Chapter 2

Chapter 2 A minute later, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose were standing on the dock with their backpacks. "I have to fly some fishermen and women to a camp farther north," Walker told the kids as he got back in the plane. "I'll see you guys tonight." "Hey, welcome to Mount Desert Island!" Wallis called as she ran toward them. "Hi, Wallis!" the kids shouted, then each gave her a hug. "Grab your stuff and follow me," she said. Wallis led them up the dock and stopped in front of the girl in the wheelchair. "Abbi, these are

my friends from Connecticut. Dink, Josh, Ruth Rose," Wallis said, pointing to each of them, "meet my daughter, Abigail. She likes to be called Abbi, with an 'i.'" Josh stared at Wallis. "You never told us you had a daughter!" he said. Abbi laughed. "Mom just adopted me a few months ago," she said. "Abbi's parents died a few years back," Wallis explained. "I heard about Abbi from a friend, so I

invited her and some other kids to the castle for Christmas." Wallis grinned at her daughter. "After knowing Abbi for only an hour, I knew I wanted her in my life permanently," she said. "That is so awesome," Ruth Rose said. "How old are you, Abbi?" "Almost thirteen," Abbi said. "How about you?" "We're all almost nine," Dink put in. Josh shook Abbi's hand. "Why are you in a wheelchair?" he asked. "I have spina bifida," said Abbi. "What's that?" Josh asked. "Before I was born, when I was still inside my birth mother, my spine didn't develop right," Abbi explained to the kids. "So my legs don't work. I have to use a wheelchair most of the time." "Well, now that you've all met, let's get home," Wallis said. "If I know these three kids, they're hungry!" She started walking toward the parking lot. "Josh sure is," Dink teased. "His stomach was growling so loud, Walker thought there was a wolf in the plane!"

"There are wolves on this island!" Abbi said. "I've seen them through my telescope!" "Wolves?" Josh gulped. "Really?" Wallis stopped next to a red van. She clicked a remote, which opened a door and lowered a ramp. Abbi wheeled her chair up the ramp and into the van. "That's so cool!" Ruth Rose said. Wallis unlocked the other doors, and the kids piled in. Ruth Rose and Josh sat in the rear with Abbi, and Dink sat up front with Wallis. They drove along a road lined with tall pine trees. Through the branches, Dink caught glimpses of sky and water. After a few minutes, Wallis pulled off the road onto a bumpy driveway. "There it is," Wallis said,

pointing to a long, shady cabin. She parked next to a flagpole flying an American flag. The low building nestled beneath sweetsmelling pine trees. Wooden steps led up to a roofed deck that circled the entire cabin. Beside the steps was a ramp that sloped up to the deck. "I love your house!" Ruth Rose said as they got out of the van. "It's so cool and quiet here." "I usually wheel myself up the ramp," Abbi said. "But it's more fun to have someone push me." "I'll do it!" Josh said. He guided the wheelchair up the wooden ramp with the others following. "Do you want to see the wolves?" Abbi asked. "Where are they?" Josh asked. He looked around the deck nervously. "Over here," Abbi said. She guided her wheelchair across the deck to a telescope. "Take a look, but don't jiggle it. I have it set right on the wolf's lair." Josh walked over to the telescope, squinted one eye, and peered into the lens. "All I see are rocks and bushes." "Keep looking," Abbi said. "I saw the wolf just before Mom and I went to meet you guys."

Josh kept his eye on the telescope lens. Suddenly he jumped back. "Holy moly!" he shouted. "What?" Dink said. He and Ruth Rose hurried to join Josh and Abbi at the telescope. "I just saw a gigantic white wolf!" Josh said.