by Kinney Scott
Seth: Call me tonight. I want to hear your voice.
Natalie: Will do. Miss you.
Seth: Miss you too.
By the time Seth arrived at Whitewater Homes, darkness cloaked the large buildings in elongated shadows. Large brown leaves from a nearby maple tree tumbled across the lot. A pile accumulated in a crisp heap at the edge of his building.
He pulled his coat around him to combat the chill night air, kicked the leaves away and opened the side entrance door. Settled in his office, Seth turned on his computer. Signs of Natalie’s presence surrounded him; the Space Needle coffee mug she left behind, her stash of chocolate in the top desk drawer, and colorful gel pens filling a ceramic cup on the shelf. Seth checked his email, finding a couple of inquiries from the impromptu promotion at the farmers market. He forwarded a copy to Natalie, to celebrate the success with her.
Next, he looked over their website, amazed by the updates Natalie had put in place. He would have to ask her about ideas for other modifications, because her changes were spot on. Finally, he pulled up the home design software and began drafting a home scheduled to begin construction in two weeks.
Seth’s phone buzzed, a call coming in from Natalie, “sorry to call so late, Faye had a few people over for dinner and she invited me to join them. I just got back.”
“No worries, I’m still drafting a home plan.”
“Which home?”
“The build for that couple from Montana, with space for their dogs.”
“Was it two Weimaraners? Those are really big animals.”
“Yes. I’ll have to get creative with the loft access. The dogs sleep with the owners.”
“Really, now that could get cozy! If I had two dogs in my place I would need a built in vacuum system for the hair.”
“You know, that isn’t a bad idea. Mind if I use it?”
“Happy to be your muse. Let me know if you need more amazing inspiration.”
“Actually, I love what you did with the web page. Is that something you would like to keep updated?”
“Sure, I’d love to, but someone in Ashwood may need to take pictures. I doubt I will be around for every home that is completed. Maybe Amanda could take some shots.”
“My sister, really?”
“She is an amazing photographer. Amanda has some work in the local paper. Most of the photos from our day at the Farmers Market were shot by your sister.”
“I knew Mom and Dad got her a high end camera a couple years ago, but I guess I wasn’t paying close attention. I’d like it if Amanda took some pictures here, that way I could see her more often.” The age gap between them had always been a stretch for Seth to manage.
“Would you mind if I asked her?” Natalie said, “We became friends this summer when we took a couple of hikes together to take photos. This would be a great way for me to keep in touch with her.”
“Where did you hike?”
“Amanda took me to a deep gorge cut by the Klickitat River. I didn’t know Washington had canyons like that. It felt so remote, but was not far from Ashwood.”
“Wade and I hunt in that area, it’s stunning. Some of the trails are steep and extremely dangerous. Kelsey rafts that river regularly, you should ask her to take you along next year.”
“I will try to work up the courage. I will give Amanda a call tomorrow. Don’t be surprised if she shows up at the shop.”
“Sure, just let me know if there is anything I can do. Did you meet anyone interesting at dinner?” Seth asked, slightly jealous when Nate mentioned a single guy, a surfer, was among the guests at Faye’s table.
Natalie shared the events of her day, the people she met, and her plan to order more food for her business. Faye wanted to add picnic tables with umbrellas in the space between her house and the community building. While the weather held, Nate knew her sales would be good, but once the rains set in, the foot traffic was certain to slow.
“You sound tired, Natalie, why don’t you get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.”
“It has been a long day. Trying to sleep without you will be strange.”
“For me too.” Seth’s mind drifted toward being alone in his home. Empty bed, empty kitchen, her absence marked every room, at home and at work. “Good night babe.”
“Bye Seth.” Leaving off the “I love you,” almost hurt.
It was close to 10:30 when Seth wrapped up for the evening. He did not want head home to make dinner alone. Maybe the cook won’t mind tossing a burger on the grill at The Northside. Iris wouldn’t close for another hour. She never seemed to mind when he shot pool and talked while she cleaned up for the night. Especially if he grabbed a broom to help close up.
