July 1961

Jess was eating cereal in the kitchen when Doug walked in. 

“Doug!” she said, sitting up with surprise.  She thought she was alone in the house since it was Annie’s day off.

“Good morning,” he said with a smile.  It was clear he’d just woken.  His hair was messy and free of hair cream, the dark waves falling over his forehead.

“What – are you doing here?”

“I asked dad if I could have the day off.”

“Oh,” Jess replied, trying to hide her shock. 

She didn’t know if Doug had ever missed work except for when he was in school, but she was even more surprised Uncle Jonathon would agree to letting him have the time off.  Since he’d been home over the summer, the two of them had rarely been apart.

Now that she knew Doug wasn’t Uncle Jonathon’s real son, she’d paid closer attention to their interactions, trying to detect any hint of it, but her uncle was entirely devoted to Doug as always, lavishing praise and attention on him.  Doug seemed equally devoted, but Jess wondered if he would be so willing to spend as much time with his dad if he didn’t feel some sort of obligation. 

It was clear he enjoyed working at the family business, but did he need to work so hard?  Didn’t fellows his age want to go out with friends too, or have time off to just be alone?  But maybe that was the reason he'd asked for time off that day.

“Do you know where Annie keeps the coffee?” he asked, opening the cupboard where the plates were.

“Yeah I do.”  She went to the butler’s pantry and came back with the can of coffee grounds.  He took it from her, and then looked around before giving her a sheepish grin. 

“I’m not sure how to make it.”

“I think I can.  I’ve seen her do it.”

“Thanks, Jess,” he said with relief while she took the can from him and headed for the electric percolator.  Once he was seated at the table with his cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, he took a sip. 

“It’s good!”

“Thanks,” she said, returning his smile.

“I asked dad if I could have the day off because I wanted to spend it with you,” he said, digging into his cereal.  “I was hoping you could take me to the pond.”  Her heart began hammering in her chest while she watched him chew a mouthful of cereal.  “Is it alright?” he asked, suddenly looking concerned.  “I mean, is there a problem?”

“No, it’s fine,” she lied quickly, desperately trying to think of something. 

How could she possibly take him to the pond without him learning all her secrets?  The only way she’d ever gone was using the path from the cabin.  It would not only disclose she knew about the cabin, he might want to look inside, and that would give away everything.

“Annie said you swim there almost every day, and I thought –.”

“She did?” Jess asked faintly.  What else had Annie told him?

“Yeah, and I thought maybe we could go swimming together.”

“Oh, yeah.  We can do that,” Jess said, trying to smile convincingly.  She’d find the pond by some other route, she decided.  They’d have a quick swim, and then she’d bring him home long before Marty was off work.  That could work.  It had to.

“Great!  I thought we could pack a lunch so we could have a picnic, like I used to do with my mom.  We’ll make a day of it!”

“That sounds – fun,” Jess said, struggling to keep her smile going.

She got up to wash her breakfast dishes with her heart pounding and her breathing shallow.  This was a catastrophe, she thought, feeling sick to her stomach.  If Doug and her were at the pond too long, Marty was going to show up, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.  Because when Marty came to the cabin and she wasn’t there, that would be the first place he’d go to find her.  Doug appeared at her side with his bowl and spoon and she took it from him to wash.

“I’ll go get ready.”

“Okay,” she replied, looking at the clock.  It was still early in the morning.  Maybe after several hours, he’d feel he’d been there long enough and be ready to head home before Marty was even on the property.  After all, they could only swim for so long. 

Quickly cleaning up, Jess rushed to put together a picnic lunch for them, and then ran up the back stairs where she changed into her suit.  Once she’d pulled on a pair of shorts and cotton shirt, she found her watch.  She would need to keep a close eye on the time.  When she returned to the kitchen, Doug was waiting for her with a towel, wearing swim trunks and a button down short sleeved shirt. 

“We need a blanket to sit on but I don’t know where Annie keeps the old ones,” he said.

“I don’t know either,” Jess said, thinking of the blankets at the cabin.  “I usually just sit on my towel.”

“Oh, alright,” he said, looking a little disappointed.  “I guess that’ll work.”

“Let’s go!” she said brightly, not wanting to waste any time.

They headed out the back door, and Jess strode resolutely across the large yard.  She tried to look like she’d taken the route many times before, but in her head she was picturing a layout of the property and mentally mapping out a way to get to the large grass field and pond.

When they entered the woods, she led him around the fallen tree trunks and large rocks, trying to gauge how far and which direction they were traveling, and then she saw the tops of the trees thinning out.  Pushing forward, she hoped she’d been accurate.  Stepping through dense brush out into the grassy field, she couldn’t help turning towards Doug with a triumphant smile. 

“Almost there!” she exclaimed.

With the stand of willow trees to guide her, she had no trouble locating the pond.  Upon reaching it, she placed the basket and her towel under the willow tree.   When she came out, Doug was standing at the edge of the water where she joined him.  He didn’t say anything as he looked out at the water, and she suddenly remembered she’d once told him the pond was small.  Was he thinking that she’d lied to him?

