Now, she wished she had thrown the ridiculous thing away. The weekend had been a disaster, neither one of them had really enjoyed it, the only consolation being they were able to spend time together. She had only put the suit on once and had shoved it in a drawer when she returned from the trip. Remembering the look on Jake’s face, she swam harder trying to swim away the embarrassment.
What must Joe and Karen have thought? she wondered. Probably that she was trying to seduce Jake when that was the farthest thing from her mind. She pounded out a few more strokes before flipping and heading back to the boat. She’d just ignore the whole thing, she decided, then put her clothes back on once she got out of the water.
Jake was still standing in the same spot and holding the life jacket when she swam up to the side of the boat. He seemed a little dazed as she treaded water and looked up at him. When he didn’t say anything she asked, “Can I have the life jacket?”
Jake snapped out of his stupor when she spoke. Realizing he was acting like a fool standing there holding the jacket as she waited, he muttered, “I’ll help you,” and jumped in beside her.
Both sensed the other’s unease as Jake helped Sam get her arms in the life jacket and tighten the straps. Desperately trying to come up with something to say, Jake asked, “So, are you a swimmer?”
What? she thought to herself. What was he asking her? She couldn’t seem to make sense out of anything. Something about swimming. “Um, yes,” she finally replied, hoping her brief answer fit his question.
“I could tell,” Jake said awkwardly.
After they looked at each other for a minute, both unsure what to do or say, Joe saved them further humiliation by waving his arm and shouting, “Tube’s that way!”
They both looked up at him as if they had forgotten anyone else was there. After a moment, they both turned and swam for the tube. Once they were away from the boat Karen looked at Joe and burst out laughing. Joe just shook his head and said sadly, “Oh, God. What an idiot.”
Jake helped Sam up onto the tube, showed her where to position her hands, and asked again, “Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely. I’m already wet, what’s the worst that can happen?”
With one last look, Jake turned back for the boat. When he was back on board he looked out over the lake and told Joe, “Be sure to take it easy. The lake’s busy, I’m willing to bet there are more than a few careless drivers out there.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll give her a nice, easy ride,” Joe answered. Jake was right, he thought, seeing the number of boats nearby. It was always a little trickier pulling someone when there were this many boats on the water. Noticing Jake’s nervous look, he said again, “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine.”
Joe turned and called back to Sam, “Ready?” When she gave the thumbs up sign he pushed down the throttle and sped off.
Sam felt the pull on her arms as the front of the tube submerged slightly before popping out of the water and skimming along the top. She moved her legs and readjusted her grip trying to find the best position to stay atop the tube. It was harder than it looked, she thought, as she slipped from one side to the other before figuring out how to balance her weight and steady herself.
Then she looked out and enjoyed. If the boat ride was exhilarating, this was doubly so. It was the closest to flying she had ever come, she decided, as the tube picked up speed and slid across the wake when Joe turned the boat sharply. It was incredible.
Jake felt like his head was on a swivel trying to keep one eye on Sam and the other on the nearby boats. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous, he’d been in the boat countless times when his brother was pulling skiers or tubers. He was an excellent, and careful, driver. It was the other drivers he was worried about. He could tell Joe was just a little tense, as well. He saw his eyes dart from one side to the other then skip to the rearview mirror to check on Sam.
For her part, Sam seemed to be having the time of her life. Jake could see her grin as she flew across the water and he watched as she tentatively let go of one of the grips to give a quick wave. Just as he turned back to look off the front side of the boat, he caught a flash of color as a boat full of loud teenagers whizzed past. They cut far too close to Joe’s boat and were now turning back their way, oblivious to the boat in their path.
Jake turned to scream at Joe but Joe was already yelling to Karen to hold on as he had no choice but to turn sharply into the other boat’s wake. Jake looked back at Sam, still smiling, unaware of what was happening up ahead. He saw her expression change instantly to one of confusion as the boat jerked sharply to the left and her tube zipped across the water to the right. Jake saw the wave before she did and was on his feet pulling his t-shirt over his head. There was no way she was going to be able to hold on when the tube hit the swell head-on.
