CHAPTER 11
Orchid woke the next morning, the sunlight already bright and baking the day. She hadn’t heard a rooster. Hadn’t heard Maine when he’d gotten up and left the tree house. Hadn’t heard Tanner do the same.
She sat up, alone in the shelter and wondering what time it was. She didn’t like being alone, and she quickly ran her fingers through her hair, pulled it into a ponytail, and shimmied down the ladder to the beach.
Where she was also alone.
The fire smoldered, and she hastened to put another piece of the broken tabletop on it. If they didn’t have to use another match today, that counted for something. She hoped.
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, glancing around. Where had they gone? Tanner had looked a couple of steps away from passing out last night. Maine had helpe
