Page 56 of Riding the High

A few seconds pass as I watch the little dots pop up.

“Can we go now?” Mabel asks as she stands on the dock in her life vest.

LAW DADDY

I’m putting a huge level of trust in you to take my daughter on the water. Make sure her life vest is secure. And stay near the inlet. There’s a bit of a wait here to fuel up. I might be a bit still.

We’ll be back before you are. I’m just taking her down the harbor and we’ll stop in the reeds so she can try to catch some fish.

LAW DADDY

Don’t make me regret this, Ginger. Please stick to the plan.

I like his message, roll my eyes and shove my phone in my pocket.

“Let’s go!’ I tell a happy Mabel as we climb in and take off into the crystal-clear lake.

I check the time on my phone and am surprised to see we’ve already been on the water for an hour. Mabel and I have been having so much fun. We’re a little further out than I expected we’d go. We spent a lot of time looking at all the homes that line the shore, and seeing Mabel smile makes me feel … happy too. We’ve been drifting in the reeds on the other side of the harbor for ten minutes or so, but I’m not liking how the sky looks in the distance. The entire lake seems to be coated in a greenish haze as a bank of gray clouds roll in, as if they’re about to unleash a rainy fury upon us. I try to text Cole to tell him we’re heading home, but it bounces back. No service.

“Come on, Mabes, pull that line in. We should get going.”

Mabel does as I say, and we pack up all the fishing stuff. Within just a few minutes, I notice how much closer the clouds are.Note to self. Next time, leave as soon as you see them.I’ve been out on the water when a storm has started before. Granted, never this quickly, and I was always with my dad or my grandad—both boating experts.

I start the motor and we begin our journey homeward. The wind has picked up slightly and the water is definitely a little rougher than when we left. A small ripple of fear trickles up my spine when I hear a boom of thunder in the distance. Mabel looks at me and I her.

“Is it going to rain?” she asks.

“I think we’ll be back before it does, babe.”

We ride along with ease even though the water is choppy, staying as close to the shore as possible without ruining the prop. It’s still too far away to reach by swimming, but at least we can see it. I try to take solace in the fact we’re not out in the middle of the water.

“I don’t like thunderstorms,” Mabel tells me.

I’m silent for a moment. I don’t usually mind them. From the safety of my covered balcony, I sometimes even enjoy them.But not when I’m out on a lake with a child. A child whose father will kill me for being even half an hour late.

I glance down at my phone in my lap as I steer. Still no service.

There’s a flash of lightning, followed by thunder a few seconds later, and then the wind picks up. Both Mabel and I jump at the deep rumbling sound. I reach my hand over to cover hers.

“It’s okay, we’re already halfway back,” I tell her as we pass the midway point I marked on our way out. I know we still have several minutes left going at the speed we are. But by the time we make it to the first row of cabins I recognize, it’s started to rain. The water is getting really rough now and all I want to do is get back to the house so Mabel isn’t scared.

“Almost there, babe. Don’t worry,” I try to reassure her as the wind howls even harder. We finally round the corner for our shoreline but we’re both soaked, and I’m holding Mabel in my lap to make sure she’s as sheltered as possible. I keep the boat moving at a slower, steady speed to navigate the choppy water. I talk to Mabel the whole time, telling her about my grandad and the things we did together when I was young.

Another deep crash of thunder sounds and Mabel jumps.

“I’m scared,” she says as I hold her close.

I look into her eyes.

“I will keep you safe. I promise. Okay, brave girl? A few more minutes and we’ll be home,” I tell her, praying I’m right. “And when we’re back, we’ll dry off, because right now we look like a pair of wet puppies. Then we’ll have something to eat and Daddy will probably make that face at me—you know, his angry one—because we got caught in the rain.”

“That’s the one my nana calls his cranky pants face,” she says as she cuddles into me to stay dry.

“And then tonight we’ll go home and, if you aren’t too tired, we’ll get all cozy and watchAnnie. Okay?”

“Will you watch with me?” she asks.

“Of course I will,” I promise. “I’ll even make us popcorn.”

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