“Angry?” His free hand fell lightly upon her shoulder. “My dear child, I couldn’t be angry with you.” Suddenly he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Now run along home, youngster!”
Gale tried to say something but words stuck in her throat. Silently she climbed into Bruce’s boat. Her hand shook as she snapped the motor on. All the way across the bay she seemed wrapped in a vague, glorious dream.
Later as she buried her hot cheeks in her cool pillows and tried to stop thinking about Brent Stockton she could feel a thrill run all through her. She had not been like the other girls, Carol and Janet. She had never had a—as they called it—crush on any boy before. She admitted to herself, but to no one else, that she thought Brent Stockton was pretty grand. He was everything the other boys she knew were not.
Chapter VI
AT THE AIRPORT
At the wharf the next afternoon she found Stubby awaiting her.
“Have to take me to the island,” he said without preliminary. “Brent must come to the airport!”
“Can’t you manage the plane without him?” Gale asked.
“No. Something is wrong. I can’t get the motor to hum right. Brent is the only one who knows enough about it.”
“But he said he didn’t want to go to the airport until the day of the races,” Gale said petulantly.
“If he doesn’t come now his plane won’t be in the races,” Stubby declared bluntly.