Sam didn’t know at first what Joe was doing when the boat suddenly veered sharply to the left, but then saw the boat heading toward them. She could tell Joe had turned in time to avoid a collision, but could also see the giant wave the wakes of the two boats combined had produced. She held on with all her might as she was thrown into it.
She felt first like she hit a wall and then felt weightless as she tumbled head over heels above the water. She was pretty sure she skipped across the surface at least twice before coming crashing down on her back. It was like hitting solid ground and she felt the wind rush out of her lungs.
For a moment she was unsure of which way was up. She tried to open her eyes but was met by water and closed them again. She started to move her arms and kick her feet as the life jacket did its job and slowly righted her. When her head finally emerged from the water the first thing she saw was Jake, swimming furiously toward her.
As she struggled to catch her breath, Jake grabbed her around the waist and eased her onto her back. She rested her head against his shoulder and slowly started to relax and breathe deeply.
“Are you okay, Sam?” Jake asked, panic written all over his face. He was brushing the hair out of her eyes and willing her to answer him.
“I think so,” she replied slowly, moving her neck gently from side to side. She felt a little sore and was sure tomorrow would be brutal, but she seemed to be in one piece. “I…that was a little scary,” she finally managed. And then she began to shake.
Joe had pulled the boat around and was slowly maneuvering toward them. Karen was on her feet, throwing out a life ring which Jake grabbed and used to pull them both to the side of the boat. With Joe’s help, he got Sam in and onto the seat. Karen gathered towels and covered Sam who was shaking even harder. Jake kneeled beside her and gently dried her face and hair. “Where does it hurt, Sam? Can you move your arms and legs okay? Are you dizzy?” His fear that she was badly hurt had him firing questions at her faster than she could possibly answer.
“Jake,” Karen said softly and gave him a warning look as she laid a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed in next to Sam and took her hand. “Look at me, Sam. How are you feeling?” she began, and ran through a quick series of tests to rule out a concussion or broken bones.
Slowly, color seeped back into Sam’s cheeks and the trembling quieted. She looked at Joe. “What happened?”
Joe looked angrily out over the lake before answering. “A boatload of fools, that’s what happened. I’m sorry, Sam, I had to try to avoid their boat. I never would have done that to you if I could have helped it.” He looked miserable.
“I know, don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Really,” Sam added when he looked at her doubtfully. “Do you have any idea who it was?”
Both Jake and Joe shook their heads. “I just caught a glimpse of them, a bunch of teenagers I think, but I didn’t recognize any of them,” Jake answered, clearly frustrated.
“No, neither did I. Didn’t recognize the boat, either. Probably just here for the day,” he said with an odd look at his brother.
“If no one’s on the lake patrolling today I’m going to get someone out here right now,” Jake sn
arled, grabbing his cell phone from the glove box and punching in the numbers for his office.
While he barked instructions to whoever was unlucky enough to answer his call, Joe started up the boat again and headed for home taking care to stay close to shore and avoid what waves he could.
Sam sat wrapped in a towel feeling almost back to normal. She could detect some stiffness in her neck and shoulders and one wrist was giving her some trouble, probably due to her futile attempt to hold on to the tube but, all in all, she felt fortunate Joe had handled the boat so well and the outcome hadn’t been much worse.
Karen, noticing how gingerly Sam was moving her wrist, brought some ice from the cooler and wrapped it around Sam’s wrist.
“Thanks, didn’t mean to cause so much trouble,” Sam said to Karen but kept her eyes on Jake.
How long is it going to take for her to realize she’s in love with him? Karen wondered to herself. She could remember looking at Jake’s brother the same way years ago. She’d been a teenager at the time but love was love, she reasoned. She smiled at Sam. “No trouble, no trouble at all.”
