Down By The Water (5 page)

SEVEN

Pools were okay. I could handle pools. They didn't terrify me or fill me with dread. But rivers? Lakes? I couldn't be near them. Not after Rosie. Everything had changed after Rosie.

I was lounging by Lake Land Resort's pool later that afternoon. Ty had loaded the kittens into the cab of the truck and we'd driven them to Tipton, the next town up, and dropped the box at Karen's house. She was the volunteer coordinator of PAWS, the animal rescue organization, and she'd take care of them while she looked for a foster home to take them in.

“Sure you don't want to do it, Ty?” she'd asked. She was a petite red-head, shorter than me, with a pixie hair cut and a mess of freckles on her face.

He shook his head. “Can't. You know what summer is like at home.”

She nodded and picked up the plastic tub. “You guys have a lot of guests right now?”

“Yeah. Pretty much at capacity.” Ty smiled. “So that sorta takes up most of my time. Can't squeeze kittens into the mix.”

Karen balanced the tub against her hip and reached a free hand inside to stroke the kittens. “Totally understand. Well, thanks for grabbing them.”

“Yep. No problem.”

We'd climbed back into the truck and driven back to the resort, both of us quiet. I'd been wrapped up in the dead, drowned kitten. I didn't know what Ty was thinking about. Sheila was back from Mass when we returned and, after a breakfast of French toast and eggs, we'd each gone our separate ways.

I'd taken a shower and called the apartment complex in Madison and explained my situation a little better to them. Classes were't due to start for two more weeks, so I wasn't worried about missing school, but I did want to let the landlord know why I hadn't shown up.

After that, I'd spent about two minutes debating what to do. Sit in the guest bedroom and twiddle mu thumbs or head out to the pool. A quick glance at the cloudless blue sky out my window and I quickly made a decision.

I shifted on the lounge chair, turning over on to my stomach. My head was facing the pool and I watched as kids splashed in the water. A boy, no more than six, stood on the steps, firing a water gun at his dad. Two tween girls were at the opposite end, doing handstands in the shallow end. I'd done the same thing with Jenna, back when we tried to pretend things were normal. Not the first year—everything was too fresh, too raw. But the year after? We tried. Before everything went to hell. Before accusations flew and guilt and anger and tension boiled over and my family became the fucked up mess it was today.

I closed my eyes. I wanted to be those girls, those sisters who were close. Jenna and I had tried but the rift ran too deep. There was always something missing, something we often left unsaid but, when tensions ran high, we'd scream and let accusations fly.

Rosie.

“Hey.”

I startled and lifted my head.

Ty towered above me, wearing nothing but flips and navy blue swim trunks.

“Hey,” I said. I tried to sit up but the chair collapsed a little and Ty shot his hand out to steady it.

“Think we need a few new chairs,” he commented as he sank down on the empty one next to me.

I shifted into a sitting position and carefully leaned back, testing the chair. It held.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I stared at him through my sunglasses. “Uh, sitting at the pool.”

He smiled. “Stupid question, huh?”

I didn't answer, just smiled back.

“I'm glad you found a bathing suit that fit,” he said.

Sheila had brought in a laundry basket full of clothes for me, stuff of Mary's. I hadn't planned on wearing any of it—I had a duffel bag full of clothes—but then I saw the bathing suit and changed my mind. I hadn't packed a swim suit. It was August and I was headed to school in Wisconsin. With my luck, it would be snowing in a matter of weeks.

“Me, too.”

Sunglasses hid his eyes, too, but I could tell he was looking at me. “Blue looks good on you. Matches your eyes.”

The blue bikini I'd put on did match my eyes and I felt a little flutter in my stomach. He'd paid attention to the color of my eyes. And he was clearly paying attention to how I looked in a bikini.

“You plan on hanging out here the rest of the day?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. It's warm. Sun is out. And I don't exactly have a lot of other stuff going on.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I called Sven to see if maybe he would pop over to the shop today. Take a quick look. You know, since Jimmy did manage to finally get his ass in gear and get it towed there.”

