Page 68 of June 7

She'd only been out of bed a few minutes when Bane walked out of the room to check on her. Over a cup of coffee, they both ate their share of warm cookies for breakfast.

It wasn't a bad way to start the day.

The day was dark and dreary. She stood at the five-foot mark on the pool. The storm had brought in the clouds, and they had yet to leave.

Tara directed the third graders in the shallow end while Ms. Lindle's seventh graders had free swim and congregated around the halfway mark and the deep end of the pool. Erika, who took summers off, was now back to work as a lifeguard during the day at the pool.

She scanned from left to right and worked her way back, checking the depths of the water. The whole process took no more than twelve seconds, and she started again, noting the swimmers who struggled.

Ever since she'd qualified to get her lifeguard certificate, she'd found the work almost hypnotic. Once she understood what she was looking for and how to spot those in trouble, she found it easy to stay aware. Even then, lifeguards were only allowed on duty for forty-five minutes. Then, they had to take a fifteen to twenty-minute break to stay alert.

She blew the whistle. "Off the rope."

Christi swam away from the divider. Daisy waved to let her know she wasn't in trouble. Some kids were sensitive, while others pushed and pushed to break the rules, and no matter how many times she blew the whistle, they came back with a vengeance. Christi always tried to please everyone and was the first to volunteer when it was time to pick up the water toys.

The sensor lights came on in the enclosure. Distracted from the water, Daisy looked up in the sky. A dark rain cloud hovered overhead.

"Do you want me to turn on the underwater lights, Miss Hill?" asked Chad.

The chance of the clouds leaving was slim. Plus, it was almost three-thirty. The adults would be coming in for rec swim at four o'clock when they usually turned on the lights.

"Sure, go ahead." She scanned the water. "Thanks, Chad."

She used her lips to move the whistle back in place. It wasn't long, and Tara guided the young kids out of the water and to the locker room where their teacher would take over, getting them all showered, dressed, and back on the bus that would be pulling up shortly.

With her concentration now on the older kids, she carried her rescue tube to the six-foot section.

Ten minutes later, the seventh graders left the pool. She followed, locking the outside of the locker rooms leading to the pool so the kids could only exit out the front. Then, she went inside the office.

Glancing at the clock, she was surprised Liz hadn't arrived yet. She had a habit of coming in early lately.

Melanie hung up the phone. "Uh oh."

Walking to the computer, Daisy looked at the young lifeguard. "What's wrong?"

"That was Liz. She was calling to talk with you." Melanie wrinkled her nose. "She's sick."

"Oh, no." Daisy groaned. "She must've caught whatever Sierra has."

Chad sat on the bench, throwing one of the beach balls in the air. "A lot of kids are sick at the high school, too."

"Figures. Some virus always goes around when school starts, and the weather changes." She inhaled deeply. "Okay, so who do we have to run rec swim?"

"Not me." Chad let the ball roll away. "It's my one night off from swim practice, and I have to run over to the real estate office where my dad works in a half hour."

"Sorry. Cheer practice," said Melanie.

"I'll have to ask Tara—"

"Ask me what?" Tara entered the office.

"Can you run rec swim today?" Daisy looked at the clock. "Liz and Sierra are sick."

"Sorry, can't. I have to pick up Jason from school." Tara removed a sweatshirt from the locker. "Any other time, sure. I could use the extra money. Christmas will be here soon."

"It's three months away." Melanie tossed her backpack over her shoulder.

"It feels like tomorrow when you're a single mom with a new car payment each month." Tara headed toward the door. "There's your lesson, kids. Use condoms."

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