When they got back to the dock Karen and Joe waved off the offer to help unload the boat. “Sit down and relax,” Karen said, indicating the chairs lined up on the beach. “Can you stay for dinner? I have some steaks in the fridge.”
Sam turned to Jake with what she hoped was a look indicating she really wanted to get going but he was already answering. “Thanks, Karen, but I think I should get Sam home. I’m just going to make one more quick call to the office and then we’ll head out.”
While Jake paced around the yard, well out of earshot of the rest, Sam thanked Joe and Karen and reassured Joe, again, that she was okay. They chatted for a few minutes while Jake finished his call then headed for the car. As Sam loaded her bag in the back seat and started to climb in the front, Joe called Jake aside.
“What’s with the calls to the office?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at his brother.
“Just making sure I have someone out on the lake today, I already told you that,” Jake snapped. “If someone is going to drive that carelessly, I want someone out here to put a stop to it.”
“I don’t disagree but it seems like there’s a little more to it. You’re thinking it wasn’t an accident,” Joe stated, reading his brother well.
Jake sighed. “I don’t know what to think. There have been too many things happening involving Sam to brush this aside as just another coincidence.”
Joe studied his brother. “There have always been jerks on the lake, always will be.”
Jake took a long time in answering, gazing out at the water before looking his brother in the eye. “If that’s all it is, then that’s all it is. But I’m going to be damn sure I do all I can to find out if it’s something more.” With that, he strode to his car and sped away.
9
After a ride home during which not much was said but Sam caught Jake glancing nervously at her again and again, they arrived at her place and Jake walked her to the door. “I’m glad you took my advice,” Jake said, indicating the heavy-duty dead bolt lock Sam was working to open.
She huffed and stabbed again at the lock with the key. “I just hope I don’t have to get in quickly,” she said, clearly frustrated, “it takes me ten minutes to get the damn thing open.”
At last, the door swung open and she turned to him. “Thanks for today, Jake, it was fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the lake.”
“I’m sorry it ended the way it did. Are you sure you’re all right? How’s your wrist?” He hadn’t missed the way she’d winced when she turned the doorknob.
“Fine, fine,” she waved his concern aside. She paused in the doorway and studied him, considering. “Would you like to come in?”
Very much, he thought to himself, but reigned in his pleasure at the invitation and settled for an easy nod as he stepped inside.
The house was blessedly cool, a relief from the day that had gotten warmer and muggier as the afternoon passed to evening. Clouds were gathering over the lake and it appeared as if a storm was on its way.
“I was going to spend the evening in the shop getting a little more repair work done but I think maybe I’ll leave it until tomorrow. I’ve actually accomplished more than I thought I would, most everything is cleaned up and I’ve made some progress with the kids’ projects…” She stopped herself, realizing she was rambling to cover her nerves.
Jake moved to the windows and looked out over the lake. Sam looked at him, unsure of what to do or say. Her idea had been to make it clear to Jake that today was just about friendship. She was pretty sure she had failed…miserably. As she remembered the look on his face when he’d seen her in her swimsuit and then his concern when he thought she was seriously hurt, she worried he had entirely different ideas. Since she felt like she needed a little distance she said, “I think I’ll run upstairs and change.”
Jake turned and caught the brief look of panic that flitted across her face. “Let’s take a walk down to the lake first,” he said as he held out his hand for hers.
Sam debated with herself then took a step forward and took hold of his hand. That same little jolt she’d felt the first time she touched him was back and had her tensing. Determined not to make a fool out of herself yet again, she kept her hand in his and led him outside towards the lake.
Rigi followed them out the door and quickly found a tennis ball in the yard. She ran circles around them with the ball in her mouth until Sam relented, took the ball, and fired it—as best she could with her left hand—across the yard. The dog was off like a shot, running so fast she was unable to slow herself and had to double back to pick up the ball she overran. Sam gave the ball a couple more tosses before walking out onto the dock with Jake and sitting on the bench overlooking the lake.
