The Secret Pond

by Gerri Hill

  She raised her eyebrow. “You think so?”

  He nodded and took a step closer to Lindsey, as if she might protect him from the scolding he thought he deserved.

  “Why don’t you go on in the house and let me talk to Lindsey.” It wasn’t a request and he knew it. He looked up at Lindsey, who smiled down at him and squeezed his shoulder.

  “I’ll see you later,” Lindsey said.

  “Okay.”

  He walked off silently and alone. Barney—normally at his heels—was wrestling with Max over a stick.

  Hannah walked down the steps and moved away from the house, in case Jack was at the door listening. Lindsey followed along beside her.

  “Thank you again for finding him.”

  “He was afraid you wouldn’t let him see me anymore.”

  Hannah nodded. “Yes. I handled that poorly. I let Margie’s concerns get to me, I’m afraid.” She turned to her. “Can you blame me, though? I mean, I don’t know you, yet Jack apparently thinks you hung the moon. He would rather be with you than me.”

  Lindsey smiled at her, and Hannah again noted how attractive she was. How young and fresh and outdoorsy Lindsey was compared to her. Her dark brown hair was nicely layered, feathering back from her face, brushing the tops of her shoulders in the back. She wondered if her guess at her age was correct.

  “Come with us.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “What?”

  “Tomorrow…come with us,” Lindsey said again. “You said you wanted to spend time with Jack. Come with us…get to know me. Let’s have a…a picnic or something. We’ll go swimming.”

  “Swimming? That’s right…Jack said you’d been taking him swimming. That’s really what started this whole thing. He’s only nine years old. He shouldn’t—”

  “He swims like a fish,” Lindsey countered. “And I watch him like a hawk.” She shoved her hands in her pockets. “You’re right, though. I should have asked permission.”

  “I would have said no.”

  “Yeah…that’s what Jack said.”

  “So he’s been sneaking his swimming trunks out with him?”

  “No. My…my nephew left some…left some behind.” The easy smile Lindsey had been sporting left her face. “So? You want to?”

  Lindsey had apparently forgotten their phone conversation the other night. Last night. Was it only last night that she’d called her and told her that she was the one who should be spending time with Jack, not Lindsey? A picnic did sound nice though. And it had been blistering hot the last few days. A swim sounded even better.

  “How old are you?”

  Lindsey’s smile returned. “Are you wondering if I’m old enough to be trusted with Jack or too old to be hanging out with him?”

  “Neither. I was just curious, that’s all.”

  “Twenty-nine.” She laughed. “Barely hanging on to it, actually.”

  “When is the big day?”

  “September first.”

  Hannah smiled, remembering when she’d turned thirty. They had talked—briefly—about having another child. She told James thirty was her cutoff. The day had come and gone and she remembered celebrating it with both regret and jubilation. That was four years ago.

  “Okay…I’ll go with you. Honestly, I’m going stir-crazy being here at the house.”

  “No doubt.”

  “I tried to get Jack to go to the state park, but…”

  “This’ll be better than the state park. Same river but no crowd.” Lindsey tapped her thigh, beckoning the dogs over. “I should get going. I’ve got stuff for sandwiches, unless there’s something you’d rather have.”

  “Sandwiches sound good. I’ll put together some snacks or something too.”

  “Great. About eleven?”

  “Where should we meet you?”

  Lindsey pointed through the woods. “Jack knows the place. I’ll pick you up in the Mule.”

  “The what?”

  Lindsey just smiled and took off walking toward the trail Jack used. When Barney went to follow, Hannah grabbed his collar, holding him. She watched until Lindsey disappeared, then headed back to the house.

  “Come on, boy. Let’s go inside.”

  Jack was waiting in the kitchen, watching from the window. When she closed the door, they stood there looking at each other.

  “Are you going to spank me?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. When’s the last time that happened?”

  “I was four.”

  “You were three and I’m sure you don’t remember.” She walked over to him, bringing him into a hug. “You run away from me like that again and I’ll beat the crap out of you.”

  “I’m sorry,” he mumbled against her.

