put his arms around her. “Honey, I see the problem now.”
    He ripped off a piece of his shirttail and handed the torn fabric to the sobbing girl. “Here, here. Let’s dry those tears.”
    Jenny blew her nose several times and then washed the “hanky” in