Chapter IV.
After their evening in the forest, Jonah warmed up to Lyra perceptibly. She wouldn’t have said he was exactly friendly, but he didn’t seem hostile anymore. When they passed in the halls at school or when she caught his eye in class, he gave her a small smile now instead of avoiding her eyes. In Lyra’s mind, it was a huge improvement.
The air was getting colder and the landscape around Lake Placid turned brilliant. It looked like giant boxes of crayons had melted all over the surrounding mountains. Numerous photographers were seen with their cameras and tripods, capturing the lustrous foliage for next year’s calendars. The summer vacationers with their noisy, hard-to-please children were gone, but it was too early for the town to be flooded with the winter sports enthusiasts. Fall was Lyra’s favorite season and her mood became buoyant.
One thing (or person, she should say) marred her happiness—Kyle Douglas. He was becoming impossible. Though she had continued to refuse to go out with him, he had evidently still not gotten the hint. He’d started showing up wherever she was to walk her to her classes and he stopped eating with his friends all together and sat at her lunch table every day. The day the posters went up announcing the date for the Harvest Dance, he was waiting for her in the parking lot after school. She knew what was coming. Coincidentally, Jonah Forrester had parked beside her that morning and he was in his car with the windows down flipping through his CD folder. He glanced up and smiled at her as she walked by. Her stomach gave a little thrill and she returned his smile, but as she looked back at Kyle lounging against her car, her butterflies became a knot of irritation. Couldn’t the guy get the message?
Her eyes narrowed and she said tightly, “Hi Kyle. What’s up?”
“Hey, baby,” he drawled. “Just wanted to make sure we were going to the dance together on the 30th,”
Lyra bit back an angry retort and took a deep breath. Placid was a small town. Their parents were close friends. She didn’t want to make an enemy of Kyle. “No, we are not going to the dance together, but thank you for the invitation. And please don’t call me baby. It’s demeaning.”
“De-what?” he asked, looking confused.
She heard Jonah snort and shot a glance in his direction. He still had his eyes on his CD folio, but was grinning from ear to ear.
“Look, never mind. Just don’t call me baby. I don’t like it.”
“Okay, sugar, whatever you say. But why don’t you want to go to the dance? You going to be out of town or something that day?”
Lyra gritted her teeth. How his parents, two highly intelligent and successful people, could produce such an idiot son, was beyond her comprehension. “No. I just don’t want to go. Katie doesn’t have a date yet, though. You might ask her.”
Kyle pushed off from the car and unfolded his arms. The lazy smile was gone and his tone turned aggressive, “I don’t want to ask Katie. I thought we had an understanding.”
Anger seeped through her voice unwittingly as she asked tensely, “And what exactly is it that I’m supposed to understand?”
The indolent smile returned and he leaned back against her car again, stretching his arms wide. “That we’re crazy about each other, of course.”
It was Lyra’s turn to snort. She didn’t mean to laugh in his face, but the outrageousness of his declaration was ludicrous. One look at his face, now red and twisted with fury, and her laughter died immediately. She hurriedly tried to repair the damage. “I’m sorry, Kyle, really, but I’m not interested in going out with you. I’ve been trying to tell you that for weeks.”
His eye twitched convulsively. “So you were just leading me on this summer?” his voice rising in anger.
Lyra blushed scarlet. She was mortified to be having this conversation in the hearing of Jonah Forrester. She took another deep breath and tried to calm her emotions.
“No, I wasn’t. I didn’t honestly think that our families having dinner together once and going to one movie constituted a relationship. I didn’t think you did either or I never would have agreed to the movie.” Before he could interrupt she continued. “We’ve been friends for years, Kyle,” she said placating. “But that’s all we are.”
Jonah cleared his throat in the car beside them.
Evidently embarrassed now himself by the turn of the conversation and humiliated by her public rejection, Kyle spat out bitterly “Fine. I see now what a tease you are.” He cast a contemptuous glance in Jonah’s direction and stalked off to his BMW coup.
