Page 39 of Just One Season
LUCY
“After you talk to him, I will.”
The more I think about it, the more I realize Atticus will get it. He really will. I bet he’ll be completely on Team Piss Off Dad.
“Lucy.” Kellen holds his arm out, and I bump right into it.
“Wait, do you think we should do it together?”
Atticus will probably hate it at first, but we can win him over. I know it. Just have to come up with the right pitch.
“Shhh.” Kellen doesn’t move his arm out of my way.
“What?” I swing my head to him, about to make a comment about shushing me, but he’s looking around us intently.
“There.” He points to the ground.
I follow the line of his finger, and my eyes land on a snake.
A rattlesnake.
Nestled partly in the brush, it’s curled in a neat little pile, its head in the center poking up and pointing right at us, its shaker upright and making that noise.
Am I snake expert? No, no I’m not. But this snake is holding up its damn tail andrattling, so I know it’s a rattlesnake.
And we’re about three feet from it. By the looks of it, the snake is not impressed with our arrival. I bend down and scoop up Bear.
“Good thinking,” Kellen says quietly. “Now don’t let that dog out of your arms.”
“I’m trying not to.” My teeth are clenched, my voice shaky, and Bear is squirmy. “Are we going to getting eaten by a poisonous snake?”
“Venomous.”
“What?”
“Back up slowly. We’re too close.” Kellen’s voice is calm and steady.
“Too close for what?” I whisper. Oh my god. Too close as in we’re going to get eaten by a poisonous—venomous—snake. Why am I in Colorado again??
I take a step back, but Kellen doesn’t move.
“Get right behind me.”
I do, tucking myself against his back, Bear safely wedged between us.
“Another step back, Lucy.” This time we step in unison.
Another step. And another.
“Are we far enough away yet so I can panic?” I whisper.
“A few more.”
Suddenly, the rattling stops. I poke my head around Kellen to see that the snake is still there, its cold, beady little eyes fixed on us, but the shaker is blessedly quiet. I breathe out in relief.
“That was terrifying—” A bird swoops down in front of us and Bear starts barking like crazy. He twists his body so hard I lose my grip, and he tumbles to the ground, lunging at the bird, who is halfway back to the rattlesnake.
“No!” I shriek, but I can’t grab the leash in time. I picture what’s about to happen. He’ll either accidentally tumble onto the damn rattlesnake because he didn’t see it, or he’ll see it and decide to tackle it anyway. Then the snake will bite him or maybe wrap itsslithering snaky body around my soft fluffy dog and squeeze and squeeze and squeeze?—