I'd gotten a call while I was in the shower, a contrite and slightly embarrassed Jimmy, letting me know my car had safely arrived at A-Plus Auto. He'd also asked for my credit card number. I hadn't called him back yet. If he couldn't get his ass to the side of the road to pick me up when he'd said he would, he could wait a little while longer for payment.

I looked up, my expression hopeful.

“No dice,” Ty said, shaking his head. His hair looked almost blond in the sun. “He's at some wedding down near Mankato. He's gone all day.”

“People get married on Sundays?”

He grinned. “I guess.” He ran his hand through his hair, then adjusted his sunglasses. “Well, if you're bored with hanging out here, we could always do something else. If you want.”

“You don't have to entertain me.”

“I know,” he said. “But I sorta want to.”

“Oh?” I looked at him. The skin on his abdomen was taut and tan and I had to tear my gaze away.  “Why's that?”

“I dunno. Feel kind of responsible for you, I guess.”

“Well, don't,” I told him. “I'm perfectly capable of entertaining myself.”

He grinned. “Clearly. But I did sort of rescue you.” I widened my eyes and his grin deepened, revealing the dimple in his cheek. “I mean, if it wasn't for me, you'd still be sitting in your car. Baked to a crisp.”

“Whatever.” I stood up. “I'm going to get in the pool. It's hot.”

“Damn straight it is,” he murmured, his eyes on me. I felt butterflies take flight in my stomach because I knew he hadn't been talking about the weather.

I dipped my foot in the water before easing in. The little boy with the water gun had been whisked away into deeper water with his dad. He lay sprawled across his dad's back, his arms wrapped around his neck, a wide grin on his face as his dad dove under the water, taking him with him. I smiled sadly. I could remember doing that with my dad when I was his age. And I remembered Rosie doing it, too.

I slipped further into the pool, the water lapping at my chest. Water had become a time machine for me. All I needed to do was look at it or get in it and I was transported, back to either the worst day of my life or some day when Rosie had been swimming. She was unusually strong in the water, like she had some magical power of buoyancy. She'd been the earliest swimmer of us girls. She'd been confident, never exhibiting the same normal fears Jenna and I had. Like she was born to be in the water.

Except she'd died in it, instead.

“Look out!”

I looked up just as Ty cannonballed into the water. A tidal wave washed over me, drenching my sunglasses and hair. I pulled the glasses off and crouched under the water before springing back up.

“What was that for?” I demanded, wiping my hair back.

Ty shook his head, spraying me with more water. “What do you mean? I was getting in.”

“You were like a damn tsunami,” I said, my voice lowered. There were still kids swimming around.

He pushed at the water with his hands as he walked toward me. His hair was slicked off his forehead and, wet, it looked almost black.

“Sorry?” he asked, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

I shook my head and splashed him. “No, you're not.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You sure you wanna get it on?”

I splashed at him again. “I'm not afraid of you.”

He charged at me, his arms encircling my waist. I squealed, not from fear but from surprise. He had absolutely caught me off guard. I tried not to focus on the heat of his touch, the way his hands, rough and soft at the same time, felt as they gripped the exposed skin just above my hips. He held on tight and I could imagine him holding me that way, not in the pool, but somewhere else. In bed.

He laughed as I tried to squirm away, pulling me close to him, lifting me out of the water. Before I could say anything, he launched me into the air and I reached for my nose, plugging it as I hit the water.

I surfaced, sputtering and wiping my face.

“Wanna go again?” he asked as he glided across the water, moving closer.

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the water in my ears. “No,” I managed.

He reached for me. “You sure?”

“You are evil.”

He chuckled. “I give what I get, sweetness.” He waited for me to respond, a smile tugging at his lips, but then the smile disappeared and he cocked his head. “Is that your phone?” He gestured to the chair I'd been sitting in. “Over there?”

Even through my water-logged ears, I could hear my telltale ring tone. I waded to the steps and reached for the phone just as it stopped ringing.

A missed call from Jenna.