“Thanks for letting me hang out for a while, Iris.”
“Anytime you are willing to pitch in with clean up, I’m glad to have you here. Where is Natalie? You two have been joined at the hip all summer.” She said as she wiped down the last of the tables.
“We pulled her home out to the Oregon Coast a few days ago. She’s setting up shop there for a while. For now, we decided to give the long distance thing a go.”
Iris figured Seth might be visiting the grill more often. “Don’t sit home alone, Seth. Keep busy. I like Nate, you two seem like a good match. These things have a way of working out.” Iris encouraged.
It occurred to Seth that he had never seen Iris dating anyone. She guarded her privacy the same way he had in the past. “I’ll stay busy. Wade and I are planning a trip to Boise next week.”
“Wade mentioned that, last time he brought in a delivery. Is he still thinking about expanding?” She asked, surprising Seth. Maybe there was a connection growing between Wade and Iris?
“Yes, he plans to explore it. Looks like we are about done with clean up. I’m going to take off so you can get home. Have a good night, Iris.”
“Thanks for the help, let me know if you want to make a career change.” She added with a warm smile.
***
Amanda bolted into the shop with a large bag in one hand and a six-pack of pop in the other. “Hey Seth!” she hollered, her voice echoed in the large industrial space. Carlos stuck his head out of a window on a home he was finishing.
“Good to see you Amanda. Seth is here somewhere. Check the storage room in the back.”
“Thanks Carlos, I brought sandwiches from work, and pop for everyone. I’ll leave them in the office.”
“Thanks, Amanda. Perfect time to take a break. I’ll get first pick!” As Amanda dropped the food in the office, Kent and Rick appeared, drawn in by the mention of food.
“You’re a lifesaver Amanda,” Kent grabbed a roast beef wrapped in deli paper.
“Building a delicious sandwich, that’s my superpower.” Amanda dashed off to find Seth, locating him in the storage room, an organized chaos of tools, lumber, parts and hardware. He held a clipboard in his hand, making notes. She waited until he looked up from the clipboard. “What’s up, sis.”
“Well, I brought sandwiches over. If you are lucky the guys will leave one for you. , Nate talked to me yesterday. She said I might be able to help you with photography for your website.”
“Actually, yes, Natalie thought you might like to take over that project she started. What do you think? A little side job, I’d pay you by the hour or project, whatever works for you.”
“Really, that would be so cool! Let’s see how the first shoot goes. That way I can take my time and figure out what you need. We can see about compensation later. Usually I bid for an entire project so I can take extra time and not worry about keeping track of my hours.”
“Bid a job? At the risk of exposing what a terrible brother I am, what jobs have you done?”
“Quite a few in the past few months. Senior portraits, two weddings, and I shot some local pictures to promote the farmers market. The yearbook advisor at the high school still recommends me when a need comes up.”
“That’s great Amanda. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Come on. Let’s see if any foo
d is left, if the vultures haven’t devoured it all.”
Amanda ate with his crew, then grabbed her camera from her car and took a few shots as they worked. Seth liked having her around. Kent flirted shamelessly with his little sister, but that was just Kent. At first, Seth felt it was harmless, but as the flirting persisted, he chose to keep a eye on Kent and Amanda after all. When his sister took off, he decided to thank Natalie for sending her over.
Seth: Amanda just left the shop. Took pictures for the web page. She seemed happy to help.
Natalie: She worships her big brother. You are aware. Right?
Seth: Of course, so much to worship.
Natalie: Especially your special brand of humility.
Seth: Thanks for making that happen. It was nice having her around.
Natalie: No problem. I can’t wait to see the pictures she shot.
Seth: Anything new going on at the beach?
Natalie: Got in an order of pumpkin themed treats. I plan to decorate for the holidays too.
Seth: I’d like to see you in a sexy Halloween costume.
