I laughed to myself and shook my head. “No. In the early seventies, the major power company in the area—in conjuncture with the surrounding cities—bought the land to use as a hydroelectric reservoir. They built two dams, redirected part of the river to run through the valley, and flooded Chogan.”
She stared at the water, as if she could see to the bottom. During the day, that would’ve been possible, though now, without any sunlight, she would have been lucky to see her own reflection. “That must’ve taken forever to clear it all out.”
“Not really. They more or less skipped that part.” The first explosion of color brightened her face, giving away her disbelief. It swam through me and lit a fire in my stomach, a desire to make this night last as long as I could. “They made sure the people were gone, but they didn’t do anything about the buildings or landmarks. In fact, if you dive down, you can still find houses and abandoned buildings. There’s even a school bus.”
“A school bus? As in just one?” She must’ve found this incredibly fascinating, because she didn’t pay any attention to the fireworks exploding over her head, or the fact that her foot was still resting in my lap, my hand covering the smooth skin on her leg. It was as if sitting in this position was completely normal for us. Like we’d done this dozens of times before. “Why would there be only one?”
“I can’t really answer that. Some say, by that point, the town was so small and grossly underpopulated that there wasn’t a need for more than one bus. Others say it was an oversight and somehow got left behind. There’s no way of knowing since anyone who lived here back then is either dead or long gone from the area.”
“Interesting.” Excitement shadowed the corners of her eyes. “What else is down there?”
“For probably a year after the flood, random artifacts floated to the surface. Fishermen, along with workers and some of the first people to build houses along the water, had handed them over, so we have the majority of what was found; it’s all displayed in the main house. You’ll have to stop by sometime this week. It’s nothing special—basically, a stuffed animal, pictures, random things that were left behind and either floated to the surface or were washed ashore by the current. There are still a lot of things on the bottom, and that’s where they’ll stay.”
“So if you go down there, can you, like, swim inside the houses?”
“No. Most were wiped out when the flood started, especially the ones closest to the river opening. There are areas in the deeper part of the lake that still have standing structures, although you wouldn’t want to go in them. But other landmarks are still visible, such as the cemetery. Did you know that the graves were never dug up, so some people believe the lake is haunted?”
“Is that what you believe?”
Slowly, I raked my short nails along her calf, feeling her powdery-soft skin beneath my fingertips. I’d told the lake’s history so many times it was nothing more than a memorized story, but this time was different. I wanted to tell her things I’d grown up hearing—the in-depth stories you wouldn’t get from anyone who hadn’t lived it. And while I contemplated just how much to give her, I ran my palm over the top of her foot.
“I believe there’s a haunting presence to the lake, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the deceased buried in the cemetery.” My voice deepened and scratched my throat, sounding as if I were about to choke on my words. “I personally believe it’s more of a curse.”
Just then, several large bursts of color exploded in rapid succession above us, reflecting off the surface of the lake. I glanced up to watch the light dance among the stars in the darkening sky, but as soon as I turned back to McKenna, I noticed her attention glued to my face.
“You might want to watch the show.” I pointed to the explosions of red and blue. “It doesn’t last very long.”
She hesitated for a moment, and I couldn’t help but feel like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. A slow-forming smile curled her lips, and her lids grew heavy. Her soft hand fell to my leg that I’d stretched out next to her, the heat of her palm scorching my bare skin. But she kept it there and lifted her gaze, locking her stare with mine.
I wanted to etch the sight into my memory, the image itself so serene it sent a calming wave straight through me.
There was something about her.
An inexplicable pull.
And I needed to know what it was.
I squeezed her foot, ignoring the way her breathing stopped when my thumb grazed the sensitive skin over the arch. “I’m glad you’re a rebel and ignored the no trespassing sign. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone to watch the show with. So thank you for staying and keeping me company, Kenny.”
She glowered, a smile hiding in the corners of her lips. “My name is McKenna,” she reminded me.
But I didn’t need reminding. “I know.”
“Then why’d you call me Kenny?”
Honestly, I didn’t know. It wasn’t like I even knew a Kenny and had accidentally called her by the wrong name. There was absolutely no rhyme or reason to it, but now that it’d been said, my only choice was to carry on with it.
“Does everyone call you McKenna?” I questioned, and when she nodded, I added, “Well, I’m not everyone.”
“And to be different, you have to call me by a guy’s name?”
I smiled at the feigned offense that painted her expression and engraved creases into her brow as she glared at me. I might’ve believed that I had truly insulted her had it not been for the amusement lining her lips like balm. “No, I don’t need to do anything to be different. I just personally think that Kenny is a better fit for you.”
It didn’t make any sense, and I knew that, but for reasons I couldn’t even begin to explain, I had a soul-deep need to call her Kenny. It felt natural on my tongue and, based on the way she nonchalantly shrugged and grinned at me, I could only assume she didn’t mind it as much as she wanted me to believe.
“Let’s try this again…” I flexed my fingers, gripping her ankle a bit tighter, and leaned forward, making sure she could feel my eyes on her. “Thank you for the company, Kenny. I have very much enjoyed spending time with you.”
The night had grown darker, her face harder to see clearly. But as the bright colors danced through the sky, I was rewarded with the most genuine smile I’d ever seen on anyone. Pure happiness. Maybe a little reluctance, but mostly contentment. “My pleasure.”
Chapter Two
Kenny
When Drew stopped the golf cart in front of my rented cabin, I opened my mouth to say goodnight. However, the second I met his stare, my tongue and lips decided to form other words, as if they had a mind of their own. “Do you want to come in? I have drinks in the fridge and some snacky stuff if you’re hungry.”
It’d been a long day—an early morning followed by a very lonely and tiring drive—but I felt as though the heavy exhaustion from earlier had dissipated. Meeting Drew seemed to have renewed my spirit and had me on the verge of giddiness. Evidently, it only took a couple of hours with a hot guy beneath the sprays of glittering color to revitalize me. At this rate, I’d probably be up until dawn.