The Long Journey to Jake Palmer (7 page)

“Jake? You with me?”

Peter's voice brought Jake back to the present. He blinked at his friend, who was now standing at the corner of the deck overlooking the lush lawn.

“Yeah, I'm with you.”

Peter pointed at a spot on the slope below. “I'm thinking that would be a good spot for our Cowboy Golf tourney later this week.”

“Sure. Perfect.”

“I need to get back in, keep working on this meal. Camille told me she could watch things for a few minutes, but, uh . . .” Peter pointed at him on the way back to the kitchen. “And get ready, I have a fun surprise for everyone coming just before we chow.”

Jake tried to believe the surprise would be a good one. But at the moment, he didn't have enough faith.

A
ndrew stood with his thick arms outstretched at forty-five degrees, hands braced on the door frame of Jake's room, his rugged, six-two body filling the opening.

“What's Peter's surprise?”

“No idea,” Jake said.

Andrew glanced around the small room and then at the twin bed Jake sat on. “Nice bed. Nice décor. Looks like a girl's room.”

“Probably was, but this is the room the single guy gets. But hey”—Jake pointed at a long bookshelf to his right—“pretty decent collection of kids' books. Takes me back.”

“That's good?”

“One of the best escapes from my dad.”

“Yeah, that's right.” Andrew pointed at the book in Jake's hand. “What's that one?”

“
The Silver Chair
. C. S. Lewis.”

“I've heard of it. A King Arthur story, right?”

“No. You know The Chronicles of Narnia? You've heard of
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
, right?”

“Sure.”

“That's the first one of seven—in the original order anyway.
The Silver Chair
is the fourth book in the series. Far and away my favorite. Probably read it five times before I turned twelve.”

“That's the one about the girls who become queens.”

“Actually it's about a prince named Rilian, who is the only heir to the throne of Narnia, and his father is dying. Rilian vanished ten years earlier and the kingdom's greatest champions have disappeared or been killed trying to find him. Because of this, even though his heart is broken, the elderly king forbids anyone else from searching for Prince Rilian. So the great lion Aslan sends two children from our world to find and rescue him. They eventually find him deep in the earth. He's been enchanted by a witch, who turns out to be a serpent, but in the end they set him free from his enchantment. The end.”

“Rilian forgot who he was.”

“Yeah.”

“Sounds like a good one. Really good.”

They stared at each other, Andrew's eyes telling Jake something so clear, he didn't want to admit it.

“Listen, J, I'm never going to be as eloquent as my better three-quarters, but let me just say I care about what you're going through just as much as Susie does. You're going to make it out the other side of this tunnel. Find out who you are again.”

Andrew lumbered over to the bed, plopped down next to Jake, threw his arm around Jake's neck, and yanked him close. “And you know I'm here for you no matter what. Yeah?”

A shout came from downstairs. Sounded like Camille. “Dinner! Now!”

Andrew shook his head and grinned. “I think we better roll.”

“No doubt.”

Three minutes later they all sat around the myrtlewood table now filled with Peter's culinary wizardry. Before they began to dine, Susie gave her glass a quick rap with her fork and they turned their attention to her. “I'd like to propose a toast to our tenth year of being together.”

“Hear, hear,” Peter said.

But before Susie could begin, a knock on the front door echoed through the room. Jake turned to Peter and frowned, but his friend was already on his feet, loping toward the entry. He glanced around the table. Susie gave him a nervous look. Andrew had a sudden interest in studying his food. Camille gave him a Cheshire-cat smile and Jake's stomach clenched. Peter's surprise was a person? This would not be good.

Jake twisted in his seat toward the front door, but his vision was blocked by the fireplace.

“You made it.” Peter's voice was soft but Jake still heard the smile wrapped around his greeting.

A softer voice, female, said, “So sorry I'm late. Got a little lost after I found the town.”

“I'm just glad you chose to come.”

“Didn't think I was going to.”

“But you did. A wise decision. You're going to have a great time. I promise.”

