Summer at Forsaken Lake Read Online Free

expects the pitcher to be much of a hitter, you know what I mean? Learned how to kind of tuck the glove under my stump while I threw, and then get it back on my hand so I could field.”
    “That’s incredible,” Hetty said. “You’re like a superhero.”
    “Ha! Not quite,” Nick said. “But I
was
good enough to play for my old team out in Williamsfield. Pitched a no-hitter once. Still have the ball.”
    “A no-hitter!” Nicholas stared at him in wonder and puzzlement.
Why didn’t Dad ever tell me any of this?
    “It was a long time ago. Nowadays, I help out with some of the local kids, that’s about it. So, how about you? Wait, let me guess: catcher.”
    “Nope!” said Hetty. “Not even close!”
    “Second base,” said Nicholas.
    “Good for you,” said Nick. “Catching is too hard on the body anyway. The infield is the place to be.” He paused as lightning streaked across the sky directly in front of them. “Sailing is definitely out for today, but we’ll hit it bright and early tomorrow. Going to be a beautiful day. Right now, though, let’s swing by the library and get you all library cards. If you’re going to be here all summer, you’re going to need one. They’ll let you take out a couple of books today, and we can come back as often as you want. I’m a regular—I’m in there once a week at least. Today’s going to be a good day to curl up with a good book, and I have just the one in mind for you girls. It’s back at the house. And I’m sure I can dig up something for you, too, Nicholas. Between the library here and my own bookshelves, I think we can find some books about sailing that’ll be helpful. You can’t learn
everything
about sailing by reading about it, but you can start to learn some of the lingo, know what I mean?”
    But Nicholas was already thinking of the strange discovery he’d made—the film and the notebook—andwas looking forward to a little more exploring. “Um, you wouldn’t happen to have a movie projector, would you?”
    Nick turned to look at him, a quizzical expression on his face. “Now, that’s a funny question. Why would you—”
    “We found a movie in Nicholas’s room,” Hayley said, earning a dirty look from her brother. “In a secret compartment.”
    “You’re not pulling my leg, are you?” Nick asked.
    “Nope!” cried Hetty. “We really did. It’s called
The Seaweed Strangler
! And we think Daddy made it.”
    “I’ll be darned,” said Nick, turning the truck into the drive. “You’re right—your dad did make it. When he was about your age, Nicholas. I haven’t thought about that movie in years. Figured it was long lost. Your dad never, uh, told you about it?”
    “Seems like there’s a lot of things he didn’t tell me,” Nicholas noted.
    * * *
    When Nick said they were going to “swing by” the library, Nicholas pictured a ten-minute visit. He figured that would be more than enough time to get a library card and maybe even pick up a book or two about baseball. But that was before he realized that the Deming Public Librarywas much more than just a place to borrow books—it was bustling with activity, and Nicholas couldn’t believe the flow of people in and out the front door.
    “Hey, Janet,” said Nick, pushing the three kids toward the librarian’s desk. “Meet my nieces, Hayley and Hetty, and my nephew, Nicholas. They’re going to be spending the summer with me, and they need some library cards.”
    Janet greeted them warmly, adding, “You’re very lucky; Nick has the nicest place on the lake. It’s my dream house.”
    “Kids, Janet here is the most powerful person in town,” Nick said. “She has worked here for going on forty years, and not only does she know everyone in town, she can tell you what kind of books they all like, too. So, do you think you might find something for these three?”
    “Let’s see what we can do,” Janet said. “Why don’t we get you set up with cards first, and then we’ll look