Beneath the Palisade (27 page)

“I’d have to look back at the bookkeeping, but I would suspect it was close to ten years. Rosie had been itchin’ to change the land over to cabins, but she wanted to do it right. When we were able to figure out a way to get running water piped in, both hot and cold, we made our move. We were the first ones up in these parts to have modernized cabins. Rosie was damn proud of that, she was.”

“She sounds like a wonderful person.” Harper smiled, looking around at the others.

Harper was moved. Ian could hear it in his voice. Mister wheelin’ and dealin’ attorney was a big ol’ softy deep down. This made him smile.

“When she passed….” Floyd paused. The thought of his beloved wife gone from his life still choked him up. “The fun went with her. She was the planner, you know. She had this dream, and I helped her to get there. If she was around… well, she’d never admit this to your face, but she was the mover and shaker. I’m sorry, I miss her like she left me yesterday.”

The room went silent. Love: it was an amazing emotion. Ian choked back the lump in his throat. It wasn’t the same, but nearly losing Harper was one hell of a primer.

“Oh, well I didn’t mean to get all mushy on ya. Sometimes I can talk about this stuff and sometimes I can’t. I wish you boys luck. I truly do. And remember, you’re apt to have Rosie lookin’ out for you too. So if the doorknobs start to move or blinds snap up unexpectedly, it’s probably Rosie letting you know how she feels about something. Make her proud, boys. That’s all I ask.”

Chapter 9

I
AN
sat on the chair and stared into the fire.
I’m exhausted.
It was the first time all day he’d been off his feet for more than a few minutes.
A perfect time for reflection.
He smiled, unable to remember the last time he’d thought about Pastor Erickson and the church he’d attended periodically as a kid growing up. If the Burkes missed church, it was no big deal. They made it a point to show their faces on the big ticket religious holidays.

It was fun being back home. Clearing his schedule so he and Harper could spend the week up north, their first stop had been to see his parents in Buchannan. This being a non-family-reunion year, the immediate family, including his sister, her family, and his brother, had gathered at Dickenson Park on Lake Walburn for a picnic. Harper charmed the socks off of everyone. It was a blast watching his new beau work the crowd. Confident, charming, his special brand of silly fit right in. Ian was most amazed at how his father had warmed up so quickly to Harper. Bernard Burke, the typically reserved head of the family, had been animated and welcoming in a way Ian didn’t recognize.

From Buchannan, they drove to Duluth. He was surprised to see so many patches of spectacular fall color this early. Radiant reds and brilliant yellows contrasted starkly with dark evergreens made the trip breathtaking.

After checking in to their motel on the bluff overlooking the harbor, they headed over to The Main Club. The popular watering hole across the bay from Duluth in Superior, Wisconsin, was a huge hit. He’d heard about it from friends, but this was his first visit. They’d stopped in for a beer and ended up closing the place down. Darts, pool, and some of the friendliest locals you could ever run into made the night memorable. The next morning, Harper was filled with promotional ideas linking their new investment and the venerable Twin Ports gay bar.

They had agreed to meet Andy, Spencer, and Allison at the Lip Smacker bright and early Saturday morning. After breakfast they headed over to the cabins and got busy tackling a list of chores. The goal was to make the office apartment livable, as well as cleaning and setting up a few cabins so the gang all had a comfortable place to crash. It had been a busy day. Spencer and Andy helped Ian tackle the larger apartment where he and Harper would be spending the winter, while Harper and Allison cleaned the cabins. Spencer grilled burgers for dinner, and once the sun had set, the group found themselves congregated around the fireplace in the tiny living room of the apartment.

“The entire winter, you guys are going to live in this? For the entire winter?”

“That’s the plan.” Ian wished he’d hesitated before answering Allison’s question to see how Harper would have responded. Allison couldn’t seem to wrap her head around the fact they were entertaining the idea of spending a long, cold winter in the little back-office apartment.

“I mean, what if it snows so much you can’t get out? What if you lose your power?”

