at the people and traffic and snorted again. “They’re too
late, I’d say. That earthquake already turned this place into
a tourist trap. And me and Carl was down to Turtleback
yesterday, and it was standing room only. They’re gonna
have to put in a gosh-dang stoplight at the intersection.” He
suddenly grinned. “You run out of dirt to sel , Peg, you can
always turn your pit into a campground now that you got
lakefront property.”
“A campground?” Peter asked, tugging on her jacket.
“What’s that, Mom?”
“It’s sort of like Inglenook, only people sleep in tents
instead of cabins.” She looked at Evan and arched her
brow. “Wouldn’t you worry my campers might go roaming
through your woods looking for wildlife and trample your …
garden?”
That wiped away his enthusiasm. “Gosh-dang it, I hadn’t
thought of that.” He sighed and started backing away again.
“I’l be seeing you, then. You hear that road’s going near our
property, you give us a hol er, okay?”
“You’l be the first ones I tel ,” she said, starting down the
path again.
“Are we gonna make a campground, Mom?” Jacob
asked, walking backward in front of her. “And have
campfires every night?”
“Nope. Because we’re not going to run out of gravel for a
long, long time if the amount of land Mr. Duncan is clearing
is any indication.”
Jacob realized they’d reached the trestle and
immediately scurried back and took hold of her hand. Peter
refused when she held out her hand to him, but he did grab
the hem of her jacket as they walked across. And even
though Peg would have liked to stop and watch the sixty-
foot fal s cascading down in a thundering roar just a stone’s
throw away, she knew neither of the twins were comfortable
lingering on the bridge. She often wondered if maybe
they’d heard her talking to someone about Bil y having
been working near a bridge when he died. It’s not like it
was a secret or anything, but maybe she should have a
conversation with al four of her children about exactly what
happened—since it appeared they obviously thought about
it, judging by Jacob’s talk with Duncan last night.
They final y reached the post office, and Peg handed the
key to Peter since it was his turn, making him read the
number on their box before he opened it. “Mom, look! We
got another special delivery,” he whooped, pul ing out two
lol ipops and handing one to Jacob. “They’re grape ones
this time, Repeat. We’re gonna have purple tongues.”
“What is al the caterwauling out here?” Thelma Banzhoff
asked as she came through the door from out back. “Oh,
it’s Pete and Repeat,” she said in mock surprise, only to
suddenly frown and bend down to peek in the open box.
“Did that mail fairy sneak in here again and leave you two
little heathens another special delivery?” She shook her
head, making a tsking sound. “I warned the little imp that it’s il egal to mess with a United States post office box, but it
seems she’s powerful y determined to make her deliveries.
And sneaky, too, because I made sure al the doors and
windows were locked when I left here yesterday.”
“Locked windows and doors ai—isn’t gonna stop no
fairy,” Peter said. He held his thumb and finger almost
together. “’Cause she can fit through a crack this big.”
Thelma pointed at the prize in his other hand. “Then how
does she get the lol ipops through a crack that smal ?”
“By magic,” Jacob piped up around the pop already in
his mouth. He pul ed it out and grinned up at her. “Just like
the tooth fairy. See, I lost my tooth this morning and tonight
she’s gonna bring me a quarter. But only if I’m asleep, right,
Mom?” he asked, looking up at Peg. “You told Pete when
he lost his tooth that if he tries to stay awake al night she
won’t come.”
“That’s right.” Peg reached in the box and pul ed out the
few envelopes and several sale fliers. “Now thank Mrs.
Banzhoff for not having the mail fairy arrested for delivering
your special deliveries.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Banzhoff,” they said in unison.
“Peg, could I speak with you a minute?” Thelma asked,
nodding for her to move away from the boys.
“Okay, new chal enge,” Peg said, herding the twins over
to the bench under the window. “Unglue yourselves from me
and work on turning your tongues purple, okay, while I go
over there.”
“Can we kneel on the bench and watch al the terrists?”
Jacob asked.
“The what?” Thelma yelped.
“The tourists,” Peg said to Jacob after shooting Thelma a
smile. “You may watch the tourists, but keep your sticky
fingers off the window. What’s up?” she asked softly as she
walked to the other side of the vestibule with Thelma.
“Land sakes, my kid-talk is rusty,” Thelma said with a
laugh. She suddenly turned serious, touching Peg’s sleeve.
“You’ve heard there’s talk in town about forming a
committee to fight the new resort, haven’t you?” she
whispered.
“Evan just said something about it, but that was the first I
heard.”
Thelma glanced over her shoulder at the boys, then
turned and bent her head next to Peg’s. “Wel , I’ve
overheard more than one conversation in the last few days
where your name’s come up.” She touched her sleeve
again. “Please don’t ask me who was doing the talking,
Peg, because I need to be discreet about gossiping. But it
appears some people feel that you’re … Wel , I just want to
warn you that some folks aren’t too happy that the gravel for
the resort road is coming out of your pit.” Thelma clutched
her sweater closed at her throat. “I heard them saying that
you’re just letting that outfit from away come in here and …
and rape your land,” she whispered, “for no good reason
other than to make a truckload of money.”
“Are you serious?” Peg growled, clutching her own throat
in a futile attempt to tamp down her anger. “I’ve owned that
pit for nearly ten years, and nobody had any problem with it
existing before now. They’re real y cal ing it rape?”
Thelma touched Peg’s sleeve again, this time giving her
arm a squeeze. “I’m just repeating what I heard. And you
need to know it’s only a smal minority that doesn’t want the
resort. Most of the people in town are for it because of the
jobs it’s going to bring to the area, and the shops and
restaurants and cottage industries that wil fol ow. Some of
the folks are already planning to expand their own
businesses. And Bunky Watts intends to open a craft co-op
in that empty storefront across from the church.”
Peg was smiling and nodding despite trying to get past
the idea that she was raping her land. “Those opposed to
the resort should go visit Pine Creek,” she said. “The
TarStone Mountain Ski Resort made that town what it is
today, which is an inviting, thriving community. I can’t
believe they’re saying I’m raping my land.”
Thelma snorted. “It only takes a few extremists to turn
something wonderful into a big ugly fight. I wil tel you this
much; it’s mostly people from away who are raising the
stink. But they’re the ones who have the money and clout to
bring in the big guns.” She glanced at the boys, then patted
Peg’s arm again. “I just wanted you to be aware that, like it
or not, you and Livy Bald—I mean Livy Oceanus have made
a few enemies.”
Peg was incredulous. “Because I’m sel ing gravel?
Dammit, that pit is al I have.”
“I know that, honey,” Thelma said. “And if I were in your