Natalie: For you yes. The customers maybe not. Although my sales might go up.
Seth: Maybe I had better plan on visiting for Halloween.
Natalie: I’d love it! Gotta go – a customer just walked up.
Natalie closed up during the lull in the afternoon, placing a sign on the placard out front. With wind speeds low and the sun out she climbed the dunes to catch a glimpse of the surf.
Emerging from the water, carrying his board and clad in a black wetsuit, Mark waved. “Hi, Natalie, good to see you out on the beach. You’ve been working too much.”
“Business has been great. Thanks for stopping in to grab breakfast.” Nate backed up as a wave pushed in across the flat sand.
“Keeps me from eating pop tarts.” His smile was warm, but not at all tempting.
“I’m more of a Toaster Strudel fan.” She laughed, “It’s the little packet of frosting.”
“Hey, if you sold those, I’d eat them. Strawberry’s my favorite.”
“No problem, I’m on it!”
Steamy furls rose as the sun hit the dark wet sand. Mark peeled off the top of his wetsuit, rolling it down to reveal a taught athletic body. “Do you have any interest in surfing? I would be happy to teach you. I’ve got an extra board that would work, but you’d need to rent a wetsuit.”
“Could I take you up on that when my friend Kelsey visits this weekend? If you have time.”
“Sure thing, say Saturday, we can all give it a go.”
Mark walked with her down the beach, the silence a bit awkward. Still it was nice not to be alone. Natalie would have to get used to being alone again. She had been comfortable with solitude in Seattle, but missed spending evenings together with Seth.
Living and working in the same space did become stifling at times. She found that stealing a walk on the beach, or going to town fought the confinement.
“Faye said you lived in Seattle before coming here?”
“Sort of. Last summer I stayed with friends in Ashwood Washington. It’s a small town not too far from Hood River.”
“Yeah, been there to windsurf. It’s a great place.”
“Before that I lived in Seattle for almost five years, I went to school part time, and lived near my grandpa. When I was a kid, I lived in Seattle for a while, but spent my teen years in Arizona. My mom still lives in Arizona, second marriage.”
“I know the drill, my parents are divorced. They still see each other, so that’s cool. They get along better when they don’t live together.”
“Not mine, my Dad lives on the east coast. We don’t speak. Not without a confrontation. My brother just moved to Portland, so if you are here for a while, you are bound to meet him. How about you, Mark? Where did you grow up?”
“Believe it or not Kansas, no waves, no ocean. I wanted to make a change, so I applied to school in California. My roommates taught me to surf. I used to work in the computer industry, but surfing took over. A few years ago, I took a job in construction. I used what I learned to build my home. My parents think I’m crazy, but it works for me right now.”
“My boyfriend, Seth, owns the company that built my house. I helped a little when we put it together. This summer I worked in his office, and he seemed to like having that break.”
“Are you two trying to keep things going long distance?”
“It’s only been a couple weeks, but we will try to make it work.”
“Are you seeing anyone, Mark?”
“Not really, nothing serious.” He shrugged. Serious was the last word Natalie would have used to describe Mark. His laid-back attitude, almost made you feel guilty for being aware of time. Nature, tide, wind and surf shaped Mark’s being. For him, living any other way would have been a false existence.
“I better get going,” Natalie said as she turned towards home. They doubled back not saying too much, just enjoying the sun and the sound of the waves. Natalie appreciated people that didn’t need to talk to feel comfortable. As soon as they reached the spot where Mark left his board, he pulled on his wetsuit.
“Don’t work too hard. See you tomorrow morning, doll. If you have any questions about Saturday you know where to find me.”
