Chapter 6 - THE WORST WEEKEND
Most renters behaved.
That saved Karen from a much larger catastrophe.
One did not.
The notebook showed a Labor Day weekend rental six months earlier to a group of eight adults.
Tyler remembered it.
“Those guys broke the dock light.”
Ben looked at Greg.
“Was that when you told me wind damaged it?”
Greg frowned.
“I was told by Karen it happened during a family weekend.”
Ben went silent.
More lies.
Tyler continued.
“One guy took Grandpa Arthur’s tackle box.”
Sarah’s head snapped around.
“What?”
The old green tackle box had disappeared the previous fall.
Karen blamed Ben’s cousin Drew.
Drew denied touching it.
The family had quietly believed him anyway.
Tyler saw one guest carrying it to a truck.
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
Karen’s son looked ashamed.
“Mom said Uncle Ben would lose the house if he found out she rented it.”
Ben’s anger disappeared.
Not softened.
Redirected.
Karen had made Tyler responsible for protecting adults from consequences too.
That crossed a line.
Jason put one hand on his son’s shoulder.
“You don’t protect adults by keeping secrets about things that scare you.”
Tyler nodded.
May you like
He had probably heard similar words before.
Tonight they finally meant something.
