Chapter 25

“You are?”

Another nod came as confirmation.

“Are you certain?”

Liam nodded one more time.

“But now your neck hurts, I bet. From all that nodding.” Frank bobbed like a woodpecker after ants in the bark of a tree. “Ow.”

Liam barked out his seal laugh. It was truly a delight.

“Let’s rest up a minute anyway.” Frank picked up Liam’s things, and also his lunch bag. He sat beneath a huge oak tree, one of the few still offering full shade in early October. Liam sat down next to him—close—too close, so Frank moved. “I’m sorry. I must.” If the curse didn’t necessitate it, the erection did. “Remember that stick?” Across from Liam, rather than side-by-side, Frank opened the brown paper sack. “Orange?” He held it up to Liam, who nodded. “Shall we split it?”

Liam shook his head side to side.

“No? You don’t like oranges?”

Liam didn’t answer. He watched intently, though, as Frank peeled the fruit. When Frank broke off a piece and held it out, Liam twisted his head back and forth again.