Lyra stood watching him. He pealed out of the parking lot and disappeared down the road, tires squealing.
She exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. That didn’t go well, she thought. She laid a shaking hand on the roof of her car and turned to look over at Jonah. She could only imagine what he was thinking. He was staring at her with an inscrutable expression, but he said nothing. She took a deep breath, got into her car, and drove slowly home.
Lyra was pleased to see her parent’s Volvo in the garage when she got home. After her disturbing confrontation with Kyle, she would appreciate their comforting presence.
Harry barked a welcome when she walked in the door. Her parents were in the kitchen and they greeted her warmly.
“Hey, Mom, Dad. What are you guys doing home so early?” she inquired, smiling her pleasure.
Her mother was standing at the counter. “Well, we’ve hardly seen you since you started back to school. And I’ve been hungry for a home-cooked meal,” her mother explained.
“That sounds great,” Lyra sighed. She dropped her school bag by the table and leaned over to kiss her dad, who was sitting at the table. “What are we having?”
“Steaks, pasta salad, and fresh asparagus,” her father told her enthusiastically, leaning up to hug her.
“Yum!” She went over to the sink and hugged her mom around the waist, then started washing the asparagus that were in the colander.
Their talk was light and cheerful, and the peaceful atmosphere soothed Lyra’s raw nerves. She hadn’t realized how much she’d been missing her parents lately. She followed her dad out to the deck when he went to light the gas grill. The sun was setting and the sky had turned a deep, luminous purple.
“So when do you take your SATs?” he asked, as her mother stepped outside with two glasses of tea in her hand. She handed them each one and sat in the other cushioned lounge chair beside Lyra.
“Saturday, November 15th,” Lyra answered. “The prep course is the Saturday before. I signed up for that too.”
“Good, good,” her father rejoined. “Have you thought about where you’ll apply to college? We’ll want to get the paperwork started as soon as we get your scores back.”
“No. I honestly haven’t given it that much thought. Isn’t it still a little early to be worrying about that?”
“No, definitely not,” her father returned. “The admissions process takes time.”
“And we’ll want time to visit some campuses before you decide,” her mother put in. “You’ll be amazed at how fast the next two years fly by, honey.”
Lyra looked down at her hands and nodded. She knew most kids her age were eager to get out on their own and assert their independence. Maybe the thought of college would be more appealing if she knew what she wanted to do. But, Lyra didn’t. Law, nor medicine, really appealed to her and she knew a general business or liberal arts degree would not satisfy her parents, or guarantee her a future. She was overwhelmed with the thought of deciding on a career that she wouldn’t even start for six or more years.
Her father interrupted her musing. “Cornell is a fine school,” he observed aloud trying to sound nonchalant. Lyra knew her father would be gleeful at the thought of her attending his old alma mater.
Her mother cleared her throat. Her father glanced over at her before adding grudgingly, “Brown is perfectly adequate too.”
Her mom chuckled. “Brown University is
far more than adequate, Gordon. Their medical program is outstanding and it would be nice if Lyra wasn’t all alone in a big city. Ithaca is much more like the home she knows.”
“I know, I know,” her father conceded.
Her parents took turns telling college stories and then tried to outdo the other in naming famous people who’d graduated from Brown and Cornell. Lyra sat through an enjoyable dinner listening to them and laughing with them.
They lingered at the table afterward, reluctant to leave the comfortable atmosphere and each other’s company. Lyra thought how lucky she was to have such good parents.
As her mother got up to clear the table, her father turned to her again. “I met our neighbor today—Jethro Carsen. A very nice man.”
“Really?” asked Lyra, sitting up straighter in her chair. She was extremely curious to know about Jonah’s uncle, and by extension, Jonah himself.