Then silence. Knowing Peter, he was giving this new arrival a quick hug.

Their voices grew softer and he couldn't make out the words. Jake stared at Susie, who sat at the end of the table and had a view of the front door. She glanced at him with a mix of compassion and expectation in her eyes, and Jake knew he was going to administer a slow death to Peter as soon as he had the chance.

His ol' buddy Pete had grabbed the brass ring of romance and melted it down into a yellow, misshapen glob. This was beyond awkward setups and chance meetings. It was a betrayal and without question would ruin the week.

“Ready?” Peter's voice filled the room.

“Sure.”

“Good. Here we go, you're about to be onstage.” Peter laughed and their footsteps echoed on the maple hardwood floors.

A second later, Jake's heart rate spiked. It was her. Ari. The woman he'd met in Peter's office. Same long dark hair, trim figure, those eyes that without question hid a great deal behind them, and skin that had seen more of the sun since he'd met her back in May. He looked away and ignored the feelings that tried to surface.

“Friends,” Peter said, “I'd like to introduce you to a buddy of Camille's and mine, Ari Conwell. As a result of significant arm-twisting and constant nagging, not to mention the fact that she works for me, she's agreed to join us for part of the week. That way when we play games that require pairs, the teams will be even. That's the entire reason Ari is here. Nothing more.”

Ari grinned and lifted her hands in mock surrender.

“Don't worry. I warned her that we like to go deeper than most folks with our conversations and she's okay with that.” Peter glanced at Ari. “Mostly okay. I told her she could plead the fifth at any time during the week. But no more than once of course.”

Jake again glanced at the faces of his friends. None of them looked surprised at seeing this party crasher. Not a big shocker.

“I'll get to intros in a second, but first a bit about Ari. I met her eleven months ago when she started working at my company and she almost immediately became part of the group that gathers at our home every Wednesday night. She's lived in the Northwest most of her years and now spends her days helping me negotiate contracts.” Peter rubbed his hands together and glanced at Ari. “Now, let me tell you a few snippets about these ragamuffins around the table.”

He pointed at the head of the table. “That's Susie Hawthorne. Susie was born in Minnesota but moved to the San Fran Bay area with her family in third grade, and she's been there ever since. She's an indie singer-songwriter with a solid career going, and she's still crazy about the Minnesota Vikings even though she hasn't lived there for, uh, a number of years, and they're one of only two teams to go to the Super Bowl four times and never win. No, we can't figure out why she still loves them either.

“Next to her is her husband, Andrew. He's into high tech and systems, one of those people who actually understands security and computers and is smarter than I could ever be even with three lifetimes of brains. Plus he has the most amazing collection of Hot Wheels cars you'll ever see in your life.

“They have three sons and one daughter, and they've been
known to start making out in the middle of dinner, card games, or on the water out in the boat with all of us there. You've been warned.”

“We do not!” Peter ducked as Susie tossed a roll at his head.

“Camille you know, which brings us to the legendary Jake Palmer, who you met briefly in my office in May. He's been my best friend in the world and universe and beyond since our first day of college together and is generally regarded as one of the best corporate trainers on the planet. At least that's what he tells me, but I've never really believed him and you shouldn't either.”

Jake tried to smile but he was certain it came across as more of a grimace. Ari gave him a little wave and a tiny smile that threatened to drag those asinine feelings up out of his gut. “Okay.” Peter clapped his hands. “Let's grab you a plate and a chair and a glass.”

A few minutes later, Ari sat next to Susie, directly across the table from Jake. At least Peter wasn't sadistic enough to seat Ari beside him, but directly across from him was almost as bad.

Peter nodded at Susie. “Now how 'bout that toast?”

Susie stood and glanced at each of them before she began.

“To old friends, and new friends we're soon to grow close to.” She tipped her glass to Ari. “Ten years of friendship is a long time. Most friendships come and go. But not ours, no, not ours. Isn't there a little voice deep inside that says we'll still be toasting our little group in another ten years? In another twenty? I'm certainly hearing that voice. So here's to a week of love and laughter and adventure and celebrating life, going deep and seizing the unquenchable future. And remember, it's not a true toast unless you look in everyone's eyes before you drink and hold their gaze for at least a second. To us!”

