by Sara Marion
“Stupid box,” he groaned.
“Well, good morning to you sunshine,” Duke joked as he saw Jack lift the box of photos. “What are you doing?” He picked up the photos that scattered around the box.
“Just looking for something,” Jack spat out. “It’s not going very well.”
“What are you looking for? Maybe I can help find it?”
Jack froze. “It’s personal.” Duke knew that Jack was warning him to back off. Duke wondered if maybe he and Paxton got into a fight last night. Jack was normally an open book with him.
“Alright, I’ll back off. Just let me know if I can help you in any way.” Duke slowly backed up and went down the hall to start his Keurig machine. Coffee was a must this morning.
Duke’s stomach rumbled and he knew he should probably eat something. Grabbing a frying pan and some eggs he started cooking. He turned some music on from the iPad they left in the kitchen for music purposes. He put on some classical music as he started to make his eggs. He went back to the refrigerator and grabbed his turkey bacon to fry up when he was done. He needed something somewhat healthy after his night of drinking.
“Good morning,” Paxton’s voice sounded behind him. He looked over and saw her grabbing some orange juice from the refrigerator. Duke didn’t even hear her walk into the kitchen.
“Good morning. Want some coffee?”
“Not today,” she smiled as she poured her glass.
“Eggs, bacon?” He offered.
“I would love some eggs, no bacon though.”
“Coming right up,” he winked. He set about the task of making her eggs before he made his bacon. Duke figured he could always reheat his eggs when his bacon was finished. He knew Paxton liked them scrambled with green peppers in them, so he pulled out a green pepper and started slicing. He began singing along to the acoustic music that popped up from his playlist.
He cracked an egg and put in the pan followed by a healthy amount of egg whites behind it. Once that started to firm on the bottom, he slid in the chopped pepper. He was mixing it around, starting to break apart the egg when he heard Paxton sigh.
“Did you work last night?”
“Yeah. It was supposed to be a 48-hour shift that I was covering for another surgeon but they ended up coming in at four this morning. I decided to come over and surprise Jack.”
Duke nodded. He grabbed a plate as her eggs were just about done. “Well, that’s good I suppose. Didn’t you just get off a 48 hour shift earlier this week?”
“Yeah but you just go when the need is there,” she smiled. Duke set her plate of eggs in front of her. “This reminds me of the mornings we used to have at the cabin.”
“Yeah,” that was all Duke could say. Flashes of her body pressed against his went through his mind. “That seems like a long time ago.”
She took a bite and nodded. She suddenly froze and took off towards the bathroom. Duke knew that he wasn’t the best cook, but this was insulting. She couldn’t stomach his amazing eggs? What was wrong with her?
He turned shaking his head as he started putting three strips of bacon in the pan. He peppered them as they started to cook on one side. He then flips the pieces over and peppered the other side. He looked over his shoulder to see if Paxton was back. She was not. He shrugged and focused on his own meal. His stomach was about to eat itself.
Duke made his plate once the bacon was done. Reheating his eggs, he saw Paxton returning to the kitchen, “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Didn’t realize my cooking had gone so far downhill,” he joked.
“Not your cooking,” she laughed.
“You sick?”
“I’m not feeling very well this morning. Guess eggs are off the menu right now. I must have picked up a stomach bug from the hospital.”
“You do work in a danger zone,” Duke laughed. “But seriously, it wasn’t my cooking was it?”
Paxton laughed. “No it’s not your cooking, I promise.”
Duke smiled and took a bite of his breakfast. Paxton watched him quietly as she picked at her eggs. Duke began wondering what she was thinking about.
“I’m gonna head back to bed. I should rest so I can get over this bug quicker.”
“Okay. Hope you feel better.”
“Yeah, thanks for cooking though.” She set her plates in the sink and Duke felt her lips touch his temple. The soft kiss she placed left a sensation rippling through him.
Duke watched her walkaway. He knew that this was an impossible situation. Jack was his best friend and he could see that Paxton loved Jack with everything she had. Duke could also see that he owned a piece of Paxton’s heart. She owned a piece of his as well. On top of that, he had conflicting emotions about Jennah. He needed to just get away, figure out what he really wants. It just seemed impossible at the moment without losing someone. Duke realized he didn’t want to lose Paxton. Despite how he felt over the last few months, his life wouldn’t be the same without her. However, Duke couldn’t see a clear future with her. Jennah was creeping around the edges of his life, trying to find her way in.
TWENTY-TWO
Duke shut down his computer. He could officially put the done stamp on the school year. His classroom was now bare, everything was loaded in his car earlier. He would just drop off everything at the house then pack up and head out. For the next week, Duke was going to check out from the world. He was going to spend some time by himself, away from everyone. He knew he needed time to process everything, really process it and discover why he can’t let Ella go. He was going to figure out why he was back and forth with Paxton and where Jennah fit into all of this. He took one last look at his classroom before he closed and locked his door.
Duke brought the last box into the house. It was time for him to reload his truck with his camping gear. He packed up his tent, some clothes, supplies and food he picked up. Looking around the garage, he looked for anything else that he could use while he was out there. He grabbed his fishing gear and the hammock that he was in an overhead storage area. As he put the last of his stuff in the car, he felt a smile cross his face. He was starting to get excited about this because this trip would be good for him.