  “No…I’m sorry,” she said. “We should have talked about it. I should have told you my concerns.”

  “Lindsey said that you were lonely.”

  “She said that, huh? Well, yeah, that’s true. I’m here all alone while you’re out having fun.”

  “But you said you had stuff to do,” he reminded her. “You told me to play at the creek with Barney.”

  “I did. But my work’s all done now.”

  “So…I can’t go with Lindsey anymore?” he asked, his voice cracking with unshed tears.

  She hugged him quickly. “We’re having a picnic tomorrow. And swimming. She’s picking us up at eleven.”

  His grin was contagious, and he did an exaggerated fist pump. “Yay!”

  “I take it you approve?”

  “I can’t wait to show you the rope swing! You ought to see how far I can swing out!”

  Her eyes widened. “You jump off a rope swing? Into the river?”

  “Uh-huh.” He backed away from her slowly. “I’m going to go take a bath now.”

  They made eye contact, then he turned and ran from the room. She managed to hold her laughter in until he was out of sight. The kid was too damn cute for his own good.

  But a rope swing? Was that safe? He was only nine years old. Did Lindsey know anything about the limitations of nine-year-olds? Well, she supposed she would find out tomorrow.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Mom…come on. We’re going to be late!”

  “I’m pretty sure she’ll wait for us if we are.”

  “She might think we’re not coming.”

  “We have fifteen minutes.” She slapped at his hand when he tried to steal a cookie. “They’re for the picnic.”

  “Lindsey makes really good sandwiches.”

  “She does, huh.”

  “Uh-huh. Turkey and a big slice of cheese.” He made a face. “Sometimes lettuce too, but that’s okay.”

  She laughed. “Yeah…hate for you to get too many veggies.”

  The chocolate chip and pecan cookies were Jack’s favorites, and she’d baked them that morning. When she’d told Lindsey she’d pack some snacks, she didn’t realize how bare her pantry was. Besides the cookies, there was a bag of potato chips that they’d opened the other night when she’d made sloppy joes. As Jack had said, they sure tasted better than the steamed broccoli she’d served. They must have, they’d eaten half the bag.

  “Where are your swim shorts?” she asked him.

  “Oh, yeah. I’m not used to taking them from here.” He ran from the room and hurried back to his bedroom.

  No, he was used to sneaking off and wearing someone else’s. She looked down at her own attire. She felt a bit self-conscious in the bikini top, but when she’d pulled out the one-piece suit that she normally wore, Jack had shook his head. “Lindsey wears swim shorts and sandals.” Well, she didn’t have any swim shorts and the only sandals she had were brushed leather. Obviously, she wasn’t prepared for a day on the river. She’d donned the bikini instead, slipping on blue jean shorts over it and a white tank top. Flip-flops would have to suffice in lieu of sandals.

  Jack came back wearing his red and black swim shorts and swinging his T-shirt in his hands. As usual, his feet were clad in his dirty A
didas.

  “What do you wear in the water?”

  “I go barefoot. But maybe the next time we go shopping, you could buy me some sandals like Lindsey has. The rocks get slippery and…you know…I fell,” he said, pointing at his knee.

  “Yes. Maybe we could both get some.”

  He literally skipped to the door, a huge smile on his face. “Come on, Mom.”

  She returned his smile, glad that she was getting to participate in his outing today. It had been pretty selfish of her to try to keep him away from Lindsey. Despite Margie’s assertion that the McDermotts were “crazy,” she had no such qualms. She was just happy to be getting out of the house for what she hoped would be a fun-filled day in the water.

  She followed Jack and Barney down the trail to the creek. Lindsey wasn’t there yet, and Jack sat down on a large rock at the water’s edge. Barney splashed into the creek and went across to the other side, as if waiting for his friend Max to show up. It was only then that she saw the trail of rocks in the water and she wondered if Jack and Lindsey had put them there to help them cross the creek.

  “Lindsey usually sits over there,” he said, pointing to another rock that was half in, half out of the water.

