Canoeing, as far as Spike was concerned, looked like a bloody waste of time, but the Niblet signed them both up for a few turns around the reed-choked lake before dinner. Still, having spent two years competitively rowing on the Thames for Cambridge back in the 1800s before his mother's consumption gobbled up all the money set aside for his education, how hard could it be?
"Oh, lookie here…" He paused on his way to help Dawn lever a canoe off of the sagging rack, crouching briefly at the water's edge to study a cluster of tracks he'd missed the night before: a large animal, a smaller animal, and a single, tiny child's footprint, "Come ON, Spike!" Dawnie grunted as she tugged at a dented canoe, "Hurry UP!"
Spike straightened, "Hang on, will you, pet?" Absently he stared out over the small, near-blinding expanse of open water in the center of the small lake, headache back and face tingling despite the goggles and the hood he'd arranged so that it shaded his face. As far as the vampire could tell, the so-called water baby wasn't around, maybe holing up for the day… the way he should be… "Just hang on, all right?!"
Dawn's face fell, "My best friend and her dad are already on the water with everybody else..." She mumbled, turning away, hand playing with the obnoxious pony charm. "I, I… I don't want to miss… anything..."
Spike kicked at the hard packed damp mixture of mud and sand that made up the little beach, "Sorry, pet … didn't mean to snap…" Awkwardly he reached out a gloved hand, pulling her to him for a brief almost-hug against his side.
Dawn pulled away, beaming, "So you'll come out on the lake with me?"
"Yeah. Now, gimme the damned paddle."
