Free The Keeper by Rosanne Hawke

hesitating as though there’s much more to say but she can’t. Then she sighs, moving to a different track. ‘There is something else, Joel.’ She turns to Zoe as she puts the cups on the table. ‘Zoe has found out that your father’s parole is due. That means he could be out of jail soon.’
    â€˜And you think he might try to kidnap me again?’ So this is why she’s always saying to keep away from people I don’t know. ‘Gran, just tell me what he looks like. I can handle him.’ I roll my two hands into fists above the table.
    â€˜Joel.’ Gran’s tone is like a restraining hand on a lively puppy. ‘He’s dangerous. And he could look different now. Nine years is a long time.’ But I’m not concentrating; suddenly I’m a on a different current.
    â€˜Why does he want to kidnap me? Does he want me? I am his kid.’
    Gran’s eyes water. What have I said? ‘No, matey. No. Don’t ever think things like that. This man may biologically be your father but he did not bring you up and care for you.’ She doesn’t say he didn’t love you, he didn’t want you but the inference is there. It makes me dig my heels in.
    â€˜But he did want me, didn’t he?’
    Gran glances over at Zoe. It’s a call for help but I don’t want Zoe’s help. She butts in anyway. ‘Joel, he wants money. I’m sorry. Gran told me that your grandad had left everything in a trust for you—’
    â€˜The property on the peninsula? Not just the boat?’
    â€˜Everything. Maybe he thinks he’ll have access to it through you.’
    â€˜And Joel . . .’ Gran again. She pauses, so slightly that I don’t guess the damage she’ll cause to my world, no time to steel myself, ‘. . . that is why we feel it is too dangerous, this – this friendship with Dev Eagle.’
    â€˜No!’ I jolt to my feet; my coffee spreads over the tablecloth as I push out my chair. It scrapes on the slate, too loud. I stand there above them, my breath hurting like fire each time it comes out. ‘You don’t understand! Dev likes me. He wants me. He’s got nothing to do with this, he just—’ I stop myself in time before I say the word ‘ad’. Gran would not understand that at all.
    This won’t work. Calm down , Joel . I take deep breaths. No one takes any notice until you calm down. I start again. ‘You liked him, Gran. You said so.’
    â€˜He does seem very nice, yes, but Zoe followed you one night—’
    â€˜So that was you. Dev heard something.’
    â€˜Joel, it’s very odd how he’s just turned up. He may be a friend of your father’s and we can’t take the chance.’
    â€˜But how could he poss—?’ Then I remember. Dev has been ‘inside’. But he didn’t have to tell me that. Surely that shows he’s on the level. Should I say? No. Gran and Zoe will take it as proof for sure. They can’t do this. They don’t know him.
    â€˜But the fishing competition is at the weekend.’
    â€˜Did you want him to do that? I’m so sorry, Joel.’ Gran’s starting to look totally distressed but right now I can’t afford to care.
    â€˜No you’re not! You’re ruining my life! I never get to do the competition.’
    â€˜Mei’s father could take you, he could use our boat—’
    â€˜He’s never there for the competition; he’s always on the trawler.’
    â€˜We could ask Mr Houser—’
    â€˜With Shawn? You’ve got to be joking.’
    They’d make sure I lost. What father would let another kid win the annual fishing competition? ‘I want my own—’ I’m about to say ‘father’, but I know now that even if I had dreams about Dev, he’s not my real dad. But I can pretend, can’t I?
    â€˜I want Dev to do it and he will!’ I