Page 70 of Main Event

“Was it?”

“Yes.”

She picks up another stone. Seven skips.

I point at her. “You’ve done this before.”

“I had a childhood before the world caught fire.”

The words come out lightly, but something under them isn’t light at all. Then she throws another one, and it skips so beautifully across the lake that I forget the shadow for a second.

I shake my head. “You’re hustling me.”

“I’m not hustling you. You challenged a woman with unknown lake skills and paid the price.”

“I didn’t challenge you.”

“You handed me a rock. That’s mountain language for challenge.”

I walk toward her.

She backs up, smiling now. “What are you doing?”

“Reassessing the competition.”

“Luke.”

“What?”

“You’re getting that look.”

“What look?”

“The one where you’re about to do something charmingly foolish and pretend it’s tactical.”

I take another step. She backs into the water until it reaches mid-calf.

“You should think carefully,” she says.

“I have.”

“No, you’ve reacted with your shoulders.”

I simply grin at her.

She points at me. “Do not.”

I keep walking.

“Luke Woods.”

“You called the lake deceptive.”

“It is.”

“You insulted my childhood water.”

“That sentence doesn’t even make sense.”