Adirondack Audacity Page 9

  point out constellations, giggling, making up our own

  names for the star clusters.

  “Donkey’s butt”

  “Three little pigs”

  “Looks like a guy’s…anatomy?”

  “Knock, knock,” Someone calls.

  “Who’s there?”

  “Star light, Star bright.”

  “Star light, Star bright who?”

  “Star light, Star bright, wish I may, wish I might,

  aren’t you glad you got lit tonight.”

  Finally Kat can’t take it anymore. “I’m freezing my

  ass off. I’m going to swim back to shore, anybody else

  ready?” She shakes her head in disgust or jealousy at the

  moans coming out of Mac and Patti. “You’re disgusting,

  get a room,” she admonishes them. Kat’s on again, off

  again relationship with the boyfriend back home is

  temporarily on hold, and the lack of male companionship this summer is making her crazy…...causing those around

  her to suffer….greatly.

  Ben leads the exodus off the raft with a cannon ball,

  soaking the passion entwined couple. The raft pitches and

  rocks threatening to throw them off as we follow Ben

  into the water.

  “You bastards!” Mac yells over the lake.

  Tripping and giggling, we stumble over the slippery

  rocks lining the water’s edge and fumble in the dark to

  retrieve the shorts, shirts and sneakers left behind.

  Shivering, we share the few towels that only Tee thought

  to bring along, but this does little to dispel the chill from

  our wet bathing suits.

  Vic and I lag behind, letting the others lead the way

  down the darkened path to the cabins. “Here, take my

  sweatshirt,” he says, noticing the goose bumps on my

  arms. He pulls his swimming hoodie over my head. The

  shark mascot on the front shines in the moonlight, the

  word captain spelled down the left arm.

  Damp tendrils of curls form as I shake my hair free

  of the rubber band and wiggle into the warmth of his

  oversized sweatshirt. Pushing up the cuffs, I help him

  smooth his shirt down, running my hands over his torso.

  Feeling mischievious, I stand on my tip toes, giving him a

  quick kiss before sprinting away, daring him to chase me. I have rather long legs and ran track this spring, but

  barely cover ten feet when two strong arms grab and

  scoop me up. The giddy feeling from the joint only

  intensifies the maleness of his presence.

  “Thought you’d get away, didn’t you?”

  Truth be told, I didn’t try very hard…..a slow turtle

  would have caught me. The same thought on our minds

  as he pulls me in close. His heat contagious, warming my skin, seeping into my chest, and slowly working its way south. His lips slowly meet mine, soft and tentative at first, seeking my response. As I lean in craving more, his arms coil around me molding our bodies together. I tilt my head back, loving the rough texture of his cheek and jaw beneath my hand. I whisper, “I didn’t really want to

  get away.”

  “Too many Twinkies this winter?”

  “What!” I squeal in righteous indignation. I can feel

  him chuckling against my hair.

  “Elle, I don’t care how many Twinkies you eat. I’ll

  always catch you.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  He lets out a ragged breath touching his forehead to

  mine. He pushes my hair to the side, kissing the tender

  hollow of my neck, sending delicious tingles down my

  spine. His mouth works it way up my jaw to my lips

  which part under the demands of his mouth and our

  tongues entwine. Trailing up my back, squeezing,

  kneading, his hands sweetly caress my body. I groan and

  tilt my hips against him. Wow and double wow! So much for

  kissing the boy next door……..now this is a kiss. “Hey, you two, break it up.” Kat hisses, appearing out

  of the dark. I jump two feet in the air and smack my head

  on the trunk of a tree.

  “Ouch! Kat! Sweet Jesus, just give me a heart attack,

  why don’t you! What!”

  “Morris is back and prowling the camp.” She pulls us

  apart, dragging me down the path to our cabin. “Hurry

  up before he catches us. What the hell were you doing

  necking out in the open? How stupid can you be, at least

  hide in the bushes.” She looks over her shoulder in the direction of the raft silhouetted in the moonlight. “Sure hope Mac and Patti are fast swimmers. It would be a shame if they got caught…” She cackles in delight. Sometimes she can be downright scary.

