Beneath the Palisade (38 page)

“Or not,” Spencer added. He’d also begun to fidget.

Harper couldn’t stand watching him suffer. “Alex, sorry to put you on the spot like this. But we love ya, dude, and want you to hang around here for a long time. Whattaya say?”

“How many vacation days do I get?”

Harper tried to look appalled while everyone else at the table exploded in laughter. “See? He’s a perfect match!”

A
RMED
with a can of Dew, Alex headed back up the trail to the main house. He’d thought about smoking some of the weed Colin had left him but decided he didn’t need it. He was on a natural high tonight, and he wanted to be fresh for tomorrow. Before reaching the house, he exited onto a side trail leading down to the lake. The almost full moon was bright enough to help lead the way. When he’d almost reached his destination, a pair of Adirondack chairs Ian and Harper had placed in a spot giving themselves a prime view of the lake and the palisade, he stopped. Voices from the house weaved their way through the trees and shrubs. “Anyone here?” he asked. Only the waves crashing up onto the rocks answered back.
Ah great! I’ve got the place to myself.
He continued a few more feet until he came upon a clearing. Brushing off one of the chairs, he sat.

The reflection of the moon, positioned directly behind him, shimmered on the water. It was the only source of light visible from where he sat, and it took several minutes for his vision to acclimate to his surroundings. A cool, gentle breeze blew off the lake, rustling the early spring leaves on the bushes and trees. He was glad he’d put on a coat.

Never in a million years would he have guessed he’d be working for two gay dudes right here, where he grew up.
Amazing.
It had changed him. Plans to head west had mysteriously disappeared.
Where did they go? It was all I thought about for so long.
Those dreams seemed so distant. They had been replaced with new friendships, a reservation system, office duties, and a million other new distractions.

Sipping his soda, he looked up to the sky. A bank of clouds moved like a starship above him. The sound of a boat motor brought his focus back to the lake. It took him a few seconds to locate the source of the dim buzzing, and then he had it. A tiny white light skipped across the water toward Duluth.
I wonder where they’re coming from?
Someday, if things worked out like he’d planned, that would be him. He’d be on the boat with a bunch of his friends coming back from one of the Apostle Islands where they’d spent the day relaxing and soaking in the warm summer sun. Yep, and with the way things were going here, that dream didn’t seem too far off. He was a good saver.

Tilting his head back to enjoy some star watching, he was surprised to see the beginnings of Northern Lights. The bank of clouds he’d noticed earlier had moved out onto the water. In its place he watched eerie, supernatural pools of fluorescent green light pulsate in columns toward the water. The light twisted and danced, intensifying with each passing minute.

Alex thought for a second about running up to the house and informing the others so they could enjoy them too, but a burst of laughter from the house changed his mind. They were having a great time, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. The exotic light show made frequent visits to the North Shore. Most often they appeared, like tonight, in shades of green. Rarer were the instances when the display included brilliant reds, blues, and purples.
I’ll definitely go get the others if I see some other colors.

Downing the last of his soda, he brought his feet up onto the edge of the chair and hugged his knees. What was the summer going to be like? he wondered. Would he tire of it?
Probably not.
It will be fun to meet all the people who spend time here. He laughed out loud at the thought of a handsome dude, maybe someone like Mike, staying in the cabins. It would be fun to flirt, knowing that at least here, he could be himself. Nobody would hassle him for being gay, and if they did, they’d sure as hell wish they hadn’t if he made it known to Ian or Harper.

A huge yawn caught him by surprise. It was hard to say goodnight to the sky, but it had been a full day. Picking up his empty can, he got up and started for home. As he neared the house, he could hear Allison shriek. Alex giggled. Everyone was so cool.

Reaching the end of the path, he spotted a figure open the office door and walk in. There hadn’t been much time to catch a glimpse, but he was pretty sure it was a man. Brent? A few couples had checked in. Maybe someone needed ice. That reminded him to talk to the guys about putting a small freezer somewhere where guests could grab ice whenever they needed it. For now, he had to go back into his apartment and grab a bag for them. No big deal.

