The Secrets of Lake Road - Karen Katchur Page 0,94

as families made their way home. The parking lot was emptying of the men who had worked to pitch the tents all afternoon. The festival was moving forward as planned, and by the looks of things, it would be ready for the crowds tomorrow.

The sound of metal clanging drew her attention to the docks. Stimpy and two of his men were pulling the cages from the water, the traps once again filled with snappers. They were removing the larger of the turtles and tossing the smaller ones back. Her gazed shifted to the tents and the stand with a newly painted sign reading SNAPPER SOUP. She had a sinking feeling in her gut. Stimpy was abandoning the search for Sara. She ground her teeth. This was Heil’s doing.

The recovery team was on the lake on the other side of the floating pier, but there wasn’t much movement on the boat. She wondered if perhaps they were giving up too. The three-man team had to be exhausted.

The entire scene, the feel of it, the stands and tents, the signs posted promising homemade pies and funnel cake, the red flags flying around the docks for the fishing competition, all of it reminded her of the night they had pulled Billy from the lake. She half expected the recovery team to signal her, letting her know they were bringing up a body.

She walked toward the beach, the strength of the memory pulling her forward. For the moment she forgot about the urgency to find Kevin. SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK, written in big black ink glared at her. She opened the gate of the chain-link fence and stepped onto the sand. It was something about the way the recovery team lingered next to the floating pier, the way the light from the setting sun flickered across the waves that pulled her onto the beach and to the water’s edge.

It was an accident, she caught herself saying. She hadn’t meant for it to happen.

In her mind, she was back on the pier, lying down looking up at the stars. Drops of lake water covered her skin. She shivered in the chilly night air. Billy and Kevin were racing toward her, arms and legs kicking in a frenzy to reach the pier first. The splashing water and the hum of crickets on the shoreline were the only sounds she heard. The bar on the second floor of the Pavilion had closed. The three of them were alone on the water.

Billy climbed the ladder first, beating his chest in triumph. He reached down and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her waist. “To the victor go the spoils.” His lips tugged her ear.

She tossed her head back, exposing her neck and thrusting out her chest, encouraging him to take it a step farther, thinking this was how it was supposed to be. Billy was the first to have her then, and it was no surprise he was the first to have her now. He nibbled her neck and collarbone, kissing the swell of her breasts spilling out the top of her bikini. Her body responded with pleasure, but all the while she was thinking about Kevin, strangely disappointed he didn’t make it to her first. But he was on his way, she reminded herself. He was still swimming toward her. Her heart beat a little faster.

Kevin made it to the pier and climbed the ladder. She could hear his heavy breathing from the long swim, could feel his eyes on her, watching her. She closed her eyes and moaned, enjoying the attention, the longing, the physical pull from both boys. Oh, how she loved the power, the way every fiber in her body pulsed, alive and electric.

“Tell him about us,” Kevin said.

“Oh, Kevin,” she teased, thinking he was enjoying this as much as she was, watching her, playing his part in her game.

Billy pulled back. “Tell me what?” he asked her.

“Nothing, silly,” she said, and pulled Billy to her again. He continued kissing her shoulder.

“Tell him or I will,” Kevin said, his voice deepening, pleading with her.

“Hey, Kevin,” Billy said between kisses. “Why don’t you swim back to the beach? We’re busy here.”

“Tell him!” Kevin hollered.

Billy dropped his arms from Jo’s hips and stepped back. “What’s your problem?”

Kevin kept his eyes on Jo. “Tell him or I will.” His nostrils flared.

Maybe she had taken things too far. He wasn’t messing around, playing her game, but she figured she could smooth things over by showing him