They all raised their glasses and clinked them together. When Jake's glass met Ari's he did look at her, but for much less than a second. He couldn't even be certain their eyes met. Welcome to the next ten days.

The first half of the meal consisted of Jake making controlled and polite conversation while focusing most of his energy on not looking at Ari and trying to catch Peter's eye so he could scorch his friend with his gaze. But Peter didn't glance his direction once.

Between the meal and dessert, Andrew raised his glass and said, “One more toast before we get our sugar fix. Today marks the fifth anniversary of the release of Susie's first album. Which would not be in existence but for Mr. Palmer. To you, Jake.”

“Indeed!” Susie said as she and Peter and Camille joined Andrew in the toast.

“What happened?” Ari asked.

Susie pointed at Jake, who motioned with his hand to indicate less is more.

“Through his training he met the head of a small record label. Jake convinced her to listen to my music, then he and Andrew talked me off the ledge every time I thought I wasn't going to make it, and Jake even spent three weeks with us as I was making my first record. Without his support and belief in me, it never would have happened.”

“You're embarrassing me, Sooz.”

“Good. For a second there I didn't think it was working.”

“Ahhhh, yes, it is.” Jake covered his eyes with his hand and sighed.

“By the way, Jake didn't limit his efforts to Susie and Andrew,” Peter said as he looked at Ari.

“Oh really?”

Peter raised his glass again and looked at Jake. “Do you want me to tell them what you did for me and my business? Or what you did for Camille and me for our honeymoon? I think Ari might be interested.”

“No, bud. I think you've already done quite enough this evening.”

A
fter consuming a piece of Peter's homemade tiramisu, Jake wandered out onto the deck, spread out his arms, and set his palms on the dark-stained railing. A camp robber launched itself off a tree to his left and landed on the railing on the far side of the deck. It stared at Jake as if wanting to give him a message. Eventually it flew off, leaving Jake in peace to watch dusk steal over the lake. The sun still hung high enough over the mountains to the west to light up the lake with the richest colors of the day. Photographer's dream.

Leonard was right. A gorgeous spot to retreat. Relax. Find restoration. Unless of course you were stuck for more than a week with a woman like Camille and another woman like Ari who would prevent any of the three Rs from happening.

As if on cue, a bald eagle swooped by him not more than fifty feet from the deck. He watched the great bird till it soared out of sight. Symbol of freedom. A reminder that he'd never be free to soar again till this life ended. Was he bitter toward God? Yeah. Should he be? Probably not. God wasn't the one who made him pull off the freeway on that cold October night a year and a half ago. Still, why did he allow the incident to happen? Nothing good had come of it.
No justice. No lesson. No hope for the future ever getting better than it was right now. Only loss. Trust God? Not easy these days.

“Hey.”

Jake spun. Susie. She danced toward him doing her disco moves, which always made him smile. “You okay?” Susie peered at him with that look that forbade him to tweak the truth. But sarcasm? That was never off-limits.

“Yeah, fantastic. Wow, it's like I'm a kid at Disneyland. So glad I let Peter talk me into coming this week.”

“Me too. I'm getting tired of checking my mailbox for the wedding invitation.”

“That's not funny.”

“I'm sorry, Jake. I just want you to be happy. And you have to admit, there are two types of guys. The ones who need to be married. And the type that
really
need to be married.” She drummed her fingers on the railing. “Which camp do you think you fall into?”

“Did you know he was inviting Ari?” Jake leaned on the railing with his elbow and stared at Susie. She shifted her gaze to the lake and Jake had his answer. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“He made Andrew and me promise not to.”

“Do you realize this is the only time I ever get to truly be myself? Where I can swim without wondering if people are gawking at me? Where I can talk about the incident without people getting a sudden fascination with the coffee swirling around their cup?”

