She caught her breath. "Poisonous? You mean they have rattle snakes out here?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but near the water you mostly see copperheads and water moccasins. Don't worry, though. Most of the snakes in the water are harmless."
"Harmless?" She echoed in a shaken tone. "I didn't know there was such a thing as a harmless snake."
He chuckled. "Oh, come on now. You swim in the ocean, don't you...or do you stay on the beach all the time to avoid the sharks? My guess is that you accept the slim possibility that a shark might get you, and swim in the ocean anyway."
Was it a guess or had Denton filled him in? Denton was the one who hated to swim in the ocean. He didn't like the salt and sand that clung to his skin and clothes. His caution to her about the sharks hadn't discouraged her, though, as he had intended. On the other hand, it might not have been anything Denton had said. After all, her decision to run off to Arkansas might have convinced Keaton that she was something of a daredevil.
Whatever the case, a refreshing swim sounded more inviting than the movies. Besides, if Keaton wasn't genuinely interested, he could have made good his escape when she declined the movie invitation. She shrugged. "I guess you're right."
He smiled with warmth. "About five, then?"
"All right, but you'd better watch for snakes."
That night she finally slept. No doubt due to exhaustion. After a breakfast of dry cereal, she donned the work gloves she had brought and retrieved the weed whip from the shed. With each stroke she was more adept, and by noon the brush was an acceptable distance from the house. She found a hand saw in the shed and cut down several small trees and some sumac bushes. She studied the berry-like seeds that grew in a cluster at the top of the bush. What would the tea taste like? What was its use? She had been familiar with most herbs and their uses since she was a child, due to her father's business, but she had never actually seen the herbs growing. They were always in bottles or packages. Muldrow had said the land was overgrown with edible plants. She glanced at the woods. What was out there? She dropped the sumac bush. Surely it wouldn't be too dangerous to walk a little way into the woods and look around. As long as she could see the cabin, she wouldn't get lost.
Toting the weed whip, she cautiously approached the edge of the woods. Working her way along the edge, she finally found an entrance point - something that looked like an old trail. She glanced back at the cabin and started down the trail. Every few minutes she looked back to make sure she could see the cabin.