“Well?” she asked, looking up at him to study his reaction.

“It’s definitely smaller than I remember,” he said still looking out at the water, and then he smiled down at her.  “But I can see why you like it here.  It’s pretty.”

He turned around and walked back towards the tall grasses heading straight towards the path.  Jess held her breath when he stopped.

“The path is still here,” he said with surprise, but when he turned to face her, his face was grim.  Jess’s heart began beating loudly in her chest again.  

“Where does that path lead?” he asked, but in his eyes, Jess saw he already knew the answer.

“The woods,” she said faintly.

“This is the way I used to come with my mom.  I guess you’ve been wandering the property enough to know there’s a cabin at the end of this path.”

“Yes,” Jess said, knowing she didn’t have any other choice than admitting the truth. 

“Don’t tell dad you’ve been near it,” he said soberly as he approached her, his blue eyes intense.  “He’ll flip.  No one is allowed to go there.”

“I know.  I won’t tell him.” 

He continued to gaze down at her intensely, and she got the impression he was trying to decide something.  Was he going to want to go there, she wondered desperately.  How was she going to stop him? 

“Let’s swim,” he muttered finally, breaking eye contact and kicking off his loafers.

She turned, breathing a sigh of relief, and pulled off her shirt.  It was a close call.  As soon as she had her sandals off, she waded into the water, then dove under and swam to the center.  When she surfaced, she turned around to find Doug still at the edge of the water, looking down. 

It was the first time she’d seen him without a shirt on, and she was surprised at how white his skin was, but then he never spent any time outside during the day like Marty.  She was also surprised she couldn’t see any muscles under his skin, and that his arms were so thin.  It wasn’t like Marty had huge biceps, but at least he had them.  Doug’s arms looked positively scrawny in comparison.  After spending so much time with Marty, she thought all boys looked like him with their shirts off, but it appeared she was wrong. 

He hesitantly stepped in the water, and then looked up at her.

“There aren’t any leeches or anything, are there?”  She couldn’t help laughing.

“No, there aren’t any leeches.  Do you think I’d swim here if there were?” 

He took a few more steps while he grimaced and she wondered if it was because of the mud.  Only used to swimming in pools or the ocean, she’d hated how the mud would squish through her toes when she first swam there.

“There are fish though,” she called out, and Doug halted.

“Fish?” he said loudly.  “How big?”

“Not big at all,” she grinned.  “Only like that.”  She held her hands up a foot apart while she tread water.

“That’s big!” he exclaimed with widening eyes.  “Do they bite?”

“I’m only teasing,” she laughed.  “They’re not that big, and believe me, they’re more afraid of you than you are of them.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, but he peered carefully into the water all around him as he continued deeper. 

Watching him as she swam towards him, she couldn’t help thinking about how Marty had given her such a hard time about being the ‘city kid’ who didn’t know anything back in the early days.  But now she was the experienced one and Doug seemed like the city kid.  It was ironic considering one day the property, including the woods and the pond, would belong to him.

She was tempted to splash him when she got close enough, then decided against it.  Playing in the water was what she always did with Marty.  It didn’t feel right to share that with Doug.  And besides, if he was having fun, he’d probably want to stay longer, and even come back another day.  She turned and swam away from him, hearing splashing as he got deep enough to swim behind her.

He kept following her, but she ignored him, swimming laps back and forth like she always did to tire herself out.  After a while, she decided she was finished.  While she was drying off, Doug joined her under the willow tree.  As soon as she was dry, she laid out the towel and sat with her back against the trunk. 

“Don’t you want to lay out in the sun?” Doug asked while she put on her watch.

“I don’t need to.  I’m warm enough.”

“I mean to get a tan,” he said, looking at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I get enough sun.  And besides, tanning makes my freckles stand out more,” she explained.

“Oh.”  He sounded disappointed.

“You can if you want,” she insisted.  She almost said that he looked like he needed it, but held back, not wanting to make him feel bad about being so pale.

“No, this is fine,” he said quietly, laying his towel on the ground and sitting on it.

She looked at her watch.  It was at least an hour before she could suggest lunch.  Wrapping her arms around her legs, she looked out at the water.  It was a peaceful day, but she couldn’t relax.  How long was Doug going to want to hang around after eating?  Would he be up for a swim afterwards?  If he did, it would probably be at least another hour or longer before they left for home, and that would be dangerously close to the time Marty would be arriving. 

“Is this what you normally do?” Doug asked, getting her attention.  “Swim and then just sit here?”  Looking in his quizzical blue eyes, Jess realized he was bored, and her heart lifted.  This might not be such a disaster after all.

“Well, I eat lunch too.”  He studied her for a long moment.

“Do you want to eat now?”

“Okay,” she said with a smile.

Jess laid out the food between them and while they ate, she watched the willow branches trailing in the water, thinking about how different Doug was from Marty.   Marty didn’t mind hanging out at the pond all day, and the long silences between them felt comfortable.  When she was with Doug she always had fun, but they were always out doing something.  And when they ran out of things to talk about, the quiet felt awkward enough that they’d either have to fill it with music, or one of them would come up with another topic.

