Page 5 of Twin Jeopardy

“Maybe. But you and your sister are growing up fast. In a few years you’ll have jobs, then you’ll be going away to college. It won’t be as easy for the four of us to get away. These trips are important, though you may not realize how important until you’re older.”

“Trevor’s party was important to me.”

His dad paused in the act of feeding one of the collapsible tent poles through the channel in the top of the tent. “I can understand that. And maybe insisting you come with us wasn’t the fairest decision, but it’s the one I made. It’s too late to go back, so you might as well try to make the best of it. Maybe we’ll do something for your birthday to make up for it. I can’t promise a pool party, but you could invite your friends to spend the night and watch movies.”

“Really?”

Dad smiled. “I don’t see why not.”

Vince grinned. Wait until the guys heard about this! Then his elation faded. “What about Valerie?” He and his twin always celebrated together, usually with a joint party, featuring games and cake and ice cream.

“The two of you are old enough for separate celebrations, I think. I’ll talk to your mom.”

“Thanks!” By the time they had finished with the tent, he was feeling better. He helped spread the pads and sleeping bags inside, then emerged to find the light already fading, the air cooling. He retrieved a fleece pullover from his pack. “Find your sister and tell her to come back to camp,” his mother said.

He crossed the road and hadn’t gone far before he met Valerie staggering toward him, arms full of dead tree branches. She was dropping more than she was transporting, and he hurried to take half the load from her.

“I met our neighbor,” she said when both loads were balanced.

“Who?”

“The man who’s camped over there.” She nodded up the road. “He was looking for firewood too, but he said I could have this and he would look somewhere else.”

“What’s his name?”

“He didn’t say. He just smiled and left. He had a nice smile.” Her dimple deepened at the recollection.

“You’re not supposed to talk to strangers,” Vince said.

“I didn’t say anything. He did all the talking.”

“That’s hard to believe. You never shut up.”

She hip-checked him. He did the same to her. “You are such a dork!” she said.

“You’re the champion dork.”

“I’m number one!” she shouted, and ran ahead of him.

They raced into camp. Mom smiled at them. “As soon as the fire is going, I’ll start supper,” she said.

“What are we having?” Valerie asked.

“Sausage spaghetti.”

“And s’mores for dessert?” Valerie asked.

“Yes.”

“Yay!” Valerie shouted.

“Yay!” Vince echoed.

They ate all the spaghetti and the s’mores, then lay back by the campfire and watched for shooting stars. Vince counted five of them streaking across the sky in the space of half an hour. Valerie nudged him. “Admit it, you’re glad you came,” she said.

“I wish I could have done both—the party and this.”

“Yeah. That would have been fun. But I’m glad you’re here.”

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