The Lake

Chapter Two

Drake hefts the picnic hamper full of food and the cooler full of beer into the bed of his pickup truck. Maxwell watches him load up their fishing gear as well. Drake closes the tailgate, and then wipes his hands on his jeans. He turns to Maxwell with a satisfied smile,

"There Max, now we're all set. Do you want me to throw your backpack in the truck for you too?" 

Maxwell grips the strap of his backpack tighter against his shoulder, shaking his head, "Nah, thanks anyway. I've got it."

Drake shrugs, "Uh, Ok. Suit yourself."

Nearby in the courtyard, Kate has Brooklyn in her arms, propped on her hip, while Bartie stands by her side. They watch Maxwell and Drake prepare for their fishing trip out on the lake. Bartie shifts from foot to foot anxiously, he was yearning to ask his Uncle Drake the question burning at the back of his throat. But his shyness was making him tongue tied. 

Once Drake was finished checking his own backpack for his emergency essentials, he strode over to give both Kate and Brooklyn a goodbye kiss on the cheek. When he bent down to ruffle Bartie's hair, giving him a smile, the four year old finally found his voice. He knew it was now or never.

"Ca..can I go fishing too, Uncle Drake? I promise to do everything you say." He pleaded, tugging at Drake's sleeve.

Drake crouches down on the gravel, resting his hand gently on his nephew's cheek, he shakes his head, "I'm sorry Little Man, not this time. I don't have a life jacket small enough to fit you. And I know your Momma would never forgive me if I took you out on the lake without one."

Tears well up in Bartie's eyes, his lip twisting up with disappointment, "But I don't need a life jacket. Momma and Uncle Max have been teaching me how to swim, I'm getting really really good at it."   

He glances up at his Uncle Max as he walks over, "Right Uncle Max?! You said I was your little squid."

Max sighs, "Sorry Buddy, Drake's the boss here. He's right, it's not safe."

Bartie turns away and buries his face into Kate's leg, feeling ashamed of his crying but he couldn't help it, he'd had his heart set on going on his first fishing trip this weekend.

Drake stands up again, giving Kate a pleading look. She rests her hand on Bartie's head, petting his hair as she looks down and talks to him soothingly, "It's Ok, Bartie. We'll let Uncle Max and Drake get all fishy today. Tomorrow we can all go for a hike along the lake and explore, okay?"

Bartie sniffs, looking up hopefully between his Aunt and Uncle, "Can we? I..I'd really like that." 

Drake smiles gratefully, nodding. "Of course we can. We'll make a day of it, take some pictures of the pretty leaves, and skip rocks on the water."

Maxwell breathes a sigh of relief and then turns back toward the truck. "Alright that's settled then, let's go fishing."

…

Out in the middle of the lake the air is still, the water smooth like glass. It's been an hour since the men cast their fishing lines, and for Maxwell an uneasiness was setting in.

"Are you sure there are fish in this lake?"

Drake looks up from the magazine he's reading, his last bite of sandwich in his hand. "Of course I'm sure. I oversaw the stocking of trout myself."

Maxwell looks down at the half empty can of low alcohol beer in his hand, resenting the lack of buzz he was feeling because of it. "I thought we would have gotten a nibble by now."

Drake shrugs, popping the last piece of his bread crust into his mouth. "You just have to be patient, Max. Sometimes they bite, sometimes they don't."

Maxwell shades his eyes with his hand and gazes off toward the Manor in the distance, it was so tiny and the shoreline seemed so far away. He tried not to imagine how deep and cold the water was beneath them, but it still gnawed at him anyway. He squeezed the backpack between his feet, its contents giving him a slight sense of reassurance.