  Chapter 11 Rock Jumpin’ Today the camp counselors have the day off. We ’re between sessions with a new load of campers arriving tomorrow. At breakfast this morning, I found a note in the back pocket of my jeans. The message read, Meet me by the old boathouse and wear your bathing suit. Signed, you know who. I’m seriously considering registering my butt with the United States Postal Service. Vic has declared the back pocket of my jeans his own personal message depot. I find little love notes; invitations to meet him in the woods, jokes and riddles to share with Burt and even camp gossip left in my pocket. Personally, I think it’s an excuse for him to feel up my ass, but what do I know, except the back pocket of my jeans is getting more mail than Santa Claus at Christmas. And just for the record, his hand lingers a little too long on my butt. Isn’t that like defacing government property, or something?

  … At the far end of camp sits the boathouse. Neglected for years, the building has a decided list to one side with the shingles weathered to a silver grey. The roof, entirely covered in green moss, is home to small ferns and baby pine trees sprouting from the emerald turf. The dock is more a suggestion than a reality, laying half in and half out of the water. An old aluminum canoe is turned upside down on the dock; sides marked with dents and the gunnels mottled with chipped paint. Vic discovered the canoe in the boathouse when he was searching for buoys to rope off the swimming area. The name, Polly, is scripted in faded black letters across the bow.

  Considering the canoe was abandoned under a pile of old moldy lifejackets, it looks surprisingly seaworthy. Not a gaping hole to be seen.

  Our destination is a group of islands on the opposite side of the lake. The canoe paddles crafted of ash wood are signed and dated by a local carpenter. They feel smooth and sleek under our hands as we dip them into the lake. Small dotted trails follow in the water as drops spin off in the rhythm of lift, dip, and pull. We paddle along in companionable silence, happy to be together, no responsibilities, and the entire afternoon stretching out in front of us. Vic pauses occasionally, putting his paddle down to pick up his camera, trying to capture the mountain images reflected on the lake. Off in the distance a loon’s head pops to the surface from a dive.

  “Ella, Ella, my mia bella,” he calls, pointing his camera at me until I swivel on the seat, laughing at his persistence and strike a silly pose. Snap, clicks the shutter over the lens. My hair bleached to a honey blonde by the sun, lifts and floats in the gentle breeze. Skin tanned to a peachy golden glow, toned by hard work and

  hiking………today for the first time in my life…..I feel almost pretty…..somehow worthy of his attention.

  The warmth of the sun seeps through the thin cotton shirt covering my bathing suit. Cicadas call from a distant shore and an osprey soars on the thermals above, alert to the fish living in the shadowed waters below.

  Vic points to a small J-shaped island, the center covered with trees, the shoreline broken by a small beach and at the far end a se
cluded cove bordered by rocks, flat and open, perfect for sunning. The island is dotted with small scraggly pines and blueberry bushes, while moss and golden lichens coat the rock surfaces. The western side bares a steep jagged slope that falls off quickly into the deep water below.

  I smile, giving him the thumbs up, and sink my paddle into the water, eager to explore the island. The bow of the boat scrapes against the rocky shore, wading into ankle deep water; I hold the canoe steady for Vic to climb out. Securing the boat to a dead tree branch, we turn to survey our own private retreat. Imagine our surprise when five heads pop out of the brush and yell, “Surprise!”

  “What the hell?” I hear Vic mutter under his breath. I second his sentiment. Where the hell did they come from? Mac, Ben, Tee, Kat and Emi Jo.

  “ Hate to break up your little romantic afternoon,” Mac laughs with a wicked, salacious grin on his face, “but seeing as we all had the day off, I thought everyone could use a little fun. So I hired a boat livery to ferry us over to the island and join you. Good idea, huh?”

  “Yeah, sure . The more the merrier.” I quip. Great…….sometimes Mac can be such a jerk…..like now. Vic looks like he wants to murder him. The two of them together is way too much testosterone, a recipe ripe for combustion. Lately Mac has been acting like an ass to Vic. Why, I don’t know. He can’t possibly be jealous over me……..seriously. I’m not exactly the attracting-guystype.

