The Time Capsule by Lurlene McDaniel Read Free Book Online

swimming—if you don’t mind being with someone who looks this nerdy.”
    Sawyer came out of the pool when he saw Alexis. “I told him to just wear a pair of shorts.”
    Adam shrugged. “I didn’t bring any spares.”
    Alexis said, “Well, you do look nerdy.”
    “So sue me.” He took Kelly’s hands. “You look great. Go on in. I’ll save us a table, then jump in.” He urged her toward the water, then began gathering chairs around a poolside table, staking a claim with extra towels draped over the chair backs.
    Sawyer grabbed Alexis’s hand. “Let’s go down the water slide.”
    “I thought you were starving.”
    “I am, but we may as well wait until the line goes down.”
    She looked over to see guests clustered around the buffet. The band began a loud tune, and the next thing Alexis knew, she was climbing the ladder for the slippery glide down into the heated aqua water of the pool. Soon Tessa, Wade, Adam and Kelly were sliding with them, one right after another, reminding Alexis of playful seals. She lost count of the number of times she climbed the ladder. At some point they stopped long enough to sit and eat at the table Adam had saved.
    They were finishing up when Kelly pointed and said, “Look.”
    Underwater lights were turning the pool’s water shades of yellow, green, blue, red and orange in rhythm to the music from the band, just back from a break. From the sides of the pool, water shot from almost invisible hoses. The streams met in the air before falling in cascades of lighted rainbows onto the surface. As lights shimmered and the water danced, the audience broke out in applause.
    When the water show was over, a volleyball net was stretched across the water and an invitation was issued for the guests to choose up sides. “All right,” Sawyer said with a grin, and rubbed his hands together. “Come on, guys. We can take on anybody.”
    Alexis felt her own competitive spirit rise.
    Kelly stood and started for the water. Adam didn’t follow, so she asked, “You coming?”
    “I think I’ll sit out for a while. You go on and play.”
    Kelly glanced longingly at the water. “I should stay with you.”
    “Why? Truth is, I’m not very good at volleyball.”
    His excuse surprised Alexis because he was good at the land version of the game. “You doing all right?” she asked.
    “Doing great. I just don’t want to play. I’ll kick back and watch you guys destroy all comers. That okay with you,
Mother
?”
    The others laughed at Alexis’s expense. “Gee, excuse me for asking a question,” Alexis said.
    “And excuse me for taking a break. What are you, my parole officer? Jeez, Ally, butt out.”
    His words stung. “Didn’t know you could be so touchy.”
    “Didn’t know you could be so nosy.” Adam looked at Sawyer. “Does she nag you like she does me?”
    Alexis felt color creep into her cheeks.
    “Love is blind,” Sawyer said good-naturedly.
    “But not silent,” Adam said.
    “Now, children, let’s behave,” Tessa said.
    A whistle blew, and Sawyer took Alexis’s arm. “Save it for the match, tiger.”
    Privately, Alexis seethed as she went into the water. Adam had no right to bite her head off and embarrass her in front of the others. All she’d done was ask if he was all right, and he’d picked a fight with her.
Not fair!
    “Heads up!” Sawyer called, and Alexis snapped out of her funk in time to see the ball headed straight for her. She smacked it hard, and within minutes she had forgotten about her tiff with Adam.
    Their little team kept winning because Tessa turned out to have a fantastic serve and Kelly a mean spike.
    “Way to go, Kelly,” Wade said after she had almost stuffed the ball down a guy’s throat on the other side of the net.
    “I like to pretend the ball’s my math teacher’s head,” she said with a blue-eyed innocence that made the others laugh.
    The opposition dwindled until theirs was the only team remaining. Finally, they were declared the