He drove out to Tuttle Creek and headed towards the end of the campground, to his favorite spot. He decided to spend the whole week and into the holiday weekend here. He pulled up to where the river meets the lake and smiled. He was ready to set up camp and get on with his vacation.
With his tent set and food in a cooler, he plugged his electric cooler in by dragged an extension cord from the electric post on his lot to the tent. The cooler would be kept in the tent itself, but the rest of his stuff would be stored in the truck. He pulled his chair out of the back, grabbed his fishing gear and headed towards the water. It was only a few feet from his set up.
Casting his line out, Duke sat back and relaxed. There was something peaceful and therapeutic about being outdoors. He watched his bobber move with the water, waiting for a fish to come by and bite. He remembered the first time he went on a camping excursion with Ella. They had day trips here, of course, but their first real camping experience was similar to this.
***
“Duke I don’t understand these poles! Here!” Ella groaned in frustration.
Duke looked over at her and smiled. She was trying to help put the tent up but wouldn’t listen to him about what poles went where. Now she was trying to put the wrong poles together. She was the one that wanted to get the three-room tent.
“Here, let me do this. Why don’t you put the firewood over by the fire pit?”
“Thanks, babe,” she kissed him on the cheek as she handed off the poles to him.
Duke shook his head as he looked at her non-organized piles. He sifted through them until they were organized and he could put the correct poles together. He put the tent together in about fifteen minutes. He finished hammering the last stake in the ground when Ella came up and wrapped her arms around him as he stood up.
“Now that the tent is up, wanna have some fun inside?” she squeezed him. Duke turned in her arms. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “So what do you say Mr. Avery?”
“Well, Miss Jameson, I think that would be a good idea but we may want to finish setting up camp first,” he kissed her nose.
“No fun,” she pouted.
“Trust me, we have all weekend to have hot, passionate sex with each other.” He swung her around and put a smile on her face.
“What about Jack and Paxton? What are we going to do when they get here?”
“Jack can’t go without electricity. They are going to park one spot over and be in a camper. It’s still you and me, cupcake. Don’t you worry.” Duke winked at her. She gave her coy smile and sauntered off towards the car. She rolled down the windows and turned up the music. Duke shook his head as she started swaying her hips to the music. “I know what you are doing. I don’t think you are going to get me to cave that easily.”
“But I will have fun trying,” she smirked.
“You drive a hard bargain,” he took a few steps towards her as she took a few steps back. Before Duke knew it, they were chasing each other around their campsite. He caught her and they fell to the ground laughing as she was trying to escape his grip. Duke laid on top of her, trapping her beneath his steely muscles. He brought his lips gently down on hers as he held most of his weight on his forearms.
Ella reached her arms around him, bringing herself up to him, pressing her whole body against him. “Ready to move this to our tent?”
“You know it,” he breathed.
“Alright you two, break it up,” Paxton’s voice came from behind them. “There are children in the park. What if they walked by?”
“Pax, we weren’t doing anything risqué. Besides we were just taking it back to the tent.”
“TMI, Ella, TMI.”
Duke got up and helped Ella to her feet. The mood was broken. “Where’s Jack?” he asked wanted to know why she ventured over solo.
“He’s up at the entrance getting a pass for the weekend. I drove the car up here and parked it over two lots down. It looks like the one next to you is reserved. Leave it to you to get the last spot in the row.”
“Hey, prime fishing spot,” Duke defended himself.
“And it was private for other things for a little while anyways,” Ella chimed in.
“Alright, alright, I will head back to the car. You two make me sick sometimes and I am the one in the newer relationship.”
“We are so deeply in love Pax, I’m sure you know the feeling,” Ella smiled. Duke wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. She squealed and Paxton left.
“Pax, wait!”
“No, enough PDA for me and I have to spend the weekend with you guys.”
They laughed as Paxton climbed back in her car. Duke was so happy and he wanted the moment to never end. He was in his favorite place with the girl that owned his heart. He was thankful that she finally gave into the idea of camping after she saw all the cute things at the outdoors store. Then she went crazy, but Duke loved her enthusiasm. He couldn’t wait to see how she really enjoyed it.
***
Duke was pulled from his thoughts when his bobber disappeared under the water. He quickly grabbed his pole and yanked on it once he felt the tension in the string. He started reeling the fish in but it was putting up a fight. A few minutes later he had a channel catfish in his hands. Duke figured it was about a ten-pound fish. He strung it up and lowered it back in the water and re-baited his hook. Casting it back out in the water, he sat back in his chair. This was exactly what he needed. Time to process, remember the good times with Ella and just get himself in a good place so he could move on when he gets back to the house.
TWENTY-THREE
Duke had just finished cleaning some of the fish he caught. Once he was finished bagging them up, he threw them in the cooler. He went and grabbed some of the firewood that he brought out and strategically placed it in his fire pit. He wanted to make sure it was going to last for a while. He knew he would be up. He hadn’t been sleeping well lately.