She had valid points. Perhaps in their enthusiasm to jump into this project hook, line, and sinker, they’d gone too far. Nobody said they had to tough it out here over the winter. It had seemed like part of the adventure. Now he wasn’t so sure it was the best idea. Snuggling up to Harper for five months didn’t sound particularly grueling, but anything could get old after a while. He wondered how the previous owners, Rosie and Floyd, had passed the winter months. Something told him the cribbage board saw more action than their mattress. It was just a guess.

They would have to winterize before the bitter cold set in. The windows would need to be covered over with clear plastic film, particularly those in the bedroom and the bathroom. Andy inspected the tiny furnace and thought it would be fine.

Ian glanced around the room and sipped his pinot noir. Spencer seemed lost in thought, parked down on the floor between Allison’s legs, staring into the fire. He and Andy had spent all day going through the apartment, pulling out all of the appliances and giving them a test to make sure everything was still working. Ian and Harper and Allison had finished sprucing up a few of the cabins. By afternoon they had moved over to the office apartment, emptying boxes and organizing as much as they could.

“My frickin’ back aches.” Andy launched into a series of stretches.

“My everything aches.” Allison slumped in her chair.

“Please don’t say that. Please don’t shut the door on Mr. Wally’s Fun World,” Spencer pleaded.

“Easy, tiger. Who said anything about shutting down Wally’s? What the hell did you just say?” Allison and everyone else in the room roared. “That’s the most pathetic, desperate thing I’ve ever heard.”

“For you, maybe,” Spencer whined.

“A back—forget that, a
body
rub will gain you unlimited access to Wally’s… whatever.” Allison reached over and ruffled her husband’s hair.

“Yes!” Spencer launched into a sit-down version of his happy dance.

Everyone was comfortably exhausted and tipsy off red wine. The temporary silence was broken by Andy’s cell.

“God, I hate these things sometimes.” He stood and fished the phone out of his pocket. “This is Andy. Hi there!”

Andy sauntered off to the kitchen to take his call.

“Who’s that?” Spencer yawned, reaching for the half-empty bottle of wine on the table, filling his glass, and then passing it over to Harper. Harper sat on a folding chair in the corner with a sloppy grin on his face. The day’s activities appeared to have finally caught up to him.

God, I love you. If spending the winter here is what you want, my handsome man, I’m there.

Little snippets of Andy’s conversation floated into the room, but not enough to determine who was on the other line.

Ian got up and walked over to Harper, planting a kiss on the top of his head. “You doin’ okay?”

“I’m perfect. You?” Harper reached up and stroked his cheek.

“Yep. I love you.”

“I know you do.” Harper smiled, tugging him down for another kiss. “And I love you.”

“Another bottle?” Ian plucked the empty from Harper and looked around the room for a consensus.

“Why not?” Spencer sat up and kissed his wife’s knee.

“I think we can manage the walk over to cabin five without too much trouble.” Allison leaned down and planted a smooch on Spencer’s forehead.

Ian strolled into the kitchen, expecting to find Andy on his phone, but his friend had ventured deeper into the apartment.

“Right. Just leave what you’ll need to open with tomorrow morning in the till, and put the rest of the cash in that box in my office.”

Ah, he’s talking to Emmett.

The summer had been a productive one for Emmett. He’d blossomed into a reliable, trusted right-hand man. Andy had worked a miracle.

“Oh God, really? I should have warned you about her. She can be really picky. Sounds like you handled her just right.”

Ian smiled. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop on his friend’s conversation, but he was fascinated by the turnaround. How did Andy know Emmett was worth the effort? How did he find the patience?

“I’m so proud of you, Em. Thank you. I miss you too. What? Okay, look in the sky, and I’m the brightest star. I’m always watching over you. I love you too. See you tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and Em, call me if you run into anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

Ian was stunned. There had been little hints here and there, but he’d always dismissed them. There was nothing substantial enough for him to suspect Andy and Emmett were lovers.

“How long have you been standing here?” Wearing a sheepish grin, Andy walked over and wrapped his arms around Ian.

