Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally Read Free Book Online Page A

so Matt leaps into the water and rescues the oar and returns it to her with a smile. I bet she dropped it on purpose, just so she could see him get all wet. I don’t blame her.
    I paddle around the lake slowly, drifting in various directions. Will’s pointing into the water and Parker’s peering down, smiling. Is it a turtle? A school of fish?
    Eric circles the lake like it’s his job to secure the perimeter from bears or something.
    My kayak gets stuck on the side of the bank, and when I touch my oar to the bank, to push away from the land, a coiled brown and white snake catches my eye.
    I scream.
    I scream again. I thrust my paddle into the water and start paddling away as quickly as I can. Can the snake come in the water? I think they can swim.
    Was it a copperhead? A rattlesnake? A water moccasin?
    I look up from paddling to see Matt dive off the dock and swim my way. I stop thrusting my oar into the water and lean over onto my thighs, swallowing. Everyone is staring at me like I’m a major moron, which I guess I am. But what if the snake had bitten me?
    A minute later Matt surfaces next to me and shakes the water out of his hair. “You okay? What happened?”
    I chew my lip. “I saw a snake.”
    His eyes dart around, probably to make sure the snake isn’t about to retaliate because I ruined its nap. “Snakes scare the bejesus out of me.”
    “I’d never seen one before.” My body is trembling.
    “They’re more scared of us than we are of them,” he says, treading water, bobbing like a cork. “But they are still scary as hell.”
    I’m disappointed that he curses, but I keep my mouth closed. I’m not messing up the good start with him.
    He says, “Can you get yourself back? Or do you want me to try to squeeze in and paddle for you?”
    My heart pounds at the idea of him squeezing into a kayak with me.
    “There’s not enough room in here,” I say, smiling.
    “Too bad,” he teases. He grabs my hand. I suck in a deep breath. “You sure you can make it?” he asks.
    “Totally sure.” I paste a smile on.
    “Okay—I’m gonna go rescue that runaway over there,” he says, jerking his head toward an orphaned canoe nestled up against the banks. “Race you back to the docks.”
    He takes off swimming in the opposite direction and I start paddling as hard as I can, smiling to myself about our race. He doesn’t seem to be going all that fast. I hope he’s not the type of guy who lets a girl win.
    After a billion years of paddling, I beat him back to the docks. I shakily climb out of the kayak onto dry land and face an inquisition.
    “What happened? Are you okay?” Will asks, crossing his arms.
    “I had a run-in with a snake.”
    “A snake?” Megan asks, playing with her whistle.
    “I doubt she saw a snake,” Eric announces, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
    “I promise you,” I say, catching my breath. “It was a snake.”
    “I have a book you should read before campers arrive on Monday morning,” Eric says, puffing his chest out. “It will tell you everything you need to know about dangerous animals in Tennessee.” Eric looks pointedly at Megan.
    She blushes. “Yes, you should read it,” she tells me. “And please, no more screaming.”
    “Are you sure you saw a snake?” Eric asks, scanning the banks.
    “Yes, I saw one,” I say again, wringing my hand. “Maybe you should read the chapter on snakes in your book.”
    “I don’t think there are any snakes around this lake,” Eric says. Is he pretending he didn’t hear what I said?
    “I dunno if that’s true,” Matt says, leaping onto the docks from the canoe he just rescued. “Last year I killed a copperhead that was swimming near here.”
    My heart swells as I smile at him.
    “I’ve got a picture of it on my phone!” Andrea says, nodding quickly. “He smashed it with an oar!”
    Eric checks his ginormous watch that’s the size of a compass. “Whatever.”
    I suddenly want to start studying