When he reached the office, he threw his soda can in the trash bin located on the side of the building. Stepping through the door, he was stopped in his tracks.

“Alex.”

“What are you doing here?” Alex wasn’t sure what to do. This was the first time he’d seen his dad since the bastard had stolen his savings.

“I wanted to come by earlier, but I thought I’d better go to my meeting. Getting off the juice isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I’ve had a few setbacks, but for the most part, I’m stayin’ off it pretty good.”

Alex waited until his dad had moved away from the desk to make his move. He made a beeline to behind it before he lost the opportunity. He’d always envisioned going off on the old man if they crossed paths. With the opportunity staring him in the face, he was surprised not to feel anger. On some level, the guy still scared him. He couldn’t be trusted, and that made Alex feel uncomfortable. Standing behind the desk felt safer.

“You look good, boy. I ran into that dishwasher you worked with at the Lip Smacker, and he told me you were working here. I can’t remember his name.”

“Louie.”
That dumbass.

“Yeah, Louie, that’s right. Anyway, he didn’t know what you did. Just that you worked here. What do you do here, anyway? You mind if I take a load off?” His old man pointed to the chair.

“I’m supposed to shut down the office in a few minutes,” Alex lied.

“Well, I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

“There’s no money here. It’s in the bank,” Alex lied again.

“Hey, that was the booze that made me do that. As soon as I get back to work, I’m going to pay you back. I promise.” His dad took a step forward.

“I don’t want your money. You should leave.” Alex pretended he had work to do, shifting through some papers.

“You know, your mom and I stayed here one time. Jesus, I haven’t thought about that for years.”

Alex stared down at the desk. He didn’t want to hear this. He didn’t want this asshole talking about his mother. To his horror, his dad stepped up to the desk and leaned in.

“It was our anniversary. We’d been up to the Temperance River for the day. Had a picnic up there. Your mom was so pretty. I remember she had on this red and white checked dress. Her hair, it was all done up so nice. I was really proud. Anyway, instead of going home, we stopped here. Doesn’t look the same though. I remember this being a store too. Ah hell, I don’t know what I remember anymore. Mind’s about gone.”

Growing impatient and unwilling to listen to any more of these awful memories, Alex found his voice. “If you don’t need money, I’m not sure why you came here. I want you to leave. I never want you to come by here again. Never.”

His dad stepped away from the desk. “Look, boy, you have every right to be angry with me. To hate me a little. But I’m working my way back. I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”

“It’s too late for that. I don’t want you in my life. I don’t love you. You should leave.” Alex folded his arms across his chest.

“I’d like a second chance, if you could see clear to give it to me.” His dad walked to the door.

Alex thought of a million things he could say but chose none of them. Even sober, the figure standing by the door was a pitiful excuse for a man. He could spend a lifetime trying to make up for being a bad dad, but it wouldn’t be enough. It wouldn’t even come close. Looking at him was like looking at an alien. “Leave or I’ll call the police.”

He watched as his dad looked over at him, as if taking in one last look. Then he turned, shook his head, and walked out.

His heart was pounding in his chest. Looking down, he wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. His body remained tense until he heard the sound of a car starting. Coming around the side of the desk, Alex watched through the small office window until the car carrying his father was lost behind the trees.

S
ATURDAY
, the first morning of the long Memorial Day weekend, was picture perfect. Spencer and Allison were up and moving around as soon as he and Harper hit the kitchen. Together they sipped coffee and speculated on how the day would unfold. Ian hated to admit it, but he was nervous. He wasn’t sure why he felt the way he did. Maybe it was the uncertainty, having never co-hosted the opening of a resort before.
You think? I wonder how Harper feels this morning.

Alex joined them for breakfast, and after a quick review of everyone’s tasks, they dispersed to their assigned areas. Though planted, the gardens weren’t too showy. It was still early in the season. It would take several weeks of warm weather before the annuals would kick into high gear. Still, the designs were clever, and the hostas and ferns gave off a feeling of tranquility. Exactly what he hoped their guests would find appealing.

It was before nine, and already he detected a tantalizing aroma emanating from the grills. The caterers had arrived to start cooking before they’d finished breakfast. By eleven, Audrey had stopped by and unloaded a dozen of her delectable pies. Confident all was going as planned, Ian headed for the office.