  Trying to be a good sport over our unexpected company, I lead the way over to a flat rock, “Why don’t we put our towels down here, I think there is enough room for all of us.” The boulder has a smooth edge sloping down to the water for a perfect sunbathing spot.

  “Oh, look a waw beek,” I exclaim, pointing to the large rock outcrop.

  “A whowhat?” asks Emi Jo in a disinterested voice, shading her eyes to look where I’ve pointed. Even after weeks of my unusual nature observations, she is too polite to ignore my enthusiasm.

  Vic tousles my head affectionately and dives into the water swimming away with strong, clean strokes. Momentarily distracted by the sight of his powerful back cutting through the water, I stop, gazing in admiration.

  “Earth to Ellen.” Tee says, poking me in the ribs, laughing at my total lapse of concentration as I angle my head to get a better view of Vic’s retreating back. “You were about to enlighten us on a little known fact that we just can’t live without.”

  “Which is why so little is known…,” Kat mutters under her breath. Concentrating on slathering baby oil on her golden brown skin, she mumbles loud enough for all to hear, “Because no one really gives a shit.”

  “Oh,” I shake my head and return to junior camp nature counselor mode….aka…geek. “Large boulders were called “wawbeeks” by the Obijibwa tribes meaning “huge rocks.” Spreading a blue and white stripe towel on the sun warmed rock, I stretch out on my stomach and sing out to them, “The work of educating the ignorant is neevver…done.”

  “I beg your pardon! I’ll give you ignorant!” Tee sends a spray of water over me from the shoreline where she is wading. If anything, Tee prides herself on her intelligence, claiming brains are far superior to beauty. And she says someday she will grow into her tall gawky body…… and be a classic beauty with brains… like Katherine Hepburn.

  Shading my eyes against the glare of the sun, I watch Vic hoist himself out of the water and begin scaling the steep cliff rising straight out of the water. “What the hell is he doing?” I ask with mounting dread, glancing around to see if anyone else notices his climb up the narrow ledge. “If he falls, it’s straight down to the water. Right? How deep is it there?”

  Ben catches my eye and shakes his head watching Vic’s ascent up the cliff. In an anxious voice he says, “I don’t know. The rocks look slippery, if he slips and falls…..” he shrugs his shoulders.

  By now everyone’s attention is riveted, watching Vic work his way up the side of the rock face. My heart pounding, a cold chill grips my spine even in the heat of the afternoon. As he reaches the top of the summit about twenty feet above the water, he stands up and waves to our clustered group below.

  “Vic,” I yell out in fear. I watch in horror as he trips on an exposed tree root, loses his balance, and with arms flaying…. plunges down the cliff toward the rocks below. The scene clicks in slow motion frames before my eyes as I watch him plummet into the water.

  Frozen in horror I can’t move, until behind me pandemonium breaks out as Emi Jo, Tee and Kat jump up yelling, throwing lunches, towels…and crashing into each other as they attempt a rescue. With a scream, I dive into the water, my eyes trained on the spot where Vic went down; praying with each stroke. Swimming alongside of the cliff I will his body to come up, choking back a sob when he doesn’t surface. As I reach the area, the water erupts in a torrent of bubbles, followed by a head of black hair and dark eyes alight with golden sparks of mischief. I throw my arms around him like a drowning victim clutching a lifeline.

  “Hello love, decided to go for a swim, did you?” he asks, gasping for air to fill his heaving chest.

  “Are you all right? You could have been killed!” I cry, clutching his neck.

  “I’m fine. It’s a cliff jumping rock. All the local kids come out and go jumping. Ben and I ran into a group of them hiking through camp the other day. They call it Osprey Island and they told us where to jump without crashing onto the rocks. There’s an X carved on top of the rock where you start your dive. Did I scare you?” he asks with feinted innocence, whipping his long hair, sending streams of water spinning out to break the glistening surface of the cove.

  “Yes! Ben and I thought you were falling to your death.” I exclaim, as suspicion like a worm creeps into my mind. A glance over my shoulder proves me right. Mac and Ben are doubled over in laughter. Wiping the tears from his face, Ben shouts over the water, “Vic, you should have seen her. She looked like one of those cartoon characters with spinning legs flying across the water to reach you.”

