There had been a couple more incidents like that, and then she’d simply stopped trying. It was too hard to get close, to confide in someone, to believe they would always be there, and then have it ripped away.

After she’d gone to live with Grandma Nell, there hadn’t been any girls her age close by. By the time she’d gotten to college, she’d forgotten the art of making friends. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was hanging out with other women and enjoying their company. She would miss them all when she left.

“Ladies.”

Destiny turned and saw Kipling walking toward them. As he approached, she felt an odd tightness in her chest, followed by a ridiculous urge to flip her hair and giggle.

“Hi, Kipling,” Starr said. “We’re getting elephant ears. You want one?”

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

No one was in line behind them, so he stepped next to them.

“How’s summer camp?” he asked Starr.

“Good. I like the different classes. A couple of us are talking about forming an a capella group. You know, just girls singing, but it could be fun.”

Destiny did her best not to stomp her foot as she listened to Starr’s easy conversation with Kipling. How did he do it? He asked one or two simple questions, and Starr wouldn’t stop talking. An a capella group? She shared all kinds of things she didn’t tell Destiny.

While they were making progress toward getting to know each other, there was always something in the way, and Destiny had no idea what it was. For reasons she couldn’t explain, her sister held back with her.

“No musical instruments?” Kipling asked. “That’s ambitious.”

“It’s harder than it sounds,” Starr admitted. “Just singing without music isn’t bad, but when you try to make the other sounds, like percussion, it can get silly pretty fast. But we’re going to try it.”

A couple of families got in line behind them. Kipling moved closer. Destiny found herself wanting to lean against him, to ask him to help her with her sister, because she was obviously not doing as good a job as she thought.

“Making friends?” Kipling asked.

“Oh, yeah. A lot. Some of my friends are from LA, but a few are from here in town.”

“That’s nice,” he said. “You can see them on the weekends.”

“Sure!” Destiny jumped in. “Anytime. Or if you wanted to invite some of them over for dinner or something, I’d be happy to cook or just order pizzas.”

Starr glanced from Kipling to her. “Seriously? You wouldn’t mind if I had friends over?”

“Of course not. I want you to have fun this summer.”

“Cool. Thanks.”

They moved up in line. Starr turned her attention to the menu. Destiny looked at Kipling and mouthed “thank you.” He grinned and shrugged, as if saying it was nothing. Which, to him, it probably was. He had an easy way with people. One she would like to share.

She told herself to be grateful for the improvement in her relationship with her sister and to take her small victories where she could. Having Starr enjoy the summer was one that would make both of them very happy.

* * *

DESTINY FOLLOWED THE COURSE laid out on the tablet screen which, she thought as she circled yet another downed tree, was easier said than done. She and Aidan Mitchell were about thirty miles northeast of Fool’s Gold in a rugged area just past the small valley where wind turbines spun in the constant canyon breeze.

They’d left all signs of civilization behind several miles ago, and the noise of the turbines had long faded. Out here there was only the hum of nature.

“I was thinking up here,” Aidan said, pointing.

She looked up from her screen and studied the relatively flat ledge where he had indicated. The area looked big enough, and the location was good.

“I like it,” she said, then eyed the steep terrain between where they were and the ledge. “Can we get there from here?”

“I’m game if you are.”

She handed him her tablet and turned so he could tuck it into her backpack. When the flap was secured, she gave him a thumbs-up. “Lead on.”

Aidan set a brisk pace, but she was able to keep up. These woods were not all that different from those in the Smoky Mountains. Trees, underbrush and scurrying animals. She smiled, thinking Grandma Nell would be appalled to know Destiny had reduced her beloved Smoky Mountains to generalities.

She started up toward the ledge, following Aidan. He climbed over a downed tree, then turned back to help her scramble over the huge trunk.

When she put her foot down on the other side, she started to slip on damp leaves. Aidan immediately grabbed her around her waist. When she was steady, he released her.

In that moment of contact, Destiny found herself wondering if she would have any reaction. A tingle or a desire to lean closer. There was nothing. Not the slightest whisper of interest.

They climbed the last twenty or thirty feet up to the ledge. Once there, Aidan pulled two water bottles from his backpack and handed her one.

“What do you think?” he asked, barely winded from their climb.

She looked around at the large, flat area. “I’ll have to measure it, and we’ll need to have a geological survey done, but I think we have a winner.”

Part of the system the town had ordered included adding several cell towers in remote areas. Not only would that help those who were lost call for help, but it would also aid the volunteers by giving them access to the HERO command center and each other.