by Joel Skelton
“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.
SATURDAY, 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.
“Is Alex here?” the first woman asked.
“I’m Alex. Welcome to the Palisade Beach Cabins.”
A FEW minor computer glitches during the busy late-morning, early-afternoon check-in rush was the only thing so far that hadn’t gone as planned. Harper looked on with confidence as Alex, undaunted by the intimidating owner’s manual, identified the problem, and the two guest parties affected were only momentarily inconvenienced.
By midaf
ternoon, the celebration was in full swing. Curious locals, the majority of those attending, swarmed the property. Everyone seemed surprised by the transformation. In many cases, it had been years since some of them had been down to the cabins. A few had never set foot on the property.
When Colin showed up unexpectedly, Harper manned the office for an hour so Alex could spend some time with his friend. After Alex returned, Harper walked the grounds, schmoozing and introducing himself. One of the first people he ran into was their realtor, Tiffany.
“Hey, Harper. Wow, is all I can say. You and Ian have really turned this place into a paradise. Nice work.”
“Oh thanks, Tiffany. It’s nice to see you.”
“It almost looks like a theme park. Hey, I’d like to introduce you to a few of my friends. They’re in the travel biz, so I thought it might be good for them to see what you’ve got going on here.”
Tiffany introduced her gal pals. Harper made sure they had found the tap beer before moving on. The next surprise was running into the previous owner of the cabins, Floyd Hutchins. Decked out in jeans and his signature rainbow suspenders, he came down for a peek with his daughter, Judy.
“Rosie’s up there proud as can be. I can tell you that. She had the gardening touch too. Used to keep a vegetable plot right outside the office. I don’t know how many tomatoes she sent home with people over the years. Looks like you guys have her green thumb too!” Floyd was having a good day.
Harper wanted to show Floyd the new house but decided against it. The last thing he wanted to do was take away anything from Floyd’s beloved Rosie. When the Dixieland combo from the college started up, Harper made sure Floyd and his daughter, with plates of Audrey’s delicious cherry pie in hand, had a front row seat.
“If Rosie were here now, she’d be out there dancing. I can tell you that much.”
“Enjoy the day, Floyd. Nice meeting you, Judy.”
Grabbing a pulled pork sandwich from the food tent, he turned to see Audrey and her husband, Bud, coming down the incline.
“There she is! Bud, right? I’m Harper Callahan. You’re one lucky man, I’ve got to tell you that. Ian and I love this woman.” After shaking Bud’s hand, Harper took Audrey into his arms and gave her a huge hug.
“Well, the feeling’s mutual. I was telling Bud on the way over how lucky we are that you and Ian moved into the area. Darn it if we didn’t need some new blood around here.”
“Audrey, you outdid yourself. The pies are wonderful, and as you can see, disappearing at a good clip. Can I grab you a beer or anything?” Harper pointed toward the beer tent.
“You run along. We can take care of ourselves. I’m going to want to see that house you had moved in before we go, though. Alex tells me it’s really something.”
“If I don’t get to you first, make sure to grab me. I’ll give you the full tour. But Ian and I are hoping you’ll come by one night soon for dinner. We really owe you our thanks.”
“Did you hear that, Bud? Somebody’s actually going to cook me a dinner for a change. Let us know, Harper. We’ll be there… a day early!”
He walked down the path toward the cabins. Ian’s garden tour was parked outside Cabin 4, where he’d put in a kidney-shaped shade garden. Brent was amongst the group of mainly women, admiring Ian’s garden skills.
“Actually, you don’t want to get rid of worms in your garden,” he heard Ian explain when he’d gotten close enough. “They have a special job. They crawl throughout the soil and loosen it so the plant’s roots can grow and spread out easier. Hi, Harper.”
“Hey, everyone! Brentster! Come here and give me a hug, buddy.”
“Hey, Harper. Wow, this is really amazing. I’m so impressed.”
“Oh, thanks. You look great. So glad you could come up this weekend. Everything going okay?” Harper and Brent held back while the tour moved over to a patch of perennial hibiscus.
“Yeah. It’s different not working with you, but all in all, it could be worse, I guess.”
“I have to be honest. You’re the only thing I miss about not being there. Have you been up to see the house yet?”
“No, I’m dying to see it.”
“Great! You hungry? There’s some tasty barbecue on the way over. Come on.”
Spencer intercepted them on the way to the house. “Hey, looks like the Coast Guard heard about the free BBQ. Have you guys noticed them? They’ve got their boats below the palisade.”
“Let’s give Brent a chance to grab a sandwich, and then we can walk down and take a look.”
“Cool. I’m going for another piece of pie. Don’t tell Allison.”
“Where is she, by the way? I haven’t seen her all afternoon.” He looked into the crowd assembled down by the band.
“She’s been hanging around the office. Alex is getting a pretty good workout up there. He’s doing a terrific job.” Spencer trotted off in search of more pie.
