I’m not anxious to admit it to Mom and Dad, but I discovered myself during that month at the lake house. The absence of electronic gadgets, the isolation from all but myself, my family and a very few new friends, forced me to look inward and I found strengths and talents I would never have guessed I possessed.
We swam — a lot! — and hiked the surrounding hills. Tommy and Jessie developed a passion for fishing, and while that particular pastime held no interest whatsoever for me, I thoroughly enjoyed eating their catches. There’s nothing like fresh trout sprinkled with garden-fresh herbs and baked over an open fire … a delicacy we enjoyed often that summer.
In the evenings, we read by lamplight or worked thousand-piece puzzles on the oak table, or, my personal favorite, wrote. Mom had bought a supply of spiral notebooks, colored pencils and pens, and crayons at the general store, and we all took advantage of them. Tommy drew pictures of fish and squirrels and other rodents he observed in the woods, Jessie created mazes and flowing patterns that reminded me of Celtic knots, and I discovered a love of story telling.
My stories weren’t particularly well-written, but Tommy and Jessie enjoyed listening to the ones I chose to read aloud, and Mom and Dad praised my imagination. I developed one recurring character, a little girl named Becca. I’d dream of Becca during long nights of restful sleep, and then record her adventures the next evening. Jessie was especially fond of my stories about Becca. Probably because the girls were about the same age.
Evan came by every other day or so, supposedly to check on our supplies of firewood and block ice, but I think he came to see me … and the rug rats, of course. He swam with us, waging fierce splashing battles with Tommy and Jessie, and introduced us to the best hiking trails in the area. He also told us about the Finger Lakes, almost lecturing on the glacial activity that had created the distinctive lakes.
What he had to say was interesting, in an oddly academic sort of way, but Evan himself was more so. I studied him as he explained geologic forces to Tommy and Jessie. He loved this stuff! His face glowed as he described the movement of the ice, the grinding of the rocks, and his blue eyes darkened with intensity. He leaned forward, gesturing with his hands, as if he could make the rug rats see what he was envisioning. I was fascinated by the expressions that flitted across his face … and by how easily I could read them.
One particularly fine day, we packed a lunch and the four of us hiked to the top of a nearby ridge. Sunlight filtered through leaves of oak, beech, and hickory as we tramped along the trail, our footsteps muffled by a thick layer of leaf duff. Jessie and Tommy darted from one side of the trail to the other, covering twice the distance Evan and I trod. Every now and then we’d stop to admire one of their discoveries, a fairy ring of mushrooms or the tiny splash of color of some late-blooming wildflower.
The trail was an easy one, the ground rising gradually, but I was still winded by the time we stepped out of the shadow of the trees onto a crag of rock at the top of the ridge. I yanked my baseball cap from my head and wiped my forehead with my sleeve, glad that I’d pulled my dark hair into a ponytail so that it was off my neck. When I finally glanced around, I stilled. The view was breathtaking. Vast forests of oak, maple, beech and hickory, with the occasional spear point of pine spread out before us with sunlight sparkling off the deep blue water of the lake.
“This is amazing, Evan,” I whispered. “Thank you so much for bringing us.”
“Thought you’d like it,” he said with a grin. He swung his pack off his shoulders and glanced at Tommy. “Who’s ready for lunch?”
With a whoop of delight, Tommy settled on a rock at Evan’s feet. I swear he opened his mouth like a baby bird waiting to be fed, but Tommy denies that vehemently.
After a lunch of peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches, Cortland apples and thirst-quenching water, Tommy and Jessie wandered off to look for interesting rocks — Tommy was determined to find an arrowhead — and flowers. Evan and I stayed on the crag, soaking up the sunshine and talking about our respective futures.
“I’m off to college in the fall,” he said. “SUNY Cortland.”
I stared at him blankly. “What’s a sue-knee?”
He looked startled, then shook his head and said, “I forget you’re not from around here. S-U-N-Y. State University of New York at Cortland.”
I nodded. “I’ve been accepted at the University of Tulsa, but I’m not sure I want to stay that close to home. I may apply a few more places before school starts.”
