Day four of the drowned little girl, and all that remained of the original recovery team was the single watercraft and three crew members. The rest of the team was called to another location in the Poconos, another tragedy, this one occurring along the Delaware River. It had been all over the eleven-o’clock news. A couple of teenagers had been tubing down the Delaware when one of them got sucked under by the current. Kevin had been watching TV with Gram in the cramped living room. Jo had already gone to bed. It had been an early night for everyone after the drama on the beach with the fishermen and the eel.
The word at the lake was that the underwater recovery unit from the next county over would’ve pitched in and covered the Delaware River drowning, but they were tied up in another recovery farther north.
Welcome to summer in the Poconos, Kevin thought, where the water was refreshing and cool—and deadly. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He was standing on the dock next to the parking lot for a little more than half an hour. The sun burned the tops of his feet and the tips of his ears. Sweat dripped between his shoulder blades. His T-shirt was moist and sticky.
The lake water rocked with chaos. The ducks honked their grievances. Men shouted when they felt sure they had found something. Stimpy and his crew scrambled from fishing boat to fishing boat, pulling up drudge and carrion off the bottom, but nothing of the little girl was recovered. It was midafternoon, and they had been at it for several hours. All the while, the underwater recovery team went about their search methodically, professionally.
The Pavilion doors were flung open. Songs played on the jukebox, and bells rang from pinball machines. Two or three families sat on the beach and played in the sand with their young children. The floating pier was surrounded by boats rather than teenagers. The diving boards were empty. And yet, the strangest part was that on a day as hot as today, not one person entered the water. Heil could open the 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?”
He swallowed hard. “Please, Jo,” he begged. “Don’t tease me.” He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop himself, that is, if she ever let him start.
“Answer the question.”
“Don’t.” His voice trembled. “Don’t do this to me.”
“Just answer the question. Do you want me?”
“Yes,” he croaked.
She tossed her head back and laughed. “Oh, Kevin.” She stepped back, pulled her T-shirt off, and slipped out of her shorts, revealing the red bikini she often wore that summer. He would dream about her in that bikini, waking up drenched in sweat, his erection bursting in his shorts.
She stood still, allowing him to soak up every inch of her, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She reached around her back and untied her top, letting it fall to the ground. She slowly edged the bottoms down her hips until they dropped at her feet. She moved to within an inch of him. Her body was so close, so close. He couldn’t stop from trembling.
“Jo,” he groaned.
* * *
The sound of a car door slamming jolted Kevin from the memory, bringing him back to the dock, the hot sun, and the fishing boats on the lake. The sheriff had gotten out of his patrol car, and he was looking out at the water. Heil emerged from the Pavilion, hand outstretched to greet him. The two exchanged words and made their way toward the dock.
The sheriff tipped his hat as he approached. Kevin gave a terse nod.
“Stick around,” the sheriff said to him as he walked by. “Something came up, and I may have a few questions for you.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Caroline hopped on her bicycle and sped down the dirt hill. She paused briefly to check for traffic before crossing onto Lake Road and making her way toward the Pavilion. The doors were wide open for business, but the place was deserted by summer standards. Johnny and his gang weren’t sitting on the steps like they normally did. She wondered for a moment where they might be. She continued on through the parking lot and stopped at the dock, spewing pebbles when the back tire of the bike kicked out from under her, almost throwing her off.