“Will you build one for me?” asked Julia, sidling closer to John. “I need something to jump-start my garden and this might be the very thing.”

“Get in line!” Cara called out, and raised her glass.

Everyone was in high spirits, enjoying fully not only the beautiful pond, but the spirit in which a son created such a gift for his mother.

Hope was enchanted with the fish and hovered around the pond, chasing them. John sat nearby, keeping an eye on her and making sure the fish weren’t overfed by the eager child. She was meticulously dropping tiny pellets into the water, one by one.

The buzz of conversation was suddenly interrupted by a deep, baritone call from near the pond: jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum. Hope froze, arms out, her attention diverted.

“What was that?” she called out.

Cooper laughed and replied, “Either that’s a bullfrog or an alligator.”

“Here’s to the former,” Cara called out.

David chuckled and patted Cara’s knee. “Don’t scare her.” Then to Hope he said, “Don’t worry. It’s not an alligator.”

John crooned, “Well, I don’t know, David. They do sound alike, you know.”

Cara said in a low voice, “Not really.…”

Linnea bumped shoulders with John. “Stop, don’t scare her.”

John turned to Hope. “Have you been near an alligator?”

She shook her head, wide eyes.

“Well, let me tell you, if you ever hear the rumbling of a big bull alligator, you’d never confuse that sound with a frog’s. It’s so low and loud, you can practically feel the vibrations.” He heard the doubtful comments of the group and called out, “I kid you not.”

“He’s right,” David said. “I’ve heard them on Dewees, and it’s powerful.”

“That,” John told Hope, “is the night call of a male bullfrog. As a matter of fact,” he continued, leaning back into his chair, “he’s my pet.”

Hope drew near, wide-eyed. “He is?”

“Yep. He’s taken up residence in this pond, which is okay by me. He does me a favor by eating up all manner of insects. He just sits real still, like this,” he said, posing in a stiff-backed manner, his eyes wide open. He was rewarded with Hope’s giggle. “He’s got these big ol’ eyes and just sits there, watching. He doesn’t move a muscle. Then, when an insect flies by… zap!” John shot out his hand and poked Hope’s belly. She shrieked and jumped back. “He snaps out his tongue and grabs it.”

Hope was all the more enchanted by John. “Can I see him?”

“Well, darlin’, we can try. We have to find him first. His big eyes reflect light. The thing to do is get a flashlight—they freeze when you shine light at them.”

“Don’t touch it, honey,” warned Cara. “They’ll give you warts.”

Emmi laughed and slapped her knee. “Oh, come on, Cara. First of all, that’s toads. Second, that’s an old wives’ tale. Only witches can give you warts.”

“Then stay away from Miss Emmi,” Cara teased back.

“Don’t worry,” John said. “Jeremiah is a clean bullfrog.”