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doesn’t know,” she said, turning to Jeff as he returned with the trash bag.
    April came around the fire and stood next to Brady, sliding her hand into his. “Stop it, Tammy. It’s really not funny.” She squeezed Brady’s hand as she turned to face him. “We always thought you knew. I mean, it’s no secret.”
    Brady didn’t know how to respond. He’d never given that place across the lake so much as a second thought, and now a million questions formed in his mind but none came to his lips. His eyes moved from April’s face and drifted again to the hilltop structure silhouetted against the moon. Her hand slid from his, moving up his arm to rest on his shoulder. He felt Jeff and Tammy draw closer, too. For a brief time they all stood quietly, gazing out into the moonlit darkness. Brady’s frightened expression drew smiles from his friends.
    It was Jeff’s voice that broke the silence. “So, what if you live next to a hospital full of soul-devouring ghosts who’re just waiting to eat the flesh from your bones?” he laughed and then added, “You, at least, have cable TV!” and burst out laughing. The girls joined in.
    "You really are way too easy, Brady,” Tammy said as she stepped forward and playfully punched him in the arm. Brady watched her turn to April and soon the two were whispering and giggling again.
    “Not cool,” he muttered to Jeff as he turned from the girls and grabbed the bag from his friend's hand. He dropped down on a stump near the fire to examine its contents and instantly his spirits brightened. “Hey girls,” he called out as he dumped the bag’s contents on the ground. “I hope you brought your suits.”

    As is the case with most daring adventures planned at the spur of the moment, the act of doing the deed rarely measures up to the anticipation. Swimming out to the float to light off fireworks seemed like a great idea while standing on the shore near the warmth of the fire, but actually doing it had some serious drawbacks. For one, climbing out of the warm water into the cool air was more than a little uncomfortable. The wind had also picked up, bringing with it low hanging clouds that suffocated the moon’s pale light. The clincher, however, was that nobody had thought to bring a lighter or matches.
    “So let me see if I have this right,” Tammy asked as she stood shivering on the edge of the float with April, teeth chattering and water dripping from her hair. “You dragged us all the way out here to light off fireworks and you didn’t even bother to bring a lighter?”
    Brady was smart enough to know a rhetorical question when he heard one. Sadly, however, Jeff stumbled right in. “How was I supposed to know that aqua-man here,” jerking a thumb in Brady’s direction, “would swim us all out here? I figured we’d light ‘em from the shore.” He took a step forward and reached for her, offering his most innocent smile. “Besides, it’s really not that bad once you get used to it.”
    Tammy responded with a look of disgust and more chattering teeth, but she took his hand and let him bring her into his arms. She buried her head in his chest as he stroked her arms and shoulders in an attempt to generate some heat.
    Smooth, Brady thought. His plan to impress the ladies with a romantic fireworks display out on the lake was blown, excuse the pun. But sure enough, Jeff had turned misfortune to his advantage. He stood there watching them, one hand folded across his chest for warmth and the other still clutching the trash bag full of fireworks. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice April’s approach.
    “Well played. Most guys would have been happy cuddling by the fire, but not you. You maroon us out here in the middle of the lake.” Smiling now, she moved closer, “All part of your master plan, I suppose?”
    Brady could see the water running down her goose bumped arms and legs. He had seen her in a bikini before, but always safely in the light of day. Out