He peered at me from the corner of his eye while he played with a piece of dried grass. “Ever think of coming east? Cortland’s a good school.”
My jaw dropped. He wanted me to go to his college? Why? I mean, he had been coming around a lot, but this was one of the first times we’d ever been alone … kind of … Jessie and Tommy were somewhere nearby.
I closed my mouth. After all, if he was really interested in me, I didn’t want to look like a complete idiot.
“Well … um … no,” I stammered. I sucked in a deep breath and tried again. “I mean, I’d never been to New York until this summer. It seems like a nice place,” I finished lamely.
He turned to face me. “You should think about it,” he said, his blue eyes darkening with an intensity I’d only ever seen when he talked about geology. He leaned close to me, too close for me to continue gazing into those sapphire eyes. I closed my own, felt his warm breath whisper across my lips. He was going to kiss me. Evan Pryce was going to kiss me!
“Amanda!” Jessie’s scream broke our spell. “Evan! Help!”
Evan jumped to his feet while I scrambled upright. We raced across the crag toward her voice. “Coming, Jessie,” I yelled, terrified by the possibilities of what might have happened.
“It’s Tommy,” she cried as we skidded to a halt in front of her. “He slipped and fell and then couldn’t stop himself. He went over the edge!” She pointed to a spot where the rocky ridge rounded into blue sky.
“Calm down, Jessie.” Tommy’s words floated up to us. “I’m fine. I’m sitting on a grassy ledge, but I can’t stand up. My foot’s stuck between two rocks.”
My hammering heart relaxed into an almost normal rhythm and I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I stared at Evan. “What do we do? How do we get him back?”
“Let me see where he is.” Evan stretched out on his belly and crawled slowly to the place where the rock sloped over the drop-off. I followed his example, ready to grab his feet if he should start to slide.
Evan peered over the edge. “How you doing, buddy?”
“Not too bad,” Tommy answered, but I could hear the fear in his voice.
“Don’t worry,” Evan said. “We’ll have you out of there in no time.”
Evan slithered back to safety and gave me a worried glance. “Jessie, I left my pack up where we had lunch. Would you go get it?” As soon as she was out of earshot he whispered, “He’s safe. The ledge is stable, but his foot is caught. I’ll need to go down and help him get loose.”
I nodded, understanding his dilemma. “You’re worried that I won’t be able to get both of you back up,” I said so quietly I could barely hear my own words.
“I’ve got rope in my pack and I’m good with knots. We’ll secure it to a tree and I’ll use it to guide me over the edge and down to Tommy. Once he’s free, I’ll assess his ankle, if he can bear weight, we shouldn’t have any trouble. Actually, we shouldn’t have any trouble anyway, but if something else goes wrong, do you think you can find your way home and get your dad?” He bit his lip, then added, “Better get both our dads. Mine knows his way around this kind of thing.”
I closed my eyes and reviewed the trail in my mind. I hadn’t paid close attention — Evan was leading and he knew where he was going, but the path had been straightforward. I could do it.
“Yes. I can get home.”
“Good. If all goes well, you won’t need to, but if not, take Jessie and get help. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
He leaned forward and touched his lips to mine. “I want to pick up where we were interrupted,” he said with a quick grin. “Later?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Later!”
Jessie appeared with Evan’s pack. He lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Do you think she’s going to make a habit of that?”
I laughed aloud. “Definitely. It’s her super power.”
Jessie frowned. “What?”
Evan grabbed his pack from her. “Thanks, Jessie.” He dug down to the bottom and pulled out a length of sturdy rope. “Now, let’s find something to anchor this to.”
We were in luck. The rope was long enough to tie around a stout young maple and Evan’s knot work proved reliable. Within the hour both boys were safe and secure on the path.
After a brief rest, Evan found a branch to use as a walking stick and hoisted Tommy onto his back. I shouldered Evan’s pack and Jessie led our procession down the trail and back to the lake house.
Mom and Dad were panicked, relieved, and grateful, all at the same time. Evan, the hero of the day, stayed for dinner and Dad even built a bonfire in the fire pit as dusk deepened.
I had a lot to think about as I fell asleep that night.