Clouds continued to gather, swirling and darkening. Many of the day’s boaters had taken notice, as the lake was much less crowded than it had been earlier. The few that remained, Sam figured, would wait for the first raindrops or clap of thunder before heading for shore.
“Could be a bad storm tonight,” Jake said, looking up at the sky.
“I used to love storms when I was a kid. I remember hoping the power would go out so we could light candles and play with flashlights. I still kind of love them but now I think about things like damage to the house and what will happen if the power stays out for a long time. Sometimes it’s no fun to grow up.”
“But sometimes it is.” Jake leaned over and kissed her, something he’d been wanting to do all day.
The kiss took Sam by surprise. She started to resist then gave in, melting against Jake as he put his arms around her and took the kiss deeper. She wasn’t sure how much time passed before Jake slowly pulled away and positioned her so her head rested on his shoulder. They sat quietly, both lost in their own thoughts, until Rigi decided she’d had enough lying on the dock and it was time to play. She dropped the tennis ball in Jake’s lap and looked up expectantly.
“Oh, Rigi, knock it off,” Sam scolded. “I’m sorry, she’s rather selfish and quite convinced everyone loves her,” she said with an exasperated look at her dog. Rigi just panted and tilted her head, quivering with excitement when Jake took the ball in his hand. He threw it far into the yard and the dog dashed happily after it.
Jake and Sam slowly made their way back toward the house with Jake continuing to entertain the dog by throwing the ball in all different directions. “One more time,” he told her as they reached the door. He threw the ball into the trees and they watched Rigi wind her way into the wooded area.
“Can I take you out to dinner tonight, Sam?” Jake asked, not wanting the evening to end.
“I don’t feel much like going out.” The disappointment in his eyes didn’t surprise her but her own disappointment at the thought of him leaving did. “How about staying and helping me grill some hamburgers? Do you think we can beat the storm?”
“Sounds like a good idea. I’ll get
the grill started and we’ll have burgers on the table before the first raindrop falls.” He smiled and threw an arm around her shoulders.
“Where’s Rigi?” Sam asked, realizing she hadn’t returned after Jake threw the ball into the trees. “Rigi!” she called then whistled loudly for the dog.
Soon she appeared, trotting happily out of the trees with something other than a tennis ball clamped tightly in her mouth. “What have you got there, girl?”
Sam was reaching for what looked like a dirty rag when Jake ordered, “Wait!” Sam stopped in her tracks and looked curiously at Jake who was heading for the dog, talking softly with his hand held out.
“What is it? What are you doing?”
“That’s a good girl,” Jake crooned, rubbing Rigi on the head and gently easing the rag from her mouth, taking care to hold it by the corner only.
“Jake, what’s up? What do you want with some dirty old rag? It’s covered in mud.”
“I don’t think it’s mud,” Jake said as he carefully held up what turned out to be a t-shirt. “I think it’s blood.”
“Oh, well, it’s probably been here for ages…” She couldn’t help it, she glanced around nervously.
“From the looks of it, the blood is relatively fresh, that’s probably why Rigi found it. It was twisted up pretty tightly like it was wrapped around something,” Jake continued, more to himself than to Sam. “Hold on to the dog, I’m going to take a quick look around.”
Sam held tight to Rigi’s collar and waited less than patiently while Jake made his way to the tree line and disappeared from sight. Her anxiety increased as the minutes passed and Jake didn’t return. She was just ready to follow after him when he emerged, brow furrowed and clearly deep in thought.
“Jake…?”
“Let’s go inside.” He took her by the hand and led the way.
“What is it? What did you find?” She couldn’t keep the fear from bubbling up and knew he heard it in her voice.
“When we’re inside.”
She wanted to argue but sensed it would be futile.
Misty Lake: Book One in the Misty Lake Series Page 9