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Books for Kids and Teens by Ann Herrick
Category:
Action/Thriller
Publisher: Books We Love, Ltd.
ISBN-10: 9781772990614
Copyright: Mar 3, 2016
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
City girl, country guy. Will opposites attract—or clash?
When New-York-City girl Emily visits her cousin Janelle in Oregon, Emily wonders how she'll survive the wilderness. Janelle wonders if the wilderness will survive Emily's visit—and if she can convince her cousin to help save part of an old-growth forest. Meanwhile, Emily also wonders if a big-city girl can get along with a county guy—named Bret. Under forest canopies and by crystal-clear waters she struggles with her growing attraction to him. But they're so different. Whoever thought she'd fall for someone like him?
Excerpt
"All set?" Bret asked when he and Seth came up the driveway. Bret's glance slid to my swimsuit. He gave me a smile that sent my pulse racing.
We biked along a path for quite a while, then turned down a dirt road. Puffing, I said, "To think I was worried about missing an aerobics class."
"Tired?" Janelle asked.
"Not at all." I didn't want anyone to think the city girl couldn't keep up. "This is great exercise!"
Finally, we stopped and left our bikes at the end of a dead-end road. Then we hiked another half mile along a nearly-hidden trail through the woods. I guess Bret wanted to make sure I didn't trip all over the place again, because he held my hand all the way. Since I didn't have to worry about falling down, I had a chance to notice that there was a sort of quiet, green beauty in the woods. But by now I had the feeling we weren't headed toward a typical community pool.
"Okay, hold it." Bret stopped and put his hands over my eyes. "The hidden pool deserves a grand entrance." He guided me along a bend in the path, then removed his hands from my eyes. "Okay, you can look now."
I stared, my tongue in a knot. Before me was a silvery sheet of water flowing over feathery ferns into a crystal pool.
"I'll bet you don't have anything like this in New York," Bret said.
"Not in my neighborhood."
Seth set his glasses down on a rock. Then he walked out onto a moss-covered fallen tree and dove into the pool. The water was so clear that when he surfaced he looked as if he was suspended in space, floating between the rocky bottom of the pool and the tops of huge evergreen trees that encompassed the area.
Janelle dove in after him.
"Well," Bret said, "do you want to take the easy way and dive in? Or do you want to try something more adventurous with me?" He tilted his eyebrow, looking at me with doubt.
I hesitated. Diving off a slippery-looking log several feet above the water looked adventurous enough for me. But Bret's voice seemed to hold a challenge. "Let's go for it," I said, wondering exactly what it was I was going for.
Bret led me up a staircase of rocks to the top of the waterfall. He carefully stepped out into the middle and sat down where a sloop formed in the rock. "Come on. Get in back of me."
I started toward him. But as soon as I set one toe in the water, I screamed. "Yikes! That's cold!"
"Well ... if you're not up to it ...." He shrugged his shoulders. "I understand. A girl from New York—"
"I can handle it," I said defensively. I gritted my teeth and plunged ahead. The cold made me gasp as I sat down in back of Bret. But pressing against him as I put my arms around his waist helped warm me up.
"You did it." There was a note of surprise in Bret's voice. "Hang on!"
We rushed through the flashing falls. Fingers of ferns brushed my face. With a giant splash we landed in the pool.
When I rose to the surface, I felt like one giant goosebump.
"Well," said Bret. "How do you like the hidden pool?"
"It made catching that fish worthwhile."
"Good." Bret grinned. "You know, you're cute when you're soaking wet."
Cute? Was that a joke? I was too ordinary to be cute even when I was completely dry.
Suddenly Bret dove underwater. He swam to the bottom and signaled me to follow.
I glanced over at Janelle. She was busy with Seth, so I didn't feel as if I'd be abandoning her.
I had no trouble underwater seeing Bret point to one of the rock formations. As I swam closer to get a better look, Bret put his arm around my waist. But I couldn't hold my breath much longer. The water felt even colder down where we were. I squirmed out of his grasp. He splashed to the surface just after I did.
