Page 41 of These Summer Storms

“Dad would like that,” Greta added, and Elisabeth’s lips twisted, suggesting that if she’d known that, she might have said something different.

But she hadn’t said anything different, so Alice added her support. “That’s a pretty nice thing to say, Mom. About Dad. And for him.”

Elisabeth nodded. “Good. Be sure to tell Jack about it. I’ve decided to get my daily requirement out of the way early.”

Alice couldn’t help the laugh that burst from her. “Like eating your vegetables.”

A month ago, Elisabeth might have smiled at the joke. This was not a month ago.

“Hey. Speaking. Of. Requirements.” Sam’s phone said as he looked pointedly to Greta, “What. Do. You. Have. To. Do.”

Alice inspected the inside of her coffee cup as Greta said, “It doesn’t matter.” Her tone was too breezy. Even if Sam hadn’t known how to read Greta since birth, Franklin’s assigned tasks weren’t breezy. And they weren’t fun.

With a smug look, Sam typed. “Sounds. Like. It. Masters. A. Lot.”

As Emily would say, the universe provides. Alice couldn’t help replying, “Masters what?”

Greta clung to the change of topic. “Well, when this is all over, Sam will have mastered fog bell upkeep.”

“And don’t forget shingles,” Emily joined in, knowing this particular script.

“Duck. You.”

Perfection.

The siblings all laughed, except Sam, who flipped them all off before typing furiously. “What’s. He. Making. You. Do. Emily.” He cast a serious look in Emily’s direction, and everyone followed, including Elisabeth, who had stilled in the process of spraying the kitchen counter with organic disinfectant for the third time that morning.

The youngest Storm’s hesitation was palpable. Franklin’s creativity was on full creative display with the tasks at hand, and everyone was wondering what he might do to Emily, who arguably deserved his vitriol the least.

Emily took a deep breath, as Alice held hers. “Nothing.”

Silence. Then…

Elisabeth’s brows shot up. “Nothing?”

A noise was strangled in Sam’s throat before he found his thumbs again. “What. The. Fuck.”

“Nothing like…you have to stay on the island?” Alice clarified. “Ornothing,nothing?”

Emily gave a little, guilty shrug. “I think nothing, nothing.”

It was a strange twist. Granted, Emily had never been the thorn in Franklin’s side that the rest of them seemed to be, but the idea that he’d left her literally nothing to do? Not even stay? It wasn’t a punishment as it was for Alice. It had come with a letter, unlike Alice’s. More like…a gift.

And it stung.

For Greta, too, obviously. “What do you mean,Nothing!” she fairly shouted.

“I—” Emily looked to her oldest sister. They’d never really gotten along, what with Greta fourteen years older than Emily and the first to acknowledge that they had little in common. That said, it had always been obvious to the rest of the family that Emily vied not for Elisabeth’s approval, but for Greta’s. “I’m sorry, Greta.”

“This is too much. Alice basically has to take a vacation for a week, you have no requirements at all, Sam has a list ofchores,and I haveto—” She cut herself off before she revealed the truth to everyone. “And none of us are guaranteed even a dime at the end of it. It’s—”

She bit back thenot fair.

Tears welled in Emily’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was planning—”

“None of us did,” Alice said, stepping in. “Dad did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and without a care for who he might be hurting. It’s not your fault. It’s his game.” She looked to Greta, now fully red in the face. “When Greta calms down, she’ll see it.”

“Youtellingmeto calm down.” Greta turned on Alice. “That’s rich. You whoflouncedinstead of being a part of this family. You don’t care about this game. You’re the one most likely to screw us all!”

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