Free Rock Harbor Search and Rescue by Colleen Coble, Robin Caroll Page B

Emily a final sneer, then bounced off with her friends.
    “Hey, I waited for you at the locker.” Olivia stepped besideEmily and nodded toward Rachel’s back. “Was she starting trouble again?”
    “Doesn’t she always?”
    “Don’t let her get to you.” Olivia smiled. “Why are you here, anyway? Her locker is just down the row.”
    “I came over for this.” Emily pointed at the bulletin board. “Did you know an anonymous donor gave the surf team new wet suits and board bags?”
    “No. And I should care about this, why?”
    Emily filled Olivia in on what she’d overheard from Josh. “I just think that’s really coincidental, don’t you?”
    Olivia shrugged. “Could be. But there’s no way you can find out who the donor is. Especially since you aren’t even on the surf team.”
    Emily glanced at the bulletin board. “I could be one of the team helper volunteers, though.” Olivia would see through her in half a second.
    “Are you serious?” Olivia’s hazel eyes went wide. “You can’t even swim.”
    Pointing at the sheet Josh had posted, Emily said, “I don’t think swimming is part of the job. Helping keep track of the team equipment and stuff is what they do.”
    Olivia laughed. “Yeah, right. You can’t even stand to be too close to the water, Em.”
    True, but the posting said nothing about getting in the water. “I’m going to talk to the coach.”
    “You’re serious?”
    “I am.” Emily let out a sigh. “It’s the only way I might be able to learn something about this donor.”
    “You just want to be close to Josh.”
    Heat burned Emily’s face. “Well, that’s a bonus, yeah, but you know it’s not the main reason I’m going to do this.”
    “I know. I was just teasing you.” Olivia handed Emily her backpack. “I grabbed your stuff for you.”
    “Thanks. You going to come with me to the coach’s office?”
    “Sure. Do you really think I’d let you sign up by yourself? Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you.”
    Emily smiled and headed toward the gym under the covered walkway. The wind had picked up, and the crash of the waves from Lake Superior washed over the little town. Emily shivered despite the seventy-degree temperature.
    Sneakers squeaked on the basketball court as Emily and Olivia made their way to the coach’s office in the back part of the gymnasium. The door sat ajar, and the coach was on the phone with his back to the door.
    “I understand that, and we appreciate everything we get, but right now we really need a couple more backup boards. If one of our team’s boards breaks, we’ll be disqualified.” The coach tossed a pencil onto his desk.
    Emily chewed her bottom lip. It sure didn’t sound like the team was rolling in money.
    The coach hunched in his chair. “Then do whatever you have to do to get another donor on the line. We will take the championship this year.” His voice sounded harsh. Cold. Mean.
    Olivia stared at Emily, who stared right back. Who was he talking to?
    “See that you do.” The coach slammed the phone down.
    Emily quickly knocked on the cracked door. “Hello? Coach Larson?” Maybe the coach wouldn’t realize they’d been eavesdropping.
    “Yes?” He swiveled in his chair and pierced her with a scowl. He was a big guy with fair, thinning hair and a thin Finnish nose.
    “I’m here to sign up to be a surf team helper volunteer.” She smiled as widely as she could.
    “A what?” His thoughts were clearly still on the disturbing phone call.
    “I saw a notice on the bulletin board. Josh put it up there?”
    “Oh. Yeah.” He stared at them. “So you want to be helpers, eh?”
    She forced herself to stand tall and smile. “Yes, sir.”
    “Okay. Let me get you the permission slips.” He opened a desk drawer and rummaged through papers. “You’ll have to come to all the practices and, of course, the competitions.” He opened another desk and continued rummaging. “Where did I put those things?” He slammed another