I sighed and sat down on the chair. A puddle of water formed under me and my hair dripped steady rivulets of water down my back and chest.

What on earth did she want? I'd called her last night, left her a message letting her know I'd found a place to stay and that my car was being fixed. I didn't elaborate and she hadn't called back. Thank God.

I dialed her number and she answered on the first ring.

“Where are you?”

I rolled my eyes. “Uh. Still in Minnesota.”

Her sigh was one of complete and total exasperation. “No shit. Where in Minnesota are you? Where in Pelican Lake?”

It was my turn to sigh. She didn't need to know I was back where it all started. Back where life as we'd known it had ended. “It doesn't matter.”

“Yeah, it does.”

I glanced at the pool. Ty was crouched low, his shoulders level with water, his eyes locked on me. I shifted my gaze. “Why?” I asked in a hushed voice. “Why the hell does it matter where I am?”

“Because I'm here,” my sister said. “In Pelican Lake. And I'm trying to find you.”

EIGHT

“What??”

“You heard me,” Jenna said. “I borrowed Kyle's car. I'm here at that ice cream place.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Look, I came for you,” she spat. “Your car is broken down, you're stuck in the town where our sister died...figured you might need a little support. And you're acting like a total fucking bitch.”

I shifted so my back was facing the pool. And Ty.

“I don't need you here, Jenna.”

“Well, tough shit. 'Cuz I'm here.” She paused and I knew what she was doing. Sucking on a cigarette, her free hand balled into a fist. She'd always had a temper. Always. “Tell me where you are.”

I took a deep breath. “I'll meet you.” There was no way I could tell her where I was. Not over the phone.

“What? Why would you do that? You can't be more than a couple miles from where I'm standing.”

“I know...I just...” I tucked a wet strand of hair behind my ear. “Just go with it, okay?”

She sighed. “Fine.”

“Give me like fifteen minutes. And stay put.” I hung up. I tossed the phone on to my sandals and threw my head back.

“That bad?”

I jerked my head toward the water. Ty was hanging off the edge of the pool, smiling at me. “What's up?”

I closed my eyes, trying to think. I'd just told my sister I'd meet her in fifteen minutes. Except I had no way to get into town. Unless I asked Ty.

I opened my eyes. He was still looking at me, waiting expectantly.

“I...I need a favor.”

His smile deepened. “Oh, yeah? What's that? Another dunk in the pool?”

I gathered my hair and squeezed my hand tight, forcing the water out of it. “Actually, I sort of need a ride into town.”

His eyebrows drew together. “Into town? Do you need something?”

“No. I mean, yes.”

“Sounds like you don't really know what you need,” he remarked. He lifted himself out of the pool, his biceps bulging as he bore his weight on them. His wet trunks hung heavy on his frame, dipping just low enough to reveal v-shaped muscles that, under normal circumstances, would have made me drool.

But nothing was normal.

I didn't know what to tell him. How much. What details. “I just need to go into town. Just for a few minutes.”

“Okay,” he said, but he dragged the word out, letting me know it was anything but.

I stood up, wrapping the beach towel I'd borrowed around my waist. “You know what? It's fine. I can just walk.” I'd have to text Jenna and tell her to wait, that it was going to take me a little longer than I'd thought. But that was fine. It wasn't like she'd given me the courtesy of calling and letting me know she was headed this way. Because, if she had, I could have told her, in no uncertain terms, to stay the hell away.

“What are you talking about?” He rubbed his towel over his hair, then looped it around his shoulders. “Of course I'll drive you.”

“You sure?” I asked.

“Absolutely.” He grinned. “It'll give me another opportunity to rescue you.”

I started to protest but he held up his hands in mock surrender. “Kidding,” he said. He slipped his feet into his flips. “I'll meet you at the truck. Just need to go grab the keys.”

He opened the pool gate and jogged to the house.

I slipped into the pair of shorts I'd worn down to the pool, not caring that my bikini bottoms were still wet. I picked up my phone and texted Jenna.

Don't say a word.

Her response was immediate
.
What?

You'll see.