The Return by Jennifer Torres

and boarded.
    Canary was there to greet them.
    â€œWell, fancy meeting you here,” he said looking toward Tim.
    It was strange seeing him, and Tim didn’t really know what to say, so he simply remained silent.
    Rusty showed each of them to their seats, and then took the copilot chair next to Canary.
    â€œHere we go,” he called out.
    The ship slowly pulled away from its berth and headed out to sea, gaining speed as it went. After traveling at that rate for quite some time, the ship suddenly began to pick up even more speed.
    â€œThis is it,” Rusty said pulling the nose of the ship up. “Hold tight.”
    With a huge burst of intensity, the ship surged out of the water, into the sky, and then into the darkness of space.
    â€œWhy don’t you get some sleep,” Rusty called back. “We have a long journey ahead.”
    No one argued with him, they were all exhausted.
    The ship was a bit chilly so Tim put his hands in his pocket for warmth—there was a note inside. He pulled it out and read it.
    Tim,
    I’ve always loved you and I always will.
    Nina.
    Her feelings were real?
    He drifted off to sleep clutching the note in his hand.
    â€¢â€¢â€¢â€¢â€¢
    â€œWake up, everyone, wake up now!” Rusty shouted over roar of the engines. “We are on approach and about to enter the atmosphere of your home planet.”
    Tim released the latch on his harness and made his way up to the front.
    Outside the massive window, he saw it. Big and blue—Earth.
    Rusty looked back at the kids.
    â€œWelcome home.”

I’m thankful for so many things.
    A late night chat years ago under a sea of stars when my son Timmy and I began to dream up a story about a place called Briny Deep.
    My daughter Emily who believed in the story and told me to write it now because the laundry could wait.
    My daughter Isabelle who agreed (begrudgingly) to take a break from her Movie Star Planet computer game so I could actually use
my
computer to write.
    A horrible boss and soul zapping job that made me realize I had to send out what I wrote because my dreams were not going to come find me.
    My editors: David Dilkes for believing in me and being the original champion for this story—and the funny, patient, inspiring David Mulrine for all the pep talks and ego boosting emails.
    Supportive family members like my dear mother for reading each and every word the minute I wrote it, my Dad, Jim, Danny, Stacey, Matthew, and my sister Natalie.
    And finally to my wonderful husband—and fellow dream chaser—John, who refused to hear any more of my “great book ideas” until I actually wrote one to completion. I love you.

Note to Our Readers
    About This Electronic Book:
This electronic book was initially published as a printed book. We have made many changes in the formatting of this electronic edition, but in certain instances, we have left references from the printed book so that this version is more helpful to you.
    Any comments, problems, or suggestions can be sent by e-mail to [email protected] or to the following address:
    Speeding Star
Box 398, 40 Industrial Road
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
USA
www.speedingstar.com
    All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, downloaded, uploaded, transmitted, deconstructed, reverse engineered, or placed into any current or future information storage and retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of Speeding Star.

Copyright © 2015 by Jennifer Torres.
    All rights reserved.
    No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
    Torres, Jennifer.
  The return / Jennifer Torres.
        pages cm. — (The Briny Deep mysteries ; book 2)
  Summary: “With no answers and now one of their best friends missing, the