“I don’t have to worry about copperheads, do I?”
“Not this time.”
Deep in the woods, the path ended at the edge of a small pond surrounded by tall trees and thick brush.
“What is this place?” Ellie whispered.
“One of my favorite places in the whole world.” Jack stepped forward and peered through an opening in the trees.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?”
Jack made a fist with his left hand, covered it with the right, then pressed them against this mouth. He blew into the opening between his thumb and forefinger until it produced a series of raspy, quacking sounds.
A few seconds later, a female mallard duck emerged from the thick cover and glided cautiously toward the center of the pond. A trail of ducklings followed in her wake.
“Look at them,” said Ellie, leaning forward.
“Hold out your hand.” Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of oats and cracked corn.
“No bread?”
Jack shook his head. “Believe it or not, bread can hurt them. This is more like the food they forage for in the wild.” He grabbed a fistful of oats and corn and placed it in Ellie’s hand. “Go ahead.”
She took a step and tossed the mixture into the pond. Almost immediately, the ducks began pecking at the water.
“Watch them go,” she beamed. “How did you find this place?”
While the ducks ate, Jack sat down in the grass and pulled his knees to his chest. “After Lewis died, I needed a place to hide, a place I couldn’t be found. One day, while I was walking through the woods, I stumbled upon this place.”
Ellie sat down beside him, keeping her eyes on the ducklings. “I can see why you like it here; it’s so peaceful.” She turned and looked at him. “Do you come here often?”
“A couple nights a week. The mama duck—Daisy—I rescued her a couple of years ago from the mouth of an old mutt and brought her here so she could heal. I fed her every night for almost two months. Ever since, she’s come back here to lay her eggs, so I kinda feel obligated to make sure she and her ducklings are taken care of.”
“That’s awfully nice of you.”
“It’s the least I can do. Besides, it gives me time to sit and think about how I’m going to make my fortune, so I can afford that house on the hill.”
Ellie cracked a smile. “Anyone else know about this place?”
Jack shook his head.
“Not even Sara?”
Jack shot her a look. “No. No one knows, except me, and now you.” He stood and pitched the last of the feed into the water, then cast an eye to the sky. “It’ll be dark soon. You ready to head back?” He pulled Ellie to her feet and led her out of the woods.
“Thank you,” she said when they reached the porch, “for taking me to the pond.”
“You’re welcome.” Jack stopped at the foot of the stairs. “I’m glad you’re here, Ellie. Far and away, this has been the best summer of my life.”
Ellie stepped off the porch and into Jack’s arms. “I’m glad I’m here too,” she whispered, then kissed him. “Listen, I know you have to get up early, but why don’t you stay awhile? Clara made a cobbler just this afternoon, and there’s plenty to go around.”
“Cobbler, huh? What about ice cream? You can’t have cobbler without ice cream.”
A grin sprang across her face. “You know better than to ask a question like that.”
Jack returned with a smile of his own. “In that case, lead the way.”
Inside, Clara sat in the living room, listening to the latest broadcast of theAdventures of Ozzie and Harriet. “Evening, Jack.”