“Who’s Alex?” Brent asked, returning with a heaping plate of brisket and some potato salad.
“He’s a local guy we hired. Technically he’s our office manager. But like Ian and I, he’s on toilet scrubbing and bed changing detail until we can afford to take on another employee. Great kid. I’ll introduce you later.”
Harper led them down the cabin pathway toward the palisade. They stopped for a minute to plug back into Ian’s tour.
“I’ve never heard that the number of blue jays in your yard is a sign that rain is on the way. Interesting.” Ian fake smiled as they walked past.
“Poor dude. This has got to be hell for him.” Harper chuckled.
“Trust me, he deserves it.” Spencer gave Ian the thumbs-up as they passed the group.
Nearing the end of the cabins, they could clearly see the Coast Guard. Two boats were hovering in the area, and an inflatable was pulled up onto the rocks.
“You think this is an exercise?” Brent carefully stepped over the large rocks for a better look.
“Not sure. I suppose it could be. I’ve never seen them near our shore before.” Harper followed Brent, eager to solve the mystery.
“Hey, guys, I don’t think this is a drill. Check it out.” Spencer pointed into the distance to a police boat with its light flashing, speeding toward the flotilla.
The police arrived in an inflatable similar to the Coast Guard’s. Two officers jumped off and pulled the boat up onto the rocks. When they left the boat, they were immediately hidden by large rocks at the bottom of the palisade.
“Maybe they found something. God, I hope it’s not a person. Someone could have drowned and washed up on shore there. That’s kind of freaky.” Spencer looked over their shoulders. “What were you telling us last night, Harp? A person can only survive for about forty-five minutes in the water before they die from hypothermia? Crazy!”
“Yeah, the lake is still pretty damn cold this time of year. And I guess in the big part, it doesn’t warm up that much all summer.”
“Hey, look.” Brent pointed toward the action. “They’ve come back. I think something’s up for sure.”
“I bet somebody fell off a boat.” Harper took a tentative step forward. “Look, they’re going back with cameras. That can’t be good.”
“Nope. I’d say we have a problem. A dead body problem. Sorry.” Spencer took a step back, realizing on his own he was breathing heavily on Brent’s neck.
“There’re some really big waves out there. A few weeks ago, Ian and I took beers down here, and you wouldn’t believe the monsters that were crashing up against the rocks. You couldn’t stand where we are now. You’d be drenched.”
“Supposedly, Lake Superior is the largest lake in the world.” Brent looked down to make sure the rock he was standing on was secure.
“Oh God….”
Two of the Coast Guard guys came up from behind the rock carrying a body bag. One of the policemen hopped back in the boat to help lift it on board.
“That’s creepy. Really creepy.” Brent turned but couldn’t go anywhere be
cause Spencer was in his way.
“Yeah, I’m with you, Brent.” Harper motioned for Spencer to turn around. “I’ve seen enough. I’m sure there’ll be talking at the Smacker tomorrow morning. Somebody will know the whole story.”
Back on the grass, they watched the boats speed off.
“I’m thinking beer. How about you guys?” Spencer was off.
“Oh yeah. Let’s go.” Harper gave Brent a playful punch on the shoulder. “You guys go on, I’ll meet you there in a minute. I need to check in with Alex. Wait! Brent, come on along and meet Alex.”
“Fine, be that way.” Spencer trudged toward the beer tent.
“Hey, guys.” Alex smiled from behind the desk. Colin stood close by. “How’s the party? A bunch of people have stopped in to say thanks. Sounds like it’s going great.”
“Yeah, everyone seems to be having a good time. Alex, I’d like you to meet Brent. We worked together at the firm.”
“Oh hey, nice to meet you.” Alex reached over and offered his hand.
“Hey, Alex. Good to meet you too.” Brent shook hands.
“Alex, when’s the last time you had a breather from all of this? Why don’t you take a break. I’ll hold down the fort.” Harper walked around to the other side of the counter.
“It’s not that bad. Are you sure?” Alex was being professional, but Harper could tell his young employee was eager to get out and inspect the festivities.
“Yeah, go enjoy yourself for a while. You’ve earned it. Just don’t leave me here all night.”
“Thanks, Harper. I’ll be back in a few. Brent, have you eaten? There’s a ton of food down by the lake.” Alex held the door open for Brent and Colin.
“Thanks, I had some brisket.” Alex and Brent’s conversation trailed off. I have to pee. Harper walked back to the bathroom. Damn, the kid even makes his bed. I need Ian to hang around him more. When Harper returned to the counter, Allison was sitting at the table. “Hey, stranger. Everyone having a good time?”
“Oh Harper, it’s lovely. I’ve met some of the nicest people in the world. Here.” Allison held up a glass of beer. “Spencer thought you might be ready for this.”