“Hey, let’s get this party started,” Ian shouted as he blasted into the office. Harper and Alex were giving the office a once-over with Windex and paper towels. “I’m going crazy waiting around.”

“Ian, don’t run away.” Alex was sporting a megawatt smile. “I have something for you and Harper. Be right back.”

They exchanged glances while Alex left the office to go back into his apartment. He returned carrying a large flat object wrapped in brown grocery bag paper.

“Sorry about the crappy wrapping paper, it’s all I had. This is for you guys.”

“What’s this all about?” Harper came around to the front of the counter to stand next to his partner.

“Alex, what did you go and do?”
It’s a picture of some kind. Oh man, I hope this isn’t bad.
Ian gestured for Harper to take the lead. “Go ahead, hon, open it up.”

“Okay….”

Ian sensed Harper had the same worry.
What if it sucks?
The chances were high. Not because Alex had bad taste… well yeah, that was most of it.

“You guys have been so cool. My life sucked the big one until you came around.” Alex giggled, catching the naughty innuendo in his comment.

Ian and Harper giggled too. Nerves were on high alert for this one.

“Anyway, it’s not much.” Alex couldn’t stand still. “Go ahead, open it.”

Harper carefully peeled off the paper, uncovering the back of a picture of some kind. There was a strand of wire making it ready for hanging.

“I was right, it’s a picture. Ready?” Harper looked over and winked.

“Yes, I’m dying to see it.”
Oh please don’t let this suck.

Harper turned the picture around, holding it in his hands. “Wow!”

“Wow is right. It’s gorgeous.” Ian took it out of Harper’s hands. “If I’m not mistaken, the artist had to be standing almost directly in front of Cabin 10 when they painted this.” The painting had an edgy quality to it. It captured for Ian one of those moody days in the middle of winter when the sky is steely gray and the water almost black, on the verge of freezing. The palisade was majestic and cold, adorned with long, cascading streams of frozen ice tinted naturally by the minerals it had encountered on its journey to the lake. “This is a fabulous watercolor, Alex. It must have cost you a fortune. I love it.”

“I love it too. It’s fantastic.” Harper took the painting back and placed it on the counter so they both could have a better look. “I feel bad you spent money on us. But not too bad, because I really like this a lot. It’s something I would buy if I saw it hanging in a gallery. I really mean it.”

“Is the artist local?”
This had to cost him a few dollars. Bless his heart.
“Maybe we can acquire more of their work to hang in the office. You know, to start a little gallery of our own.”

“Alex… your face, it’s so damn red.” Harper chuckled. “Ian, check it out.”

Alex’s face was lipstick red. “Dude, you embarrassed or something? Relax, this is an awesome gift.”

“I’m the artist. I painted it early this spring.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Harper appeared dumbfounded.

“Yeah, shut the fuck up.” Ian looked over to Alex to see if he was kidding.

“You guys shut the fuck up. I didn’t have a computer all winter. You can only watch so much television. My art teacher in school taught watercolor. I got into it. He said I should pursue art.”

Their reaction to his picture was obviously what Alex had hoped for. He was proud, there was no mistake about it, and most likely relieved his painting had been so well received. His face toned down quickly about the same time he’d regained the ability to stay in one spot for longer than a second.

“You have a hammer and a nail around here, Alex?”

“Yeah, hang on.”

“He’s fantastic,” Harper mouthed when the artist had left the office.

“Where do you think it should go?” Alex asked, returning with hammer in hand.

“No-brainer.” Ian looked over to Harper.

“Yep. How about behind the desk? It will be the first thing our guests will see when they walk in. What a great way to greet them.” A car door slammed.

“Speaking of….”

“Is this where we check in?” A woman peered through the screen and then opened the door and stepped into the office, her frizzy brown-gray hair pulled casually back into a ponytail. She wore khaki pleated shorts, a “Marriage Equality Now—Damn it!” T-shirt, and hiking boots appropriate for hiking in the Himalayas. A shorter, rounder, softer woman dressed almost identically followed her in.