  “I guess I’ll just stand,” she said. Her flip-flops weren’t exactly the best choice, she realized. Maybe they’d drive into Uvalde tomorrow morning and do some shopping. For that matter, they could simply go into San Antonio for real shopping. Her parents were in San Diego, but maybe her sister could meet them for lunch. She was about to suggest that to Jack when Barney barked and took off up the hill.

  Jack jumped up off his perch and walked across the rock bridge, hands held out to his side to balance.

  “Come on, Mom,” he said. “It’s easy.”

  Considering she was in flip-flops and the water was barely over a foot deep, she didn’t anticipate any problems. Three steps in, however, she lost her balance. Fearing she would fall and drench her picnic bag, she simply walked off the rock bridge and into the water.

  “Yeah…that’s always my solution too,” came an amused voice from the other side.

  Hannah smiled at Lindsey as she desperately tried to keep her flip-flops on her feet in the rocky creek. “I’ve been told I don’t have the proper footwear,” she said.

  “Yeah…they make those dorky water shoes, but I prefer a sports sandal,” Lindsey said as she stepped forward and offered a hand.

  Hannah took it with relief and let herself be pulled up onto dry land. Jack was laughing at her, of course.

  “You almost fell. That would have been so funny, Mom!”

  She pinched his cheek when she got to him. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

  Jack and the dogs led the way up the trail and Hannah found herself following behind Lindsey. She was wearing navy blue shorts and a white tank top like she was. There was a navy and white bikini top underneath it, so she assumed the blue shorts were her swim shorts. Her sports sandals were also a shade of blue. Judging by her tan, Lindsey spent many hours outdoors. Of course, Jack’s skin too had turned a pretty golden brown. She, on the other hand, looked like she’d spent her summer indoors, which had been the case so far.

  They came to a clearing and she realized they were on a narrow road. Parked there was a dark green vehicle, open and doorless with nothing but a roof over roll bars—the Kawasaki Mule. The dogs went to the back and Jack lowered the tailgate. Lindsey went around to hoist the dogs up. Jack then closed the tailgate. Hannah assumed this was their normal routine. The Mule had only one bench seat and Jack scooted toward the middle, giving her room.

  “Did you make sandwiches?” Jack asked.

  Lindsey nodded. “I did. They’re at the cabin.”

  His eyes widened. “You went inside?” he asked quietly.

  Lindsey nodded again.

  “Were you…okay?”

  Hannah watched this exchange, a bit puzzled by Jack’s questions.

  “Yeah…I was okay. The fridge needed a little work but I got it all cleaned out.”

  Hannah frowned as Jack placed his small hand on Lindsey’s thigh and patted it gently. What in the world was going on with them?

  “We’ll take the long way around, give your mom a tour, if that’s okay?” The question was directed at Jack, but Lindsey looked at her over the top of Jack’s head. Hannah nodded.

  She held on as the Mule jerked forward, and they started climbing up the hill. The views were spectacular, and she wondered how much land Lindsey’s family owned on this side of the creek. The Larsons owned about six hundred acres, but they didn’t have the large hills like those that were on this side. Most of their land was for grazing, although her father-in-law only kept about a hundred head of cattle now. The rest of the land he leased out to other ranchers in the area.

  “Do you have cattle?” she asked.

  Lindsey shook her head. “My grandfather used to, but he sold all of his about ten years ago, I think. The best grazing is down along the river, and the cows became more of a nuisance than anything. Plus, he was…he was getting older and it was a lot for him to keep up with.”

  Lindsey’s expression had changed slightly, and she remembered Margie telling her that the McDermotts were killed in a plane crash. She wondered how long ago that had been. Maybe it was recently. Well, she wouldn’t pry but she was a little curious.

  “How much land do you have?” she asked.

  “About fifteen hundred acres,” she said. “It’s pretty, but most of it’s not very usable.”

  “It’s beautiful up here. On the Larsons’ side, it’s rather flat compared to this.”

  Lindsey stopped and pulled the Mule off the side.

  “Mom…this is called Antler Peak,” Jack said importantly. “You can see for miles and miles.”

