Free Season of Change by Lisa Williams Kline

in.”
    “Are you okay?” he asked.
    “Yeah, sure, sure.”
    Picking up his board, Noah awkwardly stepped inside, looking around at my grandparents’ small old-fashioned kitchen and the long oak dining table that Grandma Roberts liked to load with food and surround with family.
    Grandma and Grandpa came into the kitchen.
    “Hello, there,” Grandpa said to Noah.
    Noah leaned his board against the wall and quicklystepped forward to shake Grandpa’s hand politely. “Hello, sir, I’m Noah Edwards.”
    “Good to meet you.” Grandpa looked at me quizzically.
    “Hello,” said Grandma Roberts, and Noah took her hand as though he was going to kiss it, but just bent over it slightly. Then released it.
    “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
    “You, too,” she said, squinting at me thoughtfully. “Did Diana know you were coming, Noah?”
    Noah laughed and scratched his head, mussing his hair. Then he pushed his hair behind his ear. “Uh … I’m not sure.” He raised his eyebrows and grinned at me. He was trying not to get me in trouble, so he was being as vague as possible.
    “I invited him!” I said. “Sorry I didn’t mention it. I figured it would be okay if we had another skier.”
    “Sure!” Grandpa spread his arms wide. “The more the merrier!”
    “So, where’s Stephanie?” Noah asked. “I thought she was staying here this weekend too.”
    “She was, but her mom came and got her last night. She changed her plans.”
    Noah nodded thoughtfully. “Oh. Bummer.”
    “Want to go down on the dock?”
    “Sure.”
    “Let me just go put on my bathing suit.” I ranupstairs and, rushing to find my bathing suit, dumped my suitcase out on the bed. I wished Stephanie hadn’t left. I could’ve asked her which bathing suit to wear or maybe even borrowed one of hers. I put on a black two-piece that she and Mom had talked me into getting. But then I was embarrassed and put a t-shirt over it. I skimmed back downstairs.
    “I’ll be down to drive the boat in a little while,” Grandpa was saying. “Meanwhile, do you kids want to take the kayak out? There’s an osprey nest out there by the island and babies may be in it.”
    “Want to?” I said to Noah.
    “Sure!”
    “The lifejackets and paddles are on the sun porch,” Grandpa said. He loaded us down with them, and once Noah grabbed his wakeboard, we headed down the wooden walkway through the yard toward the dock.
    “Guess what just happened?” I said. “I just found a baby fawn in the woods.” I told Noah about finding Star, and Grandpa and Grandma making me take her back.
    “I wish I could’ve seen it,” Noah said. “My uncle hunts deer.”
    I cringed. “Ugh, don’t even talk about it. How can it be fair? A guy with a gun against a beautiful living creature running for its life.”
    “He brings us venison sometimes.”
    “Ugh, stop!” I thought I was going to gag. Why was Noah saying this stuff? We were down by the water now, standing beside the bright orange two-seater kayak.
    “I’m just sayin’!” Noah said, laughing. “Some people call deer rats with legs. They come in your yard and eat everything. They gobble up tulips and entire tomato plants.”
    I gave Noah a smack on the arm. “Quit it, right now! I love that little fawn I found.”
    “I’m just giving you a hard time,” Noah teased, laughing. “I like to see you get mad.”
    “Oh, yeah?” I could feel myself blushing. “Why?”
    “I don’t know. Because you get so worked up about things, that’s why.”
    I suddenly felt self-conscious and didn’t know what else to say. I turned away and started putting on my life jacket.
    “Hey, I’m kidding!” he said.
    “Okay.” Grabbing the handles on either end of the kayak, we carried it out onto the dock, and dropped it in the water.
    “Do you want front or back?” I said.
    “I’ll take the back,” he said. “I’d rather steer and let you do all the paddling work, ha ha.”
    “Very funny!” I said, but I grabbed one of