The Secrets of Lake Road - Karen Katchur Page 0,41
beach, but he couldn’t force people to swim.
Kevin raked his fingers through his hair. The scene was all too familiar. But he wasn’t thinking about why it was familiar. He wasn’t thinking about Billy and the five long days of searching the lake for his body. Instead he was thinking about Jo when she was sixteen years old. He had been standing on this same dock under the hot sun. Jo had been sitting alone on the back steps that led to the upstairs bar. Her dark hair glistened in the sunlight. Her head tilted to the side as though she were deep in thought.
When she looked his way, he lifted his hand and waved. At first she didn’t acknowledge him and he had been hurt. He considered walking away, heading back to his parents’ cabin—to do what? Sulk? Listen to his dad berate him, how he wasn’t tough enough, how he was a pansy for playing his guitar all day long, how he’d never get lucky with a girl? Not like Billy. Now there was a boy who would grow to be a man’s man.
While he debated his next move, she started walking in his direction. His pulse quickened. He knew Billy was gone for the day, off with his sister, Dee Dee, to visit family in New York. The closer Jo got, the faster his heart raced. By the time she stepped onto the dock, he was sure his chest would burst wide open.
For a moment neither of them spoke. Kevin had never been alone with Jo before. In all the summers he had been coming to the lake, Billy had been a permanent fixture between them. As for Eddie and Sheila, he wasn’t sure where they were nor did he care.
Although, now that he had Jo alone, he realized he had no idea what to say to her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
She touched his hand. Her skin was soft and warm. “Come on,” she said.
He walked alongside her, aware of her body next to his, the curve of her hips, the rise and fall of her chest, the casual swing of her arms. He supposed he knew where they were heading. He shouldn’t have been surprised. The last few days they had stared at each other, sometimes for long stretches of time. He’d catch her watching him, going out of her way to brush up against him. And once, she ran her fingers through his hair while he was playing his guitar. Billy had laughed. “Careful, Kev,” he said. “She’ll steal your heart.”
Billy had never felt threatened by Kevin. Why should he? Why would Jo want Kevin when she had him? Every girl at the lake had wanted Billy. And Jo had never shown the slightest interest in Kevin.
Until now, he reminded himself, walking so close to her, their hips bumped. So what had changed? Or maybe it was wishful thinking on his part. He owed it to himself to find out and Billy, be damned, because it was too late. She had stolen Kevin’s heart a long time ago.
Kevin followed her lead and, as he suspected, or rather hoped, she wound her way around the bend on the opposite side of the lake to the private beaches far from the crowd. She slipped behind Hawkes’ cabin, Billy’s cabin, sly and surefooted, and crept through the woods. He followed, pausing briefly when he noticed the painted rock with the initials J+B. He felt the first pinch of guilt, but not enough for him to stop and turn around. He had to be alone with her and if not now then maybe never. He had to know what she was thinking, feeling.
Neither one spoke. They stepped onto the private beach in front of the only cabin that wasn’t rented for the summer. Jo turned to face him. He opened his mouth to say something, but what? He didn’t know. Jesus, he thought. She was Billy’s girl. What was he doing?
“Jo,” he said.
She touched his lips with her finger. “Don’t say anything,” she said.
He longed to put his arms around her and kiss her. God, the things he wanted to do to her. It took all his strength to keep his hands at his sides. She was his best friend’s girl.
She leaned in close. She smelled like suntan lotion and bubble gum. He closed his eyes when she whispered, her breath hot in his ear, “Do you want me?”