  “That way is Utopia,” Lindsey said, pointing to their right. “This side looks toward the river and Concan. Great spot for both a sunrise and sunset.”

  The view was indeed nice…very pretty, actually, but she was more intrigued by Jack. He was sitting between them, but she noticed that he was closer to Lindsey than to herself. He also appeared to be very familiar with his surroundings. She wondered again what all he and Lindsey did when they were together. Obviously, not just fishing. Or swimming, as she’d found out they’d been sneaking off to do. They seemed…emotionally close. She wasn’t sure if that bothered her or not. And if it did, she wasn’t sure why it bothered her.

  * * *

  Lindsey slowed when a small cabin came into view. Hannah wondered if this was where she lived. If so, it seemed an awfully long way from the creek where she’d picked them up. How was it that she stumbled upon Jack?

  “Be right back,” Lindsey said as she jogged up the steps and went inside.

  “This was her parents’ cabin,” Jack said quietly.

  “Oh.” A pause. “Was?”

  He nodded somberly but said nothing else. Before she could question him, Lindsey returned carrying a picnic basket. To Hannah’s surprise, Lindsey placed it on her lap, and she moved her own bag out of the way.

  She said nothing, just offered a quick smile before getting back in. The Mule lurched forward again.

  “The river is within walking distance,” Lindsey explained, “but it’d be kinda hard to carry everything. I’ve got a cooler with drinks on the back.”

  She’d no sooner said the words when the river came into view. Hannah had only glimpsed the Frio from a few spots along the road to Concan. It didn’t appear to be much wider than the creek, but judging by the flow, it was much deeper. And to think that her nine-year-old son had been swimming in it.

  She pushed down her apprehension. Lindsey was an adult. She would know the risks. And yes, she said she watched Jack like a hawk. But still…

  “There’s the rope swing, Mom,” Jack said excitedly, pointing to a deck that had been built along the shore. A cypress tree shaded it, and a thick rope hung down from one of the branches. It was swaying lazily in the light breeze, and she noted
several knots tied at the bottom. Hand grips, she assumed.

  “So this is where you swing into the river?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

  He grinned. “Uh-huh. It’s so much fun!”

  She smiled back at him. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “No, Mom…you can jump off too. Lindsey does.”

  Hannah glanced at Lindsey, who nodded. “It’s fun. Makes you feel like a kid again.”

  Lindsey parked the Mule off to the side, away from the deck. The dogs were clamoring to get off the back. Hannah got out and Jack went around and lowered the tailgate. The dogs didn’t wait for Lindsey to lift them out. They both jumped and headed to the water. She was shocked to see Barney follow Max in.

  “He can swim?”

  “Oh, yeah. He was scared at first, but we were all in the water so he finally got in too,” Jack said.

  Hannah stood by as Lindsey took the cooler off the back and placed it on the deck in the shade. Jack went to the side of the deck and opened a metal container. It looked like a large footlocker. Inside were a couple of tubes and some noodles. He then pulled something else out…a seat of some sort.

  “That’s Lindsey’s,” he explained as he tossed it on the deck. “She calls it a fanny floater.”

  “I should have brought some lawn chairs down,” Lindsey said. “I hope you don’t mind sitting on the deck while we have lunch.”

  “No, that’s fine.”

  Jack tossed her a towel, then handed one to Lindsey.

  “The water is crystal clear,” she said as she finally walked over to inspect it. “And deep.”

  “Deep in spots,” Lindsey said. “It’s deep here. That’s why we put the rope swing up. You can float downstream about twenty yards or so and it’s only four foot deep in places.”

  “Watch, Mom!” Jack said as he took hold of the rope. “Watch me!”

  “Be careful,” she said automatically, noting that he’d dropped his T-shirt and it was half on, half off the deck.

  He backed up with the rope, then took a running start, his little hands holding tightly to the knot. She found herself holding her breath as he swung out. He let go of the rope and landed with a splash. She didn’t breathe again until his head popped out of the water. Barney barked and swam out toward him while Jack swam back to shore.