“I know. That's what I told him, but he has this matchmaker complex when it comes to you.”

“How can one man be so lucky?” Jake pushed himself up from the railing. “Have you seen him?”

“Peter?”

“Yeah.”

“Camille said he was going down to the water before cards.”

“I looked. There's no one on the dock.”

“Haven't you been down there yet? There's a little path off to the right that takes you to a small clearing in the trees. You can't see it from up here.”

“Thanks, Sooz.”

“It's still going to be a good week. I feel it.”

“Hmm.”

Jake eased down the forty steps toward the dock, resting every now and then, and finally stepped onto the path Susie had mentioned. Poplar trees on either side formed a kind of tunnel that ran along the edge of the lake. Jake wound down the path and after twenty-five yards saw an opening in the trees. It led to four chairs made out of thick wood stained to a dark brown, arranged around a cold fire pit. A grove of birch trees surrounded the chairs in a half circle overlooking the water.

Peter sat in the chair on the far side like a stone, his hands wrapped around his camera, the only movement his forefinger as he snapped pictures of a burnished sun balancing on the horizon. A breeze ambled in from the left, just enough to ruffle the trees outlined against the darkening sky. The noise of laughter floated down from the cabin. The lake was glass.

Jake slid into the chair next to Peter and joined his friend in watching the trees at the far end of the lake poke their tops into the bottom of the sun. Without speaking and without looking his direction, Peter set his camera on the armrest of his chair and
picked up two glasses. He handed one to Jake, then settled back in his chair and took a drink. They sat in silence for another few moments before Jake broke it.

“Do you prefer to die by the sword, or shall I poison your coffee at some point during the week?”

“Do you like her?” A slight smile crept onto Peter's face, his gaze still straight ahead. “I think you do.”

“Definitely poison. It will be slower and more painful.”

Another smile from Peter. This time his teeth showed.

Jake shook his head. “Leftovers, huh?”

“You'd never have let me invite her if I'd told you about it ahead of time.” Peter shifted in his chair and turned to Jake. Jake stared straight ahead.

“You think?”

“So you admit it. I was right.”

“Right about what?”

“Finding someone you'd be interested in.”

Jake's gaze shifted to the dead black coals inside the circle of rocks that formed the small fire pit. Once upon a time, the remnants of those branches and logs had been green and growing.

“This was supposed to be a time for the five of us to be together. Where I could be myself. Where I don't have to hide.”

“You know, you could always step out of the shadows and stop hiding from everyone that you don't already know.” Peter shifted in his chair and rapped the wood of his armrest.

“Yeah, and I could go sled across the North Pole in a bathing suit.”

“My idea would be a lot more freeing. And a lot warmer.”

“Freeing?” Jake smacked his stomach with both hands. “Try living in this body for a day, then talk to me about how showing it to a complete stranger will set me free. It's going to be a fun ten days.”

“Didn't you hear me when I introduced her to everyone? She's not staying the whole time.”

“Really.”

“Probably not. I could only get her to commit to three days.”

“I wish she'd taken the three-minute option.”

“That wasn't on the menu.”

“You swore you were never going to do this to me again.”

“I did?” Peter pretended to recoil from the look on Jake's face. “Oh, that's right. I guess I did.”

“Again, why'd you do it?”

“God told me to.”

Peter kept a straight face but Jake didn't believe it for a second. “Yeah, right.”

“Maybe he didn't, but I know he would have if I'd asked.”

“Why, Peter?”

“Do I really need to tell you?”

“Uh, yeah, I think you do.”

Peter cocked his head and rubbed his chin as if needing to contemplate his answer. “It's time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. The fruit is ripe. The water has come to a boil. The wine has aged long enough and must now be sampled.”

“Is it possible for you to come up with an analogy that doesn't involve food?”

“No.”

“I'm leaving tomorrow. I hope you and Ari and everyone else have a great time.”

“No you're not.”

“I'm not?”

“No.”

Jake rose, smiled, and tossed a stick into the water. “Take lots of pictures for me.”