taking his eyes from Jane, Sam Rice jabbed suddenly at Steve’s face, his palm open. Steve whooped and went sprawling off the dock to send up a geyser of water, most of which landed on Martha.
Both boys were immediately apologetic. Steve climbed puffing out of the lake and tried to dab at Martha with a towel. Just then the big fast boat came swinging back by the dock. Jane remembered Hank’s nephew as an overgrown boy named Dick something. He waved at them. The girl on the skis released the tow bar and came skimming toward the shallow water. She had timed it beautifully. When she was in a foot of water she lost all momentum and the skis sank under her weight.
She was a dark, vital-looking girl, a bit too heavy in the hips and legs. She slung the skis up onto the dock and said, “Yow, my legs. He kept hitting our own wake at an angle. Who’s next? You go next, Steve.”
She came up on the dock and was introduced. Dick brought the boat back and stood up and tossed the tow bar to Steve. He said, “Yell when the rope is just about taut, hambone.”
“You just drive your little boat, sonny,” Steve bellowed.
Steve sat on the end of the dock, braced and ready. He yelled as the rope came taut, and Dick gunned the boat. Steve went down onto his heels on the skis and wobbled dangerously, then came up triumphantly, skimming fast over the water. He cut expertly out of the wake, waved back at the dock.
Dolly Dimbrough said, “Jane, Sam Rice would be real competition for you. He’s good on the darn things.”
“Hey!” Sam Rice said. “You know how?”
“She’s good at everything, darn it,” Dolly said. “Me, I haven’t stood up on the damn things yet.”
“Go change, then,” Sam said, “and we’ll have some fun.”
Jane, on impulse, gave him a lofty eyebrow. “Change, my dear boy? Whatever for? I’ll change when I go swimming. When I ski, I don’t swim.”
She saw the clear, bright, competitive look in his eye and knew at once that this boy who was ten, or eleven, or twelve years younger than she took the same quick joy in contest as she did. He turned away from her and said, “Hank, you said you had another set of skis and a rope and tow bar?”
“Over in the pump house, son. Only watch that woman. She’ll try to drown you.”
Sam Rice got the other pair of skis. Steve had been spilled far out in the lake. He got back up onto the skis again from deep water. Jane, watching him, felt the exciting thudding of her heart. She drained the chill cocktail from a paper cup and accepted half of a refill. Martha Rogers had gone up to change. Jane watched her children in the water. Judge wallowed along in happy puppy fashion. Already Dink was developing a crisp, clean crawl.
As the big boat came booming back Steve Lincoln swung wide to pick up speed and let go of the tow bar as he came opposite the boat. He went around in a wide curve, edging the heavy skis, and ended at the end of the dock just in time to turn with heavy grace and plant his hips on the edge. He grinned at the involuntary applause.
Sam signaled Dick in with the boat and explained that he was going to tow two this time. Dick’s girl got in the boat with him. Sam fastened the two ropes at the two corners of the transom and tugged them tight. Jane sat on the end of the dock and worked her bare feet into the rubber harness. Sam sat beside her and handed her a tow bar and put his own skis on.
“Are there any special rules?” Jane asked sweetly.
“Dick and Deena will be the judges. Okay, kids? The award to the fanciest performance, and a bath to the loser.”
“Hope you brought your soap,” Jane said.
“I love that overconfidence, Mrs. Wyant. After I dunk you I’ll have no more respect and I can call you Jane.”
“Let’s roll!” Dick yelled, and the big boat moved slowly away from the dock, the exhaust burbling powerfully. Jane gave Sam Rice a quick grin. Slowly the rope tautened.
“Yo!” Sam roared and the big motor blasted and
Both boys were immediately apologetic. Steve climbed puffing out of the lake and tried to dab at Martha with a towel. Just then the big fast boat came swinging back by the dock. Jane remembered Hank’s nephew as an overgrown boy named Dick something. He waved at them. The girl on the skis released the tow bar and came skimming toward the shallow water. She had timed it beautifully. When she was in a foot of water she lost all momentum and the skis sank under her weight.
She was a dark, vital-looking girl, a bit too heavy in the hips and legs. She slung the skis up onto the dock and said, “Yow, my legs. He kept hitting our own wake at an angle. Who’s next? You go next, Steve.”
She came up on the dock and was introduced. Dick brought the boat back and stood up and tossed the tow bar to Steve. He said, “Yell when the rope is just about taut, hambone.”
“You just drive your little boat, sonny,” Steve bellowed.
Steve sat on the end of the dock, braced and ready. He yelled as the rope came taut, and Dick gunned the boat. Steve went down onto his heels on the skis and wobbled dangerously, then came up triumphantly, skimming fast over the water. He cut expertly out of the wake, waved back at the dock.
Dolly Dimbrough said, “Jane, Sam Rice would be real competition for you. He’s good on the darn things.”
“Hey!” Sam Rice said. “You know how?”
“She’s good at everything, darn it,” Dolly said. “Me, I haven’t stood up on the damn things yet.”
“Go change, then,” Sam said, “and we’ll have some fun.”
Jane, on impulse, gave him a lofty eyebrow. “Change, my dear boy? Whatever for? I’ll change when I go swimming. When I ski, I don’t swim.”
She saw the clear, bright, competitive look in his eye and knew at once that this boy who was ten, or eleven, or twelve years younger than she took the same quick joy in contest as she did. He turned away from her and said, “Hank, you said you had another set of skis and a rope and tow bar?”
“Over in the pump house, son. Only watch that woman. She’ll try to drown you.”
Sam Rice got the other pair of skis. Steve had been spilled far out in the lake. He got back up onto the skis again from deep water. Jane, watching him, felt the exciting thudding of her heart. She drained the chill cocktail from a paper cup and accepted half of a refill. Martha Rogers had gone up to change. Jane watched her children in the water. Judge wallowed along in happy puppy fashion. Already Dink was developing a crisp, clean crawl.
As the big boat came booming back Steve Lincoln swung wide to pick up speed and let go of the tow bar as he came opposite the boat. He went around in a wide curve, edging the heavy skis, and ended at the end of the dock just in time to turn with heavy grace and plant his hips on the edge. He grinned at the involuntary applause.
Sam signaled Dick in with the boat and explained that he was going to tow two this time. Dick’s girl got in the boat with him. Sam fastened the two ropes at the two corners of the transom and tugged them tight. Jane sat on the end of the dock and worked her bare feet into the rubber harness. Sam sat beside her and handed her a tow bar and put his own skis on.
“Are there any special rules?” Jane asked sweetly.
“Dick and Deena will be the judges. Okay, kids? The award to the fanciest performance, and a bath to the loser.”
“Hope you brought your soap,” Jane said.
“I love that overconfidence, Mrs. Wyant. After I dunk you I’ll have no more respect and I can call you Jane.”
“Let’s roll!” Dick yelled, and the big boat moved slowly away from the dock, the exhaust burbling powerfully. Jane gave Sam Rice a quick grin. Slowly the rope tautened.
“Yo!” Sam roared and the big motor blasted and
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