Still House Pond by Jan Watson Page A

around to block her path. “I been watching you watching me.”
    Manda didn’t know whether to run or pass out. Maybe run and then pass out. It was his eyes that stopped her from doing either. Lightning seemed to leap from them and send teasing sparks up and down her arms. “I-I um . . .”
    â€œWhat’s your name, little lady?”
    Manda would have gladly told him, but at that moment she didn’t rightly know.
    With one finger he traced the line of her jaw. “I bet it’s right pretty. A pretty girl’s bound to have a pretty name.” His breath smelled like liquor, too bright and perilous.
    Manda went weak in the knees. She closed her eyes and reached out a hand to steady herself against a lamppost. When she opened them, he was gone.
    She was home and eating supper before she realized that somewhere along the way she had taken leave of her shopping. Somehow it no longer seemed important. All that mattered was the kindling heat along the set of her jaw where the middling man had left his mark. Over and over her hand traced what his had mapped. She had never felt so beautiful.

10
    Sometimes Lilly didn’t know why she picked Kate Jasper for her best friend. Kate never wanted to do anything but play with Mazy and Molly. Right now she was trying to braid Molly’s wispy hair while Mazy waited her turn. Lilly got more than enough of that every day.
    â€œDon’t you want to go catch crawdads?” Lilly asked.
    â€œNo.” Kate sighed. “I’ve told you a thousand times. Besides, they’re vile.”
    â€œThey are not. You just think that because they build their houses out of mud.”
    â€œStands to reason if they live in mud houses, they have to be dirty. We could go down to the creek, though. We could play house on the big, flat rock. I’ll be the mother and you can be the father. Mazy and Molly can be our babies.”
    Lilly plopped down on the porch steps with her back to her friend. She rested her elbows on her knees. She wanted to walk along the creek in the worst way. She’d been looking forward to showing Kate the rock wall where she had first seen the beagle, not to mention Tern Still. A couple of times after supper she’d gone to the wall with scraps for the dog, who was always hungry, but she’d not seen Tern again.
    â€œWe played house last time. It’s my turn to pick what we do.”
    â€œPick all you want,” Kate said, “but I’m not touching any disgusting crawdads.”
    â€œLilly,” her mother called from the kitchen, “could you come here a minute?”
    Lilly rolled her eyes, but she got up. “What?” she said when she got inside.
    â€œYou’re not treating your guest very nicely,” Mama said, cupping Lilly’s chin in her hand. “I’m very disappointed in you.”
    â€œBut, Mama—”
    â€œNo buts. You go out there and apologize to Kate.”
    Lilly could feel tears damming up behind her eyes. “Why can’t I—?”
    Mama’s hand tightened on Lilly’s chin. “Right. This. Minute.”
    When Lilly turned, she could see her friend’s round, freckled face pushed up against the screen. “I’m sorry, Kate,” she said before she even opened the door. “We’ll play house if you want.”
    â€œCan we take Molly and Mazy?” Kate asked.
    â€œSure. They can be the babies and you can be the mother.” Lilly remembered to close the screen door gently. “I’ll be the father off catching crawdads for supper.”
    Kate jumped up and down. “Oh, good. Molly can be the baby girl, and Mazy can be the boy.”
    Lilly hoisted Molly to her hip.
    Kate took Mazy’s hand. “We’ll need a cook pot,” she chattered, “and a fishing pole. What’ll you use for bait?”
    â€œI know just the thing,” Lilly said. “We’ll stop by the corncrib for an