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PROLOGUE

On the night of May 11 at precisely eight forty-five in the evening, Finn MacBain stopped being a colossal pain in the ass and grew up He also became a hero

Until that Saturday evening, he and his twin brothers, Beck and Tristan, had caused all sorts of mischief They were daredevils and loved to play pranks

Neighbors cringed when they saw the The brothers weren’t bad boys They were just idiotsaccording to their father, anyway Smart as whips, but still idiots Over the years they had built up quite a repertoire of stunts, like the ti a zip line froe walnut tree in the wooded area behind the backyard There was just enough of a doard slope to send the Unfortunately, they didn’t anticipate the i the tree at the bottom, and they were lucky they didn’t break any bones And then there was the time they tried to build a trampoline Their parents couldn’t even think about that one without shuddering That was the day they got rid of their chain saw

The boys especially enjoyed playing jokes on one another Setting alar all sorts of ridiculous things fall when their victi their prey in his bed with Saran Wrap while he slept—their iinations worked overtime

The boys didn’t limit their tricks just to the fahbors the Hill vacation, they found yellow cri their house and a chalk outline of a body—compliments of Beck—drawn on their sidewalk The Hillmans weren’t amused

The MacBain brothers were also shockingly ungraceful It was a fact that the three of the over their own feet and crashing into a wall or a table They were growing so fast, it siile They were rah they were constantly told to “take it outside,” they still got into push-and-shove fights inside the house Heads and shoulders went through drywall too many times to count, and their home was in a perpetual state of repair Their parents, Devin and Laura MacBain, put the contractor’s phone number on speed dial

The boys were handsoh barely in their teens Finn, the oldest of the siblings and the ringleader in most of their schemes, was fourteen and still hadn’t shown the least inclination to stop growing Like his brothers, he attended an all-boys Jesuit high school and was an honor student He aced every test thrown at hi to his frustrated teachers, wasn’t living up to his potential He breezed through advanced classes and didn’t challenge himself because he didn’t have to He was lazy in that respect He was also easily bored, and there were times when he actually fell asleep in American History class Finn didn’t have , football, and having a good time A school counselor told his parents that their son was too sood, which didn’t make a lick of sense to them How could anyone be too sant, which Finn’s father decided was code for smart-ass

Everything about Finn was a contradiction His IQ was in the genius range, and on paper he was the perfect 40 student, but he also had been in hts than Muhammad Ali He couldn’t seem to walk fro one or more of the Benson boys

Finn had a rascal’s grin and a sparkle in his eyes He also had a powerful fist and a right hook that was lightning quick Though he really didn’t have et him riled—he couldn’t abide a bully, and each of the seven Benson boys was exactly that They preyed on the younger boys and girls in the neighborhood and got a real kick out of o to Finn for help if they were being tormented He wasn’t afraid to stand up to the bullies, no matter how many of them there were

When Devin saw his son’s latest black eye, he remarked to his wife that Finn hadin common sense How else could he explain why his son would take on seven Bensons at the same time?

Fortunately, Finn had never been arrest

ed—none of the boys had—and Devin deter into real trouble was to keep theht, especially now that school would soon be over for the summer

During the school year, his sons stayed occupied with part-time jobs and sports They played football, lacrosse, basketball, and soccer Those were seasonal sports, however Swi, on the other hand, could be an all-year sport This was a revelation that cahbor that there was a brand-new fifty-meter pool only a few miles away at the just-opened Lee Center, where it was believed Oly He also found out that tryouts for a competitive team were in one week

That night in bed Devin discussed his plan with his wife He told her about the Lee Center and the Olympic-size pool “I want the boys to try out for the tea it”

“Who does this teaainst?” Laura asked

“I don’t know and I don’t care If Finn makes the team, he’ll have to be at the center by four forty-five He’ll swim from five until six thirty Practice is every day but Sunday,” he added, grinning “It’s year-round, too Even if Beck and Tristan don’t ht to wear them out”

Laura didn’t see any harreed that they needed to channel their energy into so laps at the crack of dawn just ht be the answer

Her husband was just drifting off to sleep when a thought struck her She poked hi to be driving the?”

His snore was her answer

Withouthis plan to his sons, Devin filled out the forned up all three boys for ti he broached the subject at dinner He sat at the head of the table and watched his sons inhale their food They were good-looking boys, he thought Their hair was thick and dark, like his used to be before he had children It was streaked with gray now Beck and Tristan were identical twins The only way Devin had been able to tell them apart when they were babies was by a small birthmark on the side of Beck’s neck They were exactly eleven er than Finn, and for a feeeks each year, all three were the sah Beck lived to have fun and had recently beco to show signs of having a little sense Of the three brothers, he was the sweetest and most compassionate, and he definitely didn’t hide what he was thinking Tristan, on the other hand, was the analytical one He reasoned through everything, no nificant, and yet he still let Finn talk hienerous by nature and would always put his brothers first, but he also took things to heart, and Devin worried he would end up with ulcers if he didn’t learn to relax As idiotic as they sometimes acted, Devin loved the fact that all three boys protected one another Their loyalty was absolute

Finn was pushing away fro to be excused when his mother nodded to her husband and said, “Didn’t you want to speak to the boys about”

“Yes, that’s right Now, boys”

“Sir?” his sons responded in unison

“Did you know there’s an Olyirls will be training there every day”

Before he could continue his explanation, Beck asked, “Girls? How irls?”

Devin held his patience “I don’t kno irls”

Tristan frowned as he asked, “What are they training for?” He slouched in his chair, and his hair hung down over his eyes

“Sit up straight,” his father ordered before answering “The tea to be on the team”

“What does the team do?” Beck asked

“Coainst other tea to be on the Olyht, Dad?”

“Yes, that sounds about right I’m not sure hoorks or how many levels there are”

“You boys love to swim,” their mother reminded

“I like to swim,” Beck said “I don’t know that I love it the way Finn does”

“Finn, you practically lived in the pool next door last summer,” Tristan said

“Yes, I did swim a lot when Justin lived there We did laps all the tireat pool,” he added enthusiastically “Twenty-five est backyard pool I’ve ever seen”

“It’s not twenty-five ued “It’s not even close”

“You’re fast, Finn Real fast,” Beck said He decided he wasn’t quite finished eating and reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes

“Did you ever get timed to find out how fast you are?” Tristan asked

“No Why would I?” Finn asked

“We sure can’t swim next door anymore,” Tristan said

“Yeah, and it’s your fault, Finn,” Beck said, waving his fork at him

“You were told not to play baseball in the street,” their ry “Breaking aisn’t a great way to hbors They’d only just moved in,” she added “John Lockhart was quite irritated”

“They were eating dinner,” Devin said “The baseball landed in the middle of the table in the salad bowl”

Beck nudged Tristan “I’ll bet lettuce went flying everywhere”

“This isn’t funny,” Laura scolded “One of the parents or one of the girls could have gotten hit in the head”

All three boys leaned forward “The Lockharts have daughters?” Tristan asked