Last Chance Book Club by Hope Ramsay

Author:Hope Ramsay
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781455522286
Publisher: Forever
Published: 2013-03-25T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

As a child, Savannah had attended the Watermelon Festival, held every year in midsummer. But she was ignorant of the other important celebrations that marked life in Last Chance.

She had never attended the Annual Egg Toss and Frog Jump Jubilee that occurred every year on the Saturday before Easter. And she had most certainly never gone frog hunting before.

But here she stood, clutching a flashlight and wearing a pair of oversized rubber boots that had once belonged to Uncle Harry, trying to keep up with her cousin and her son. They were walking along the trail off Bluff Road that skirted the old derelict Jonquil House, heading toward the swamp.

At night.

And the only reason she was here was because Dash and Todd had dared her to come. And she, like the idiot she often was, had risen to the challenge.

When would she learn? She should be back at home, cooking a casserole or something for the covered-dish Easter brunch that was held annually at the Baptist church after sunrise services. It was attended by every congregation in town. And, in addition to a bean casserole, Savannah wanted to bake an apple pie, just to prove the point that her crust was flakier than Jenny Carpenter’s.

But no. She’d opened her mouth at dinner tonight, and here she was.

“All right, now, son,” Dash said as they tramped along the path. “We’ll need to be quiet and listen to hear a bullfrog.”

“What does a bullfrog sound like?”

“Lord have mercy, boy, you really have been living in the city, haven’t you?”

Todd made no comment.

“It’s all right. I know what a bullfrog sounds like.”

It was at that point that Savannah noticed another light up ahead. “Uh, we’re not alone.”

“Of course we’re not alone. It’s the Friday before the frog jump. Practically every boy in Allenberg County between the ages of five and fifteen is out here with his daddy frog hunting.”

“I see. And you did this as a child?”

“Of course I did. Uncle Earnest brought me out here every year. He was a champion frog hunter. He even won the competition a couple of times, but he never entered any frogs in the national frog jump in Calaveras County. Which reminds me, Todd, you need to read the Mark Twain story.”

“Sure.”

They reached the edge of the swamp. On either side, flashlights were moving through the trees.

“All right now, son, the first thing you need to do is wet down your bag.” Dash aimed a flashlight at the water, and Todd dunked the bag.

“All right. Let’s listen for a minute.”

They fell silent, and sure enough, not more than ten seconds went by before they heard the unmistakable sound of a bull frog serenading the night in search of a mate.

Dash touched Todd’s shoulder and pointed. They circled the water’s edge to the right. The sound got louder.

“All right,” he whispered, “he’s right over yonder. We’ll need to wade into the water. You take the flashlight and kind of shine it along the edge of the water.

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