Page 89 of From the Start

Whoa, Harper! Don’t get ahead of yourself. Kai is young. He has lots of exploring to do before he settles down with someone more age appropriate. Assuming the goofball ever settles down.

“Here we are.” I motion to the alleyway running between two rows of houses. “It should be the third house on the left.”

We reach the gate in the wooden fence. I unlatch it and start to open the gate but Kai stops me.

“Let me go first. In case, anyone’s home.”

“No one’s home. Norm has bowling tonight. And Amy is at book club.”

His mouth drops open. “You seriously know everything happening on this island.”

“Told you so.”

We enter the backyard and I make a beeline for their shed. “They keep Rogue in here when they’re gone.” I pull on the door but it doesn’t budge. “Crap on a smuggler. It’s locked.”

Kai nudges me out of the way. “No problem.” He fiddles with the lock for a minute before grinning at me and opening the door.

“Remind me to add a security chain to my front door.”

He frowns. “I wouldn’t break into your house.”

“Maybe not but you have five brothers.”

“I’ll buy a security chain at the hardware store tomorrow.”

Something in the dark hisses and I switch on the light. “Hey, Rogue,” I greet the hissing animal. “I brought you marshmallows.”

Rogue immediately stops hissing and sticks his paw through the cage. I place a marshmallow in it and he skitters to the corner of his cage with his prize.

Kai picks up the cage. Rogue briefly looks up but isn’t bothered by this development. “Lead the way.”

I hurry out of the shed and to the gate. I open it and run into the alleyway. I trip and fly through the air before hitting the ground with a thump.

“Ow!” I push my hair out of my face and notice Sammy the seal lounging in the alleyway. In my rush, I didn’t see him.

“Sammy, what are you doing in the alleyway?”

Sammy is a Smuggler’s Hideaway legend. The seal was released from a Marine Sanctuary to the north of the island. When he arrived here, he realized he didn’t have any interest in frolicking in the sea.

He decided to stay on land and become a complete menace to the locals. He’s lucky he’s cute or between blocking traffic and invading people’s homes, he never would have survived this long.

“Harper.” Kai rushes to me. He sets Rogue in his cage down next to Sammy. “Are you hurt?”

“I think I bruised my elbow.”

He frowns. “You’re bleeding.”

I point to the seal. “It’s Sammy’s fault.”

Sammy honks in response. “Don’t honk at me. I’m not the one blocking the alleyway.” He barks and I wag a finger at him. “Being cute doesn’t mean you can hang out wherever you want.”

Rogue snarls and hisses at Sammy and Sammy growls in return.

“Shit. Where are my marshmallows? We need to quiet Rogue down before he alerts the entire neighborhood.”

“You’re not seriously thinking of stealing Rogue now?” Kai asks.

“What do you mean? It’s not as if Sammy will tell on us.”