“Later, Mark.” Turning around to watch, she envied his freedom. He walked out waist deep into the grey surf, slid onto the center of his board and began to paddle into the breaking water. Natalie could not look away as he disappeared under the crest of the wave, diving beneath it, resurfacing on the far side. His powerful arms pulled him further out before he straddled the flat board, bobbing on the low swells past the break.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Curled up with her computer, later that evening, Nate finally had a chance to go through downloaded photos. Captured memories filled her computer screen, documenting the span of her summer. Gathered around the campfire near the lake, she had managed to capture the depth of friendship between Kelsey and Kent, as he leaned into her white blonde hair to share a secret. Lit by orange firelight, Kelsey held his face close to catch a detail of their communication.
Natalie stored several shots in a separate folder. Images of the night sky from the lumberyard would be worth editing later to enhance the Milky Way. Next, she loaded a few into an email and sent them to Wade. Perhaps he would want to add candid photos of his crew working a local festival to his webpage.
Last the hummingbird photos came into view, she grasped the silver pendant Seth had given her between her finger and thumb. In the photo blue iridescent wings flashed. Checking over each shot, she found two that took her breath away. However, these were not photographs of the hummingbird.
Caught in the first shot, Seth had been watching her from across the deck. Slightly out of focus, his expression embodied the word that she hoped he would someday say aloud. Love, simple love. A few frames later, his eyes still communicated love, but distinctly mixed with fear. His bare emotion brought tears to her eyes. Had her choice to move away from Ashwood left him deeply wounded?
Natalie lay back on her comforter, tears rolled out of her eyes dampening her hair. She longed to hold Seth, and to feel the heat from his arms encasing her. By leaving Ashwood, she had taken on some great risks, but if she chose to return, the risk to her heart would be even greater.
***
Kelsey arrived Friday night. Bounding from her car she grabbed Nate and hugged her so tight she could scarcely breathe. “Why did you move so far away? Oh it feels so good to see you again.” She backed away and looked Nate over. “No puffy eyes from crying day and night. Seth would be so disappointed.”
Natalie laughed, “No tears today. I’m too busy to cry. Ben plans to be here next weekend, then Seth the weekend after. There simply isn’t any time to get lonely,” she half lied.
Trapped indoors all day by steady rain had the girls craving a night out. Both chose to dress in snug jeans, heels, and low cut tops that showed off a little cleavage. It was the weeke
nd and they needed a reason to cut loose.
Weaving their way through tables to find a spot, many hungry eyes followed their path to a booth near the long wood bar. A girl Natalie recognized from her day shift at the grocery store, walked up, “can I get you anything to drink? If you want food anytime soon, you may want to place an order. The kitchen is getting slammed.”
Kelsey shouted over the music, “Could we get a couple mugs of your IPA on tap, and a large deluxe-combo pizza, with extra cheese?”
“Got it, I’ll bring the beer right out. The food will be a while.” She dashed off to take the next order.
Kelsey looked around, catching a few men checking her out. Her silvery hair almost glowed in the dim light. “I know we will take some pizza home. I can’t wait for cold pizza for breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Kelsey filled Nate in on all the gossip about family and friends. A sense of loss crept into Natalie. Now that she had left, Ashwood felt like home. Her place here on the coast seemed like a temporary outpost.
As their beers neared the empty point, two more arrived, “these drinks are compliments of the guy at the bar,” the server said as she placed the cold beer in front of Nate and Kels. He swiveled around, heading in their direction with fluid athletic strides. “Hey girls,” his smile and easy greeting caught Kels off guard.
Natalie stood and gave him a quick hug. “Mark, hi. I want to introduce you to Kelsey. This is Mark. If the weather looks good in the morning he offered to take us surfing.”
Kelsey almost stammered, unable at first to come up with a reply or even a coherent thought. “Surfing yeah, Nate asked me to bring a couple wetsuits.”
Natalie shot Kelsey a quick look, instantly reading her best friends interest in Mark. While she had hoped Ben and Kels would hit it off, she could not blame Kelsey. Mark was gorgeous. “Kelsey guides whitewater rafting. She brought up gear so we wouldn’t have to rent equipment.”
“Good move. Why risk using a stranger’s wettie warmer?” He laughed as Natalie looked confused and Kelsey groaned.