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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