When they finished eating, she packed away their empty wrappers and then scooted back so she could lean against the tree.  Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Doug fidget.  He was definitely getting antsy.

“What do you normally do after you eat?” he asked finally.

“Sometimes I take a nap, or if I have a book I read.”

“Do you want to swim again?”  From the way he was looking at her, she knew what answer he was hoping for.

“No, thanks.  I’m kind of tired.”

“Do you want to just head back?”

“Sure,” she said, jumping up, and he stood, looking relieved.

Once she’d pulled her clothes on over her suit, the two of them set off across the field, going back the way they’d come.  She wondered if Doug thought it was odd that they weren’t taking the path since it would be easier, but maybe he wanted to abide by his father’s wishes and not go near the cabin.  In any case, she was grateful.  The last thing she wanted was to have anyone in the family near it. 

“I guess when I was little, it was more exciting to go to the pond,” Doug said when they’d entered the woods.  “Don’t get me wrong!  I had a good time!” he said quickly when she looked up at him.  “It’s just – a little too quiet for me.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” Jess replied, a sense of relief settling over her that he probably wouldn’t want to do it again.

“I’m glad you enjoy going, Jess.  It’s great that the property is so big, you can find lots of ways to pass the time.”  

She opened her mouth to tell him he was wrong, that it wasn’t enough to keep her from feeling trapped, but she immediately closed it.  The decision to keep her locked up was her uncle’s , not Doug’s.  He was already doing what he could by taking her out, and she was grateful.  The last thing she wanted was to cause Doug to get into a conflict with his dad over her.  From past experience, she knew it would cause his dad to question his loyalty. 

It also occured to her that maybe he’d get the idea she’d want him to swim with her again even though he didn’t care for it.  She knew he’d make the sacrifice for her, and that would be a disaster.  No, it was best she kept quiet, she decided.  She only had one more year before she’d be free to leave with Marty.  She could hold out for one more year.

Once they were back in the kitchen, Jess began emptying the basket. 

“It’s earlier than I thought,” Doug said looking up at the clock.  “I think I’m going to head into the office.  Dad’ll be happy to have me for a few hours.”

“Oh, okay.  Well, I’ll see you later,” Jess said, trying not to seem too happy.

“Thanks for taking me out there.  I’m glad I got to see it again,” Doug said with a smile. 

“Yeah, it was no problem.”

“See ya later tonight,” he said, heading to the butler’s pantry.

Jess ran up the back stairs, and waited.  Hearing Doug start his car, she looked out the window and watched him drive away.  When his car disappeared behind the trees lining the drive, she went back down and got the basket from where she’d put it away.  After packing a good meal for Marty, she headed out.

She was sitting on the door stoop of the cabin when he stepped into the clearing a few hours later.  Standing with a broad smile, she walked to meet him.  The sunlight made the blonde streaks in his hair stand out, and when he smiled, his teeth were bright in contrast with his tanned skin.

“Hey, Jess,” he said when she reached him.  “How’s it going?”

“Not so great,” she said, and he stopped suddenly and turned towards her with concern.

“What happened?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.

“Doug decided he wanted to go swimming at the pond with me.  I had to take him.  I didn’t want him to get suspicious.”

“Why did he want to do that?” Marty asked loudly, his eyes wide with alarm.

“I don’t know!  He used to go with his mom.”

“Did he go in the cabin?” Marty asked grimly.

“No, I took him a different way.  But he knows about it.  Thank goodness he didn’t seem interested in coming here.”  Marty let out a breath, looking relieved. 

“We were there for a while, but he got bored and decided he wanted to go home.”

“I guess we got lucky.”

“I was so scared he was going to see you,” Jess said mournfully, and he frowned again as his brown eyes studied her.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her close and she gladly went to him, hugging him tight.  His t-shirt was soft against her cheek, his firm chest warming her skin through the fabric. 

“I would have done everything I could to get him to leave before you got there, but if I hadn’t –.”

“I know,” he said, rubbing her back.  “Do you think he’ll want to go there again?”

“I don’t think so, but I can’t be sure.  If he does, I don’t know how I'll be able to stop him.”

“I’ll tell you what.  From now on, I’ll be more careful when I come here or to the pond, okay?  I’ll check to make sure no one else is around before I show myself.  That way you won’t have to worry.” 

“Okay,” she sighed. 

He kept rubbing her back, and she closed her eyes.  Soaking in his warmth, she concentrated on how comforting it felt to have his strong arms around her.  For the first time since that morning, she felt safe.

****

A close call for Jess and Marty!  Luckily for all involved, Doug isn't as enamored with the outdoors.  What do you make of his reaction to finding out Jess knows about the cabin?  As for Jess, it's probably more than obvious what her feelings are towards both the boys in her life by now.  I can't wait to hear what you think!

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, I would be very grateful for your vote!   It will help support this story in the upcoming Watty's.  The video is Run To Him by Bobby Vee and the picture is cover art by @RonnieGivver.  Thank you!  I really love it!