Page 48 of The Strawberry Field
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”
—T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding”
Chapter Nineteen
Sawyer
IT’S JUST AFTER eleven when I pull into Jake’s driveway.
I cut the engine but don’t get out right away. I sit there, staring at the front porch, wondering if this was a mistake.
But then the door opens, and Hattie bounds out, tail wagging. Jake follows, smiling.
I climb out of the Jeep and rub Hattie’s back.“Hey.”
“Hey,” Jake says.“I thought you might’ve changed your mind.”
“I almost did.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.” He nods toward the lake.“Come on.”
“So tell me about this plan of yours,” I say as we walk across the grass.
“The best way to hike Smith Mountain is to take the Sea-Doo across the lake and beach it at the base. Then we hike from there.”
“Have you done it before?”
“Plenty,” he says.“Hattie’s practically the trail guide. She keeps an eye out for snakes.”
“Snakes?” I repeat, not hiding my alarm.
He grins.“We probably won’t see any. But yeah, copperheads, rattlesnakes… they’re around. I’ll lead the way.”
“I could rent us a helicopter, you know,” I offer.“Have us lowered onto the top.”
Jake laughs.“It’s the climb that makes you strong, not the view from the top.”
I hadn’t told him why I really wanted to do this. I hadn’t mentioned the dream. Just texted him this morning to see if he was free.
Now I wonder if I was crazy.
At the dock, he hands me a slim life jacket and puts a bright pink one on Hattie.
“She can swim like a fish,” he says,“but I like her to wear one when we’re in deep water. Just in case.”
“She looks adorable.”
“Pink suits her,” he says with a smile. He slips into a black life jacket, starts the engine, and motions for me to climb on.“You next. Hattie’ll ride up front with me.”
I get on, settle behind him, and watch as Hattie climbs on like a seasoned pro.
Jake lowers the Sea-Doo into the water and idles away from the dock. I grab the strap at the back of his vest, unsure where else to hold on. When he accelerates, I instinctively wrap my hands around his sides.
The lake stretches out, deep blue and wide beneath a clear sky. A pontoon boat drifts to our left, a wake-surfer carves waves to our right, music blaring from onboard speakers.