“Yeah. We were having lunch at Casey’s Pub today and he was seated at the table next to us. When the waitress brought him back his credit card and receipt, she thanked him by name. I thought it highly likely he was the same Carsen, so your mother and I introduced ourselves. He seemed truly glad to meet us—friendly sort of fellow. He said he and his nephew were all settled in and were very pleased with the town. He told us he’s been coming up this way for years for the fishing.”
Lyra mulled that over, her brow puckering. Friendly sort of fellow? Glad to meet them? He sounded about as opposite from Jonah as he could be.
Her father interrupted her musings “Is his nephew nice? What’s his name again?”
“Jonah,” Lyra answered, avoiding the first question.
Her mother stopped rinsing dishes at the sink to listen.
Her father continued, “Well, does Jonah seem to be settling in at school, making friends?”
Lyra wasn’t sure what to say. She decided to be diplomatic. “I think he’s shy.” She paused, debating what to tell them. “I invited him to sit at our table at lunch—you know, with me, Katie, Trevor, and everyone, but he didn’t want to.” Lyra frowned, remembering their conversation from weeks ago.
“Was he rude to you?” Her father demanded, indignant, reminding her of Trevor’s identical response.
“No, no, Dad. He wasn’t. I…I guess he just prefers to be alone. I don’t know. I don’t understand it myself. But, I met him down on the trail the other day when I was walking Harry and he was very civil.”
“Humph!” was all her father had to say to that. Evidently being ‘civil’ wasn’t good enough treatment for his daughter.
Lyra smiled. “He’s fine, Dad. Like I said, just shy, probably.”
“Well, I was going to ask if you thought you could get a ride to school with him tomorrow, but I think you’d better not. I’ll drop you off and then maybe you can get Aimee to bring you home.”
“Why?” Lyra asked.
“I’m going to take your car in and have it serviced. It’s time to get the oil changed, make sure there’s plenty of antifreeze in the radiator, that sort of thing,” her father replied.
“Oh, okay. Thanks, Dad.”
Her father got up and took his plate to the sink.
Lyra thought hard for a minute. It would be a real inconvenience to her Dad to have to take her to school and drop her car at the shop before going to work himself. Should she ask Aimee to come pick her up? She was sure Aimee would be glad to, but Lyra hated to ask because it was several miles out of Aimee’s way. Would Jonah mind giving her a ride? She thought about their brief, but pleasant conversation in the woods and his smile as she’d passed him sitting in his car this afternoon. Surely he wouldn’t mind. The thought of being alone with him on the ride to school sent a shiver up her spine. Yes, she’d love the opportunity to be that close to him again.
Resolved, she stood up and went to the door. “I’ll walk over and ask him, Dad. There’s no need for you to have to get up so early and drive me to school when Jonah will be going right by here on his way.”
Her dad looked like he was about to argue, but Lyra assured him, “It’ll be fine, Dad, honest.” He grumbled something under his breath that sounded like ‘well, if he thinks he can be civil,’ before he turned back to the counter. She hid her smile, put on her jacket, and fastened Harry’s leash to his collar. She didn’t want him running off in the dark.
Lyra didn’t take the road. It was much shorter to cut across their back yards. It had rained the night before and the wet leaves muffled the sound of their footsteps. The night was clear and the stars lit her way. Harry walked with his head down, nose to the ground.
She crossed over the invisible property line and after a couple minutes more she began to catch glimpses of the house through the trees. A brilliant light, mounted high in a towering red pine, illuminated the back yard and showed Jonah near the edge of the forest chopping wood. Lyra stopped and watched him a few yards from where he worked, though still unseen under the cover of trees.
What she saw took her breath away. Jonah was shirtless and in the glow of the artificial light, his bare chest glistened with a fine sheen of perspiration. His long hair, damp at the temples and neck, clung to his shimmering skin. His sinewy muscles rippled as he wielded a colossal axe and Lyra was reminded of a picture she’d once seen of Michelangelo’s David. He was simply magnificent. She stood frozen, mesmerized by sight of him.
