Page 29 of The Sandbar saga

Chapter 11

Dr. C drove into thegarage of his house. Katie took her seatbelt off. The ride from St. Mary's to Astoria a long, boring trip with depressing weather. True to his word, he'd taken her through Longview, over the little bridge, and drove Highway 30, avoiding the Megler Bridge.

She'd expected excitement and happiness to hit her the moment they rode through town, but everything had looked different.

The trees around the houses in Sherwood Community were taller and leafless because of winter. Nobody was outside. Even downtown looked deserted when Dr. C drove through to get to the hill.

"Where is everyone?" She opened the car door.

"It's almost Christmas. Most people travel home or go to someone else's house for the holiday. Besides, it's not tourist season in December. It's always quiet around here during this time of the year." He lifted her bag out of the trunk of the car. "Are you hungry?"

"Sort of." She walked behind him into the house, looking around.

She'd never been to his home before. It was only one story but sat back from the road more than some of the other homes in the area, including her mom's house.

The door led to a hallway, which turned into a kitchen. She stepped into the room, discovering it was one giant area with the living room, dining room all included with no walls. Drawn to the tall windows facing the backyard, she realized the middle one was a sliding door.

"I didn't know you had a pool." She pressed her hand against the glass. "Is it heated?"

"Yes." He set her bag down. "Any chance you know how to swim?"

"I learned at Langly, and it's part of P.E. at St. Mary's, but I didn't bring my suit."

"I'm sure we can rig something up for you to wear. A T-shirt and a pair of shorts will probably do."

"I don't really like swimming." She returned to his side. "I just like sitting in the water. It's like a bath in a giant tub if I don't go over my head."

"I'll show you your room." He picked the bag up again and walked down the hallway, passing several doors. "The guest room has an attached bathroom. You can stay there. If you need anything that's not in there, just let me know. It's probably in the main bathroom by the kitchen."

She stepped inside the room. It looked like a boys' room. The blue plaid bedspread and pictures of ships on the wall made her wonder if he decorated it or someone else had.

"You can hang out here if you're tired or come on out and eat. I'm going to throw some hamburgers on the grill."

"I'll help." She wanted to be useful during her stay. "You don't have to work while I'm here, do you?"

She got nervous thinking about staying for three days with him. Actually, it was four, but they were going to leave early in the morning to go back to St. Mary's, that day didn't count.

"Nope. I'm on vacation unless an emergency comes up." He opened the freezer and removed already frozen hamburger patties.

She was going to sleep in his house and have to take showers with him around. It all seemed weird as if he suddenly turned into a stranger when she walked into the house. He knew everything about her, and she knew little about him, including how he lived.

"I'm glad I got to come," she said, more to convince herself to relax.

Everything would be okay. She had to only think about one day at a time.

It wasn't like she wanted to stay at the school. She was curious about how Dr. C lived when he wasn't with her, and now she'd be able to find out his secrets.

She followed him outside. While he got the grill going, she walked over to the edge of the pool and stuck her hand in the water.

"Wow, it is warm." She shook her arm and dried her fingers off on her pants.

"It seems warmer on cooler days. In the summer, when it's hot out, it feels cold, yet it stays the same temperature." He stepped back as a flame shot in the air.

It also made her feel weird that he lived within walking distance to her house. She could walk down the path or on the street and go see if her mom was home. If she wanted to—which she didn't.

It'd been a year and a half since she'd seen her mom without any word from her. The last time she asked Dr. C where her mom was, he hadn't known.

"Does my mom still live down the street?" She looked the length of the backyard at the trees blocking the path.