Chapter 48

Stan and Tanner pulled up anchor by playing out the rear line and pulling on the front line until we were over the forward anchor, at which time it could be pulled up and then the rear line until Stan could pull the rear anchor in too. He started the boat and idled it forward until the tow rope was tight. Kathy was sitting down in the water with the front tips of her skis out of the water in front of her and the rope between the two. She gave a thumbs up signal to Stan and he gunned the motor and she rose out of the water like naked Aphrodite rising from the sea. She stayed on two skis for a while, getting used to the boat and the equipment. She jumped our wake a few times and once did a reverse somersault on one of the jumps, landing smoothly on legs like coiled springs.

"She's beautiful," I said.

"Yes she is," Stan said. "Keep an eye out, she should be dropping a ski shortly."

Stan was right. She kicked off her right ski and put