  “This was a joke?” My voice remains low with barbs of venom. “You jerk! You’re going to wish you had drowned, mister!” I yell, grabbing his head, pushing him under with little success due to his broad shoulders and strong forearms. I push, shove, sputter and swear. My clumsy attempts to drown him only result in him giving me mouth to mouth resuscitation……of the romantic type.

  “Elle, I shouldn’t have teased you. Come on, I’ll show you how, it’s easy. Trust me, mia, come on,” he pleads, leading me toward the cliff. The rocky shore casts a shadow over the water. I protest, “No way.”

  “It’s easy. Really, watch us.”

  I watch in fascination as Ben, Mac and Vic climb the steep rock face, take three running steps and launch themselves out over the lake, plunging into the cool depths, coming to the surface laughing, exhilarated by the experience. Emi Jo and Tee shake their heads in unison. Emi Jo sputters in disbelief, “Why would anyone willingly throw themselves off a cliff?” she exclaims, “I can barely swim, that would be insane!”

  Ben admitted once was enough for him; and truth be told, he screamed like a girl all the way down. Yet still intrigued, Kat and I follow Vic and Mac up the rock face.

  Looking over the edge, I think to myself…why does it always look higher when you’re at the top looking down, than from the bottom looking up? Emi Jo said it was insane. I think suicidal is more like it. Holy crap. I tentatively look over the ledge to the water below and start backing up, only to run into Vic’s chest as his hands cradle my elbows. He pulls me close, leaning his head in to brush the side of my face as he gives me instructions, “Just watch and follow my lead. Start back here, take three running steps, you’ll be flying. It’s awesome, trust me.”

  Mac goes first, yelling on the way down, “This is waaay coool!” Vic follows, whooping in pure joy as he plunges over the edge, landing in a clean splash below.

  “Come on, Elle, you’ll love it,” his voice echoes up the side of the rock face. As he watches me hesitate, he stretches out his arms wide singi
ng, “Ella, Ella, my mia bella, come on! Trust me, I’m right here, I won’t leave. Come on, baby, fly!”

  He extends his arms, an invitation no force on earth can stop me from accepting. Like the siren song calling out to ancient sailors of the sea, his voice beckons and, willingly, I go.

  Taking a deep breath, I push off, take three running steps, and leap off the ledge…….down I plunge…..the breath whizzes out of my lungs with a scream, my stomach drops, my heart races and I’ve never had so much fun in my entire life! Yahooooo…

  The adrenaline rush fades after several more jumps. Spent, we lay on towels listening to the hum of cicadas chorusing, summer, summer, through the treetops. Everyone dozes in the haze of mid-afternoon sun. Carefree, friendly banter weaves back and forth until the boat livery arrives, Vic and I wave good bye to our friends as the boat putt, putt, putts across the lake leaving behind a small trailing wake that leads to the town dock. …

  Alone at last. With a few hours before we have to be back at camp, I breathe in the peace and solitude of the island. Peering out from under the sheltering brim of my hat, I hear the click of a camera shutter, aimed directly at my half hidden face.

  “Don’t you have anything better to waste your film on?” I ask, rolling over to my side, watching as he continues to click off frame after frame.

  “Nope,” he says aiming the lens in my direction, adjusting angles and changing position to catch the available light. “I’ll enlarge these and hang them on my bedroom wall.”

  “It’s going to get crowded in there with all of us. Jeez, I’ve never been a pin-up girl for a guy’s bedroom wall.

  He moves the camera from his face, a wicked gleam in his black eyes, those eyes that catch and hold flirting lights of gold, dazzling the very air around them. He’s not excessively handsome, yet there is an arresting quality to his face, the light plays off his sharp angled cheekbones, long generous lips rest above a slight cleft in his chin. The eyes, by far…….totally his best feature. At first I found the gold surrounding the dark iris, disturbing. What was once disturbing, translates into irresistible. I’m powerless to resist this alluring attraction to him.