Page 56 of Apple of My Eye
Uncle Mike scowled at him. "Sure, until the magic goes wonky. I live in Dead End, son. I know about wonky magic."
"I'm going to sit on the porch swing with Lou," Shelley shouted, and we heard the screen door bang shut behind her.
I sighed. "How about we change the subject? What's this about Shelley and Europe?"
Aunt Ruby looked worried. "Remember Shelley's mom's brother? The one who went into the Air Force? He has been stationed in Italy for a while, and the Kowalskis didn't tell him anything about Shelley and what happened to her mom and grandparents. He's coming to town with his family for the festival, and he called to tell us that he'd like to take custody of Shelley now."
"In Italy?"
"No, he's being transferred to London. They have a daughter exactly Shelley's age, and they're family, so… I just don't know." Her eyes started to fill with tears. "I don't know what to do."
Uncle Mike put an arm around her. "Now, now. We'll figure this out, honey."
I wished somebody would put an arm around me. The thought of Shelley moving to Europe left a giant hole inside me.
"We can't let her go," I blurted out. "She's ours. Where was he for all that time after her mom died?"
"He reached out to Sheriff Lawless when he couldn't reach his sister," Uncle Mike said. "And we know how that would have gone."
I was indignant. "And he couldn't have called anybody else in town?"
Jack reached out and took my hand. "We can't know who he tried to call, Tess. Maybe let's at least give him the benefit of the doubt."
I narrowed my eyes. "You're just saying that because he's in the Air Force. You military types stick together. I want to meet them and interrogate—interview—them to find out if we can even trust them with Shelley."
"Agreed," Uncle Mike said. "We do have legal custody, thanks to your P-Ops buddy, so it's not like he can just take her. We're having them over for dinner Saturday night, and we'll see what's what then."
"I don't like it," I grumbled, but Shelley came racing back inside then, so I forced a smile.
"When can we go to Atlantis? My history club will beso jealous! Can we do a field trip?"
Jack grinned at her. "Slow down, sweet pea. We'll see about the field trip. But we'd have to travel the conventional way for that."
"Yeah," I agreed. "Trying to get permission slips for a magic portal would be a no-go, even in Dead End."
After that, we wrapped things up. Jack and I had work the next day and Shelley had school. Not to mention that I was completely exhausted from the margarita hangover. Jack washed the glasses and Shelley dried them, chattering away about London and Atlantis the whole time.
Uncle Mike and I walked out on the porch and sat down on the swing while we waited.
"Hard to top a first date in Atlantis," he said. "Even the Orlando Museum of Dental History would have a hard time living up to that."
I elbowed him—gently—and then leaned my head on his shoulder, like I'd done so many times during my childhood. Uncle Mike had been my rock during many real and imagined emotional crises, but I was an adult now, and I needed to figure some things out for myself.
"That boy is in love with you, Tess," he said quietly, taking my hand in his.
I sat up so fast I felt dizzy. "No, he's not. It was only our first date."
"At least be honest with yourself. You two have been through more together than most people who've been together for twenty years. I can see it every time he looks at you."
"I… I don't know what to say to that." I swallowed, hard, feeling a little panicked. It was way too early to talk about love.
"If you love him, too—and I think you might already be there—you're going to have to accept the obligations he has to his past. A man like that won't be content to stay in Dead End all the time. Are you willing to live with that?"
I laughed a little. "Well, hey. It's only Tuesday, and I've already been to Atlantis this week. Tess Callahan, adventurer and world traveler."
Aunt Ruby and Shelley walked out before I found a better answer, and I stood and hugged them both.
"I'm so glad you came over, punkin," I told Shelley, giving in to the urge to hug her again. "We'll have a great time this weekend at the festival."