Ian eased the cork out of the bottle. “Long enough.”

“I was going to tell you.”

“Just not tonight, right?” Ian turned in his friend’s arms and smiled. “You’re such a dick sometimes.”

“I thought you’d never let me live it down.”

“Oh, that’s a given. I mean, whose boyfriend gets let off the school bus on the corner each day? It’s like you’re dating Beaver.”

“I hate you.” Andy chuckled, resting his head on Ian’s shoulder.

“So, is this just between you and me?” There would be plenty of opportunity down the road for him and Spencer to tease. Andy’s happiness was much more important.

“Naw, let’s do it.” Andy stood up and reached for the new bottle, guzzling a healthy portion of it before setting it back down.

“You want me to do the honors?” Ian picked up the bottle.

“In the worst way. God help me.”

Ian linked his arm with Andy’s and walked him back into the living room.

“Everyone, listen up. After Andy picks Emmett up from Cub Scout camp, he takes him home and fucks his brains out. They’re registered at Target, Homo Depot, and Sly’s Fantasy Leather Hut. Please join me in wishing them the very best.”

L
EANING
over the edge, Alex released his grip on his soda can. From his perch on top of the palisade, he watched its long, silent journey to the rocks below. The sun was beginning to set. The breeze coming off the lake chilled him. In the last hour, the waves had built to twice their size and were now crashing steadily against the jagged rock. The view from high above was mesmerizing. He hugged himself to stay warm.

Occasionally laughter drifted up from down below. Earlier he’d walked over to the right side of the lookout and spotted several lights shining from the old cabins below. Two guys from the Cities who had been in the café recently had bought the property. Rumor had it they were going to restore and reopen the cabins next spring. He’d waited on the handsome dudes several times now. They were big tippers. And they were funny. Especially the guy with the short black hair. He was always up to no good. Harper, that was his name. The other guy was quieter but nice too. Ian, was that it? Harper and Ian. He’d caught them holding hands one night. Neither of them seemed fazed in the least. About time the area got a look at some gay guys. Just what we need around here. It could be tough for them, but if anyone could make it work, they could. Too bad he wouldn’t be around to get to know them better.

His thoughts drifted to Mike. For days after their planned meeting in Duluth, Alex had expected to see Mike at the restaurant. Or at least some kind of a message left there for him. He’d heard nothing. What could have happened? Maybe something bad. An accident? Was he sick? So strange of him not to show. He was the one who had initiated the whole thing. Nothing Alex could do about it. It hurt. Stung bad. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this shitty over something.
That’s not true, Alex.

When Mom died. That was really bad. He’d just turned twelve. The cancer got her quick. Quicker than anyone had been prepared for. There was nothing he could have done about that either. For the first year or so, his dad stepped up to the plate. But the drinking increased at a pretty good clip soon after, and his parenting went from just adequate to fucking awful. It was downhill from there. But as miserable as life was around here, Alex had managed to navigate the bumps pretty well. Colin had been gone almost a month already.
Damn, I miss you, bud.
Maybe he’d spend a night or two in the Cities before he journeyed west.

Climbing back into Zits, he drove the short distance home.

At least something is going my way tonight.

The old man’s car was nowhere in sight. Maybe he’d gone up to Grand Marais to fuck that skanky redhead he’d had over several weeks ago.
What a trash bucket. Exactly what you deserve, you drunk.

The house stank. It had gotten really bad lately. He’d given up on trying to keep the place clean. His bedroom and the bathroom were the only spots in the house he bothered with anymore. Lately he’d been taking his laundry to work. Audrey wouldn’t mind. Hell, if he brought it up, she’d probably offer to do it for him. He didn’t want that. She did enough for him. Last week there had been an envelope on his time card, and inside, a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill. The card read “Thanks for working so many shifts for me. You’re one in a million, Alex.” If business didn’t slack off too much in the next few weeks, he’d have what he needed to escape the palisade. The increase in business because of the fall colors on the shore was worth waiting around for. The leaves were awesome this year.