"Why did you come back up?" Bret asked.
"I have this habit of breathing," I said. My teeth chattered.
"Not everyone has your lung capacity, Bret," Seth said.
"Oh, well, it was just another rock formation I wanted you to see," said Bret. "Hey, you're shivering. If you're cold, there's another, smaller pool we can sit in just on the other side of those rocks." He smiled mysteriously. "I think you'll like it."
"I'm n-n-not c-cold," I said. "B-but let's check it out anyway." I was hoping it might be warmer.
The other pool turned out to be about four feet wide and about that deep. But the real surprise was that the water there was gushing and bubbly and hot! I sat down and let the bubbles massage me. It was just like a whirlpool spa.
"Ah, this is the life." I leaned my head back against the edge of the pool.
Bret sat next to me. His leg brushed against mine. "What do you think of Oregon now?"
"It has its good points," I admitted. I looked into Bret's big brown eyes. He was kind of cute, actually. I realized I was staring, so I shifted my attention back to the churning water.
"So there you are," Janelle said, leading Seth by the hand, guiding him over the rocks to the small pool. I guess he couldn't see very well without his glasses on.
"Were you worried that Bigfoot carried us off?" Bret asked.
Janelle laughed and Seth shook his head.
"Bigfoot! So who or what is Bigfoot?" I asked nervously.
"You've never heard of Bigfoot?" Bret's eyes widened as he feigned astonishment. "Bigfoot is a huge hairy creature that roams the northwest. He has long claws, thick arms and big broad feet. Some people think it's part human."
"Oh, a legend," I said, relieved that it wasn't some thug on the F.B.I's Most Wanted list.
"Lots of people think Bigfoot is real," Seth said in all seriousness.
I thought maybe he was just going along with Bret, but Janelle nodded her agreement.
"Oh, come on ...." Were they all trying to fool me?
"There have been pictures," Bret said. "Of course, they're always dark or blurry. So I guess they don't prove anything. Bigfoot is supposed to be smart and reclusive. It wouldn't be easy to track one down."
Bret spoke with a tone of authority, so he was either serious or very good at pulling a practical joke.
"Is there any proof that Bigfoot actually exists?"
"There have been lots of sightings over the years," Janelle said. "Some people claim to have seen two or three at a time. My Dad is always on the lookout. He's pretty much a believer."
I still had my doubts, but, in any case, I didn't want to take chances. This could be a favorite hangout for Bigfoot. It could be his watering hole. So I let out a deep sigh. "Uhhh, I feel kind of ... dizzy. Maybe it's, um, the change in water temperature."
I guess I managed a genuine look of misery, because Bret said, "You do look kind of pale."
"Maybe we should head home," Janelle said.
I tried to sound reluctant. "Yeah, maybe."
"Okay." Bret said. He closed his hand over mine and helped me out of the pool. Then he wrapped a towel around my shoulders, and said in a joking tone, "I hope I didn't scare you with all that talk about Bigfoot."
"Of course not," I snapped, irked that he would make fun of me when I supposedly wasn't feeling well. I stomped off ahead of him. But a tiny flicker of apprehension crept into my mind. What if we crossed paths with Bigfoot? I walked slowly, so he could quickly catch up with me.
Once we reached our bikes and pedaled back to the house, the image of running into Bigfoot faded. The sparkling beauty of the secret pool reclaimed my thoughts and put me into a better mood. What did it matter if Bret teased me? I was only being friendly with him because he was a friend of Janelle's. I shouldn't worry about it, I reminded myself.
When we got back to the driveway we stopped to say goodbye to Bret and Seth.
"See you later," Seth said cautiously, half asking.
"Sure," said Janelle.
"I hope all the talk about Bigfoot didn't spoil the pool for you." Bret grinned as he reached over to my handlebars and slipped his fingers over mine.
"It was beautiful," I answered truthfully. But, still, I pulled my hand away from his. I thought he was just patronizing me.
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