Duke had been out camping for a few days now. He scratched the scruff on his chin as he started to make his fire. He was grateful he didn’t have to keep up his appearances out here. He knew he didn’t have to be clean-shaven over summer break, so he decided to let it go this week. He was camping after all, roughing it in a tent with only an electric cooler to keep his food fresh and edible. He had a radio and a few books to entertain him when he was not fishing or enjoying the scenery around him.
It had been quiet around the campground, but now that it was the holiday weekend, everyone was rolling in. Memorial Day weekend always filled up this place. He was hoping that his neighbors wouldn’t get too rowdy, as he has spent the last few nights fishing. Nature wasn’t quite giving him the sleep he needed. He had dreams of Ella. What they could have had, what they did have and every once in a while over the past few nights, Jennah would pop into those dreams. Ella would fade away at that point. When he would wake up, he would look around trying to orient himself. Some of those dreams were so real to him, he could have sworn Ella or Jennah were there with him.
He heard laughter behind him as he threw the match into the fire pit. He looked behind him at the young girl responsible for it. He saw that she was walking with a young man, hand in hand. They were enjoying each other’s company. The young girl laughing at what Duke could only assume were the young man’s jokes. Duke couldn’t help but stare at them. He sat there on the ground next to the fire that was just starting to pick up. The young couple walking captivated his attention. They looked so in love. He remembered looking at Ella like that. He would do anything for Ella if she asked. He always had his hand somewhere on Ella’s, whether it was holding her hand, touching the small of her back, sweeping hair out of her face, or wiping paint off of her. Duke wanted that again. He wanted to fall hard for someone, he needed to get that feeling back. The feeling that he could do anything in the world with his girl by his side. He wanted to look into her eyes, knowing that she returned his love in tenfold. He watched the couple walk out of view as they turned the corner. He looked back at his fire and saw that it was full-blaze now. He could cook the fish he just cleaned and have a nice quiet dinner looking out on the lake. Then maybe just maybe he could lull himself into a restful sleep.
It had been hours since he finished cooking his fish. It was delicious and there was nothing like fresh fish. He was looking up at the night sky and all the stars that appeared. He wanted to fall asleep under them. He pulled out his hammock and set it up by the fire so he could keep warm. He remembered the nights that he and Ella used to fall asleep in the very same hammock. He laid there in the hammock restless. Sleep evaded him once more but he knew it was because those were memories kept him from falling asleep. It wasn’t until the light started appearing that he was so exhausted that sleep couldn’t evade him any longer. He pulled his ball-cap down lower knowing the sun would be shining brightly in a couple hours. He didn’t want to blind himself when he woke up.
***
Jennah woke up to the sound of birds chirping. By the light shining into the camper, or lack thereof, she knew it was extremely early. She didn’t know how Audra and her brother Pike talked her into camping this weekend. Chase of course said it was fun, but he had been off running with other friends he found in the camp area. At least she had a comfortable bed to sleep in, even if it were on the smaller side. Jennah was glad that Pike offered to stay in one camper with her and Dobry, while Audra and Chase stayed in another. She couldn’t imagine trying to sleep in the camper by herself. Every little sound made her think a wild animal was about to attack. Pike made her feel safe.
She looked down at Dobry who was still fast asleep on the floor. Jennah made her a little bed out of blankets and Dobry loved it because she didn’t need help climbing into the beds. She was curled up with her little elephant. Jennah smiled looking down at her m
iracle baby. They didn’t think Dobry would make it full-term, but she was a fighter and she did. She gave her the Polish name, Dobry, meaning good. Dobry will always remind Jennah of how lucky she is. Not wanting to wake her up, Jennah decided to step outside for fresh air. If anything, she can watch the rest of the sunrise as daylight was just now starting to appear.
They created a little courtyard area between the two campers, where they set up their grill and picnic tables. Jennah sat up on the table and just took in her surroundings. She had to give it to Audra and Pike, they were right. Sitting around in nature, showed her just how beautiful it really was. She could see why people would love this, but she preferred to be at home where no wild animals and bugs were. She stared out into the water across the way. She noticed a dock not too far away. She wondered if she could just go sit on it for a while and finish watching the sunrise before Dobry got up.
“Hey you,” Pike stepped out of the camper. Jennah turned and faced her brother.
“Hope I didn’t wake you,” Jennah smiled as he sat beside her.
“No, I noticed you were gone and Dobry is passed out still. I knew you couldn’t have gone far.”
“Would you mind watching her? I just want to go watch the sunrise on the dock.”
“Did you remember something? You never want to be alone with your thoughts or by yourself for very long?”
Jennah looked at her brother. It’s not very often that Pike or Audra will bring up her past. They all tended to avoid the subject because Jennah always became oversensitive about it. “No, I don’t try to remember that part of my life.”
Pike didn’t say anything and Jennah couldn’t look at him. Now she was thinking about her past and she didn’t want to do that. She was sure she would only find pain if she did.
“Go, I’ll watch her,” he finally said.
Jennah hopped off the table. She needed to walk away from this situation before she started stewing about it. She didn’t know why Pike had to bring it up just because for the first time in a while she wanted to be by herself. She tried to clear her head as she heading towards the little dock.