Read Online Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes - Free Book Online Page B

officially, but he did want to beat the kayak back to the house. His strokes were fast and fierce. The muscles in his arms burned. Soon the little house emerged from the background to welcome them. And Spencer and his mother were leading the way.
    He was the first one to sense that something was wrong. “Hurry, Mom,” he pleaded, “I can’t see Jasper.” He yelled, “Jasper! Jasper!”
    No barking.
    No eager dog straining at its leash.
    He pumped his tired arms the last bit, exerting all his strength. As the front of the canoe scraped against the pebbles on the narrow beach, he jumped out onto the ground and ran to the maple tree.
    â€œHe’s gone!” Spencer shouted to his family. His thoughts came, frantic but clear. No concerns about ghosts or spirits entered his consciousness this time. There was no mystery. He knew that Lolly was the one who had hooked Jasper to the tree. He knew that it was all Lolly’s fault.
    â€œMom! Dad! Hurry!”
    A couple of minutes later, the four of them stood together in the dark pool of shade by the tree. Spencer couldn’t contain himself. He shoved Lolly, accusing her. “Look what you did.”
    â€œSpencer, stop,” his father said. His voice was firm, and so was his grip on Spencer’s shoulders. “What’s going on? What are you talking about?”
    â€œDad, Dad,” he said, nearly breathless, “she hooked Jasper to the tree. And he didn’t break the leash or chew it. The whole thing’s gone. It’s obvious what happened. Some people can’t even work a simple hook or latch, or whatever you call it.” He glared at Lolly. “She didn’t do it properly.”
    Spencer’s father had discovered the extra-long leash in the basement while they were looking for paddles. He’d remembered it when Jasper wouldn’t go into the canoe. It had seemed sturdy enough. The hook was rusty, but it had seemed sturdy, too. And, unlike the leash they’d brought from home, it was long enough to encircle the tree, which Spencer’s father thought was the safest place for Jasper—outside, but far from the water.
    The puzzled expression on Lolly’s face shifted; something registered, her mouth twitched.
    â€œShh, shh. Let’s just calm down and look around here first,” Spencer’s mother said. She spoke carefully and plainly. “He’s got tags. I’m sure we’ll find him. It’s no one’s fault.”
    â€œIf we can’t find Jasper, I’ll—” Spencer’s words, all snap and sting, ended abruptly.
    â€œSpencer,” said his father. A warning.
    Spencer snuffled into his arm and swallowed hard.
    â€œI know I hooked it,” said Lolly. “I think I hooked it. It was sort of hard to do, I think. I don’t know,” she floundered. “I guess it is my fault. I’m sorry,” she said to no one really, but into the air, her voice more yelping than anything else. She clamped her lips together until she seemed about to explode. Her hands were lumps she lifted to her face, which was already turning blotchy. And then she burst into tears.
    While his parents consoled Lolly, Spencer went on at a frantic pace, angry, and with an air of authority. “He could get strangled with that long leash. Or he could drown or get hit by a car or be stolen by some family because he’s so friendly.”
    â€œOr maybe,” Lolly added thoughtfully between sobs, keeping her head down. “Maybe he’ll try. To go all the way. Back home. Like the dogs and cat. In that movie we saw.”
    Spencer spluttered at his sister—a garbled, mean sound. He seemed to be pinning all his uncertainty onto this one thing he perceived as true. It blotted everything else out.
    They hollered Jasper’s name, whistled for him, circled the house, investigated the lakeshore, looking left and right and left. The little beach was a