As he stepped to the side and bent to pick up another log, Lyra’s gaze shifted. The log, or tree, she should say was mammoth. It had to be at least six feet long and half as thick. He picked it up as though it was a sapling and tossed it over to his work area. The force of it landing rocked the ground where she stood. Lyra’s mouth fell open. He picked his axe back up. Dimly she wondered where his chainsaw was. Surely he wasn’t going to try to chop up that entire tree trunk with an axe. Lyra looked on in disbelief as, in one deafening blow, he sliced off a block the size of a truck tire. She shook her head, trying to clear her vision. She could not have just seen what she thought she’d seen. The enormous power he wielded was incongruous with his size. Before she knew it, he’d cleaved another section off as large as the first. In less than a minute he had the entire trunk chopped into rounds. He bent down to turn the pieces over to split them again. By her side, Harry whined and strained at the leash.
Jonah’s head snapped up, searching the trees. He spotted them in an instant. Her eyes were still wide with shock, her mouth open, forming an O. His body tensed and his face, at first startled, turned livid. He straightened up slowly and they stared at each other for a long minute.
Harry pulled again at his leash and it slipped from her slack hand. He bounded toward Jonah, barking and wagging his tail. She broke eye contact and struggled to get control of herself. Lyra gulped in some air, her throat dry. She was more frightened than she wanted to admit; Jonah’s fury was palpable. She started forward, unsteady on her feet. It felt like she was walking through water.
As she stepped into the yard, she opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a croak. Jonah continued to glare at her, ignoring Harry’s antics. Anger radiated from him in waves. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Hi, Jonah,” she managed hoarsely. She raised a trembling hand in a belated greeting. She stopped a few feet from him, a safe distance, she hoped.
His jaw was clenched and his eyes flashed menacingly. “What are you doing here?” he asked tightly, enunciating each word slowly. His arms hung loosely, but his hands were balled into fists.
At the sound of his deep voice, Lyra’s fear receded, but absurdly, disappointment surged through her. Lyra’s eyes began to sting and burn and she bent her head to stare at the ground. She’d been a fool to think he had warmed up to her. He didn’t want her here. His anger at her for showing up at his house unannounced saddened her to the depths of her soul. She blinked away the unshed tears, cleared her throat, and took a couple more steps forward so
that she was standing a foot front of him. She looked up into his unyielding, indigo eyes. “I’m sorry, Jonah. I wasn’t spying on you. I just came over to ask if you would give me a ride to school tomorrow. My…my dad is taking my car to have it serviced. But, I, um, I’ll just call Aimee.”
He searched her face, looking for any hint of untruth in her words. When he didn’t find any, his taut muscles relaxed somewhat and his hard expression gradually softened. He tore his gaze away from her and stared into the woods. He inhaled deeply, and let his breath out slowly. Finally, he seemed to get control of his temper.
When he looked back at her, his anger was gone, replaced by a pain Lyra couldn’t define. Weak with relief that at least he wasn’t about to rip her limb from limb, she smiled tremulously up at him. He didn’t smile back, but he murmured, “Of course you can ride with me tomorrow.” His eyes held hers for another long moment.
Finally, Harry managed to get Jonah’s attention and Jonah bent down to pet him. After a few minutes, when Harry had calmed down, Jonah stood back up. “I’ll pick you up at 7:30. Is that okay?”
“Are you sure?” Lyra asked. She didn’t want to force her company on him.
“I’m sure. I go by your house every day. It’s no big deal.”
“Okay.” Lyra replied, the butterflies riotous once more in her stomach.
“You get on home now. It’s too late for you to be out walking,” he scolded.
She nodded, bent to catch hold of Harry’s trailing leash, and retraced her steps. She looked over her shoulder once she was back in the darkness of the trees. He was standing in the same spot, watching her. She raised her hand in farewell and headed home.