Page 20 of If the Summer Lasted Forever
“Might be,” Landon jokes. I think he knows I’ve been keeping my distance, though I doubt he’s realized why.
“Lacey and Paige used to leap from rock to rock to get over there,” Mom tells Landon’s mother, motioning to the almost perfectly spaced stones in the middle of the water that lead to a ledge that goes behind the waterfall.
“Used to?” Landon asks.
“I fell in once,” I explain, “and realized just how cold that water is.”
“Go on, Landon,” Mr. Tillman coaxes. “Your camera is waterproof. Film a little.”
Landon crosses his arms and gives me a sideways sort of look. “How cold are we talking?”
“In June? With the last of the snowmelt coming down?” I don’t bother to hide my grin. “Pretty cold.”
“Go with him, Lacey,” Mom says. “Be brave.”
I shoot her a look, but her eyes are bright. She knows I’m onto her.
“Yeah, Lacey,” Landon says, mimicking but not in a rude way. “Be brave.”
I know I shouldn’t—it would be playing right into Mom’s hand, but I haven’t been back there in ages, and it is awesome to see the backside of the falls.
“I want to go too!” Caleb exclaims.
“That water’s moving a little too fast for you, buddy,” Mr. Tillman says. “Maybe in a few years.”
And like a fool, my heart gives an extra, hopeful thump. Does that mean the family plans on returning to Gray Jay? Maybe they’ll come back every summer like so many of the retirees do.
But that doesn’t mean Landon will be with them. Soon, he’ll be on his own, in college, and his family will have to travel without him.
“What about you, Hunter?” Landon asks.
His younger brother looks at the falls with disinterest and then shakes his head like the whole outing is lame. Oh, he’s at an obnoxious age.
“I’ll go,” I say, finally giving in.
I feel Mom beaming, but I ignore her and leap to the first slick rock. Once I’m steady, I look back at Landon. “Wait until I’m on the next one before you start.”
“Why?” He grins. “Are you worried I’m going to invade your rock and knock you into the water?”
I give him a grim smile, not acknowledging his teasing with a response, and jump to the next rock. My arms circle as I try to catch my balance. It was easier when I was little—when I didn’tknow how cold that water was and therefore wasn’t quite so hesitant to fall in.
Landon jumps to the rock behind me with ease, and we make our way, playing an awkward game of follow the leader. It takes us several minutes, but we finally make it to the ledge. Everyone cheers for us as Landon makes the last leap. He bows his head, accepting their laughing congratulations.
It strikes me again just how good-looking he is.
I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to ignore the funny tightness in my chest, and step behind the waterfall. It’s cool back here, to the point of being cold, and the rocks are always wet. Moss grows in patches, and the smell of mineral-rich soil is heavy in the air.
There’s a cutout in the rock, not a cave but a recess, and the sound of the crashing water is amplified. Sunlight shines through the wall of water, creating rainbows on the rising mist.
“This is pretty incredible,” Landon says, raising his voice so I can hear him.
I look around, feeling nostalgic.
“My dad brought me here for the first time when I was only five,” I find myself telling Landon, though I’m not sure why. Maybe because he’s the only one here. “It was autumn, when the falls were lazy, and he carried me across the boulders on his shoulders.”
I close my eyes and breathe in deep, letting the smells and sounds trigger the memory of him in a way that nothing has in a very long time.
When I open my eyes, I find Landon watching me with an enigmatic look on his face. Feeling a little emotional, I laugh to stave off the tears. It’s been so long since Dad passed. I’m not sure why it’s hitting me so hard now.
