Read Online Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D. Beil - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael D. Beil
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creases in Charlie’s forehead grew deeper and deeper as she read the letter from her mom to Nicholas’s dad. When she got to the end, she went right back to the beginning and read it again.
Finally, she looked up at Nicholas. “When you found it, was it still folded?”
“Uh-huh. Like one of those paper footballs. It was kind of in a corner; I missed it the first time, when I found the movie.”
“I can’t believe my
mom
wrote this. It’s so … romantic.They must have been, what, fourteen or fifteen? But what does she mean in this part where she talks about your dad getting blamed for everything? What happened?”
Nicholas shrugged. “No idea. Dad never told me anything. Neither did my mom, and she usually
likes
to tell me about all the bad stuff he did, especially since they got divorced. Maybe he never told her, either.”
Charlie took one more look at the letter before refolding it and handing it back to Nicholas. “You know, I’ll bet your dad never saw this. Think about it. Mom sneaks in here on Sunday morning while everybody’s at church and puts the letter in their secret hiding place. In the letter, she says your dad’s parents were coming to get him Sunday afternoon, but what if they showed up a little early and he never had the chance to look? You said yourself it was still folded up. Why would he read it, refold it, and put it back? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I guess it’s possible,” said Nicholas. He wasn’t sure why it mattered one way or the other.
“Nicholas! This letter is … an important piece of history. If your dad never read it, he may not have known how my mom felt about him, and maybe he never wrote to her because he was expecting a letter from her that
never
came. Omigosh, it’s so
tragic
.”
“Hold on,” said Nicholas. “Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic? It was a
long
time ago. And what are we supposed to do about it now? Your mom got married. So did my dad.”
“And divorced.”
“So?” A pause. “Oh no. You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking. Are you?”
Charlie smiled at him—the very same smile she’d flashed at him after striking him out—and started down the spiral staircase. “Come on, let’s go look at that little boat again. I have an idea.”
* * *
“It can’t hurt to ask,” Charlie said, caressing the smooth deck of the Heron.
“It does seem like kind of a waste, just sitting up here collecting dust,” Nicholas agreed.
“And pigeon poop,” added Charlie.
Hayley, standing on the top step of the ladder, stuck her head up into the hayloft. “Cool. What are you guys doing up here?”
“Hayley! Get down from there before you get hurt,” Nicholas scolded. “Where’s Hetty?”
“Right behind me,” said Hayley. “We’re not babies, you know, Nicholas. We know how to climb a ladder. Come on up, Hetty. Nicholas is just mad because we’re interrupting him and Chaaarlieeee.
Aren’t
you, Nicholas?”
“No,” said Nicholas, glad that the hayloft was dark enough that they wouldn’t see him blush. “For your information, we were just looking at this boat.”
Hayley clambered through the opening in the floor, followed by the slightly more cautious Hetty, and soon both were oohing and aahing over the striking little day sailer perched in the unlikeliest of settings.
Before long, Nick began to wonder where everyone had disappeared to, and stuck his head into the barn. “Nicholas? Girls? You in here?”
Nicholas leaned over the edge of the loft. “Yep, we’re all up here.”
Nick grunted.
“We found a
beautiful
little boat!” Hetty exclaimed.
“I think he probably knows about it,” said Nicholas.
Nick knew this day was inevitable, but he still wasn’t quite prepared for it as he climbed the ladder to the hayloft.
“So you found her,” he said gruffly, pulling himself to his feet with a helping hand from Nicholas.
“You and Dad built this? It’s amazing,” Nicholas said.
“Your
Finally, she looked up at Nicholas. “When you found it, was it still folded?”
“Uh-huh. Like one of those paper footballs. It was kind of in a corner; I missed it the first time, when I found the movie.”
“I can’t believe my
mom
wrote this. It’s so … romantic.They must have been, what, fourteen or fifteen? But what does she mean in this part where she talks about your dad getting blamed for everything? What happened?”
Nicholas shrugged. “No idea. Dad never told me anything. Neither did my mom, and she usually
likes
to tell me about all the bad stuff he did, especially since they got divorced. Maybe he never told her, either.”
Charlie took one more look at the letter before refolding it and handing it back to Nicholas. “You know, I’ll bet your dad never saw this. Think about it. Mom sneaks in here on Sunday morning while everybody’s at church and puts the letter in their secret hiding place. In the letter, she says your dad’s parents were coming to get him Sunday afternoon, but what if they showed up a little early and he never had the chance to look? You said yourself it was still folded up. Why would he read it, refold it, and put it back? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I guess it’s possible,” said Nicholas. He wasn’t sure why it mattered one way or the other.
“Nicholas! This letter is … an important piece of history. If your dad never read it, he may not have known how my mom felt about him, and maybe he never wrote to her because he was expecting a letter from her that
never
came. Omigosh, it’s so
tragic
.”
“Hold on,” said Nicholas. “Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic? It was a
long
time ago. And what are we supposed to do about it now? Your mom got married. So did my dad.”
“And divorced.”
“So?” A pause. “Oh no. You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking. Are you?”
Charlie smiled at him—the very same smile she’d flashed at him after striking him out—and started down the spiral staircase. “Come on, let’s go look at that little boat again. I have an idea.”
* * *
“It can’t hurt to ask,” Charlie said, caressing the smooth deck of the Heron.
“It does seem like kind of a waste, just sitting up here collecting dust,” Nicholas agreed.
“And pigeon poop,” added Charlie.
Hayley, standing on the top step of the ladder, stuck her head up into the hayloft. “Cool. What are you guys doing up here?”
“Hayley! Get down from there before you get hurt,” Nicholas scolded. “Where’s Hetty?”
“Right behind me,” said Hayley. “We’re not babies, you know, Nicholas. We know how to climb a ladder. Come on up, Hetty. Nicholas is just mad because we’re interrupting him and Chaaarlieeee.
Aren’t
you, Nicholas?”
“No,” said Nicholas, glad that the hayloft was dark enough that they wouldn’t see him blush. “For your information, we were just looking at this boat.”
Hayley clambered through the opening in the floor, followed by the slightly more cautious Hetty, and soon both were oohing and aahing over the striking little day sailer perched in the unlikeliest of settings.
Before long, Nick began to wonder where everyone had disappeared to, and stuck his head into the barn. “Nicholas? Girls? You in here?”
Nicholas leaned over the edge of the loft. “Yep, we’re all up here.”
Nick grunted.
“We found a
beautiful
little boat!” Hetty exclaimed.
“I think he probably knows about it,” said Nicholas.
Nick knew this day was inevitable, but he still wasn’t quite prepared for it as he climbed the ladder to the hayloft.
“So you found her,” he said gruffly, pulling himself to his feet with a helping hand from Nicholas.
“You and Dad built this? It’s amazing,” Nicholas said.
“Your
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