“I think it has something to do with the fact it doesn’t get super cold right here on the coast. This area has a pretty long growing season and we get a lot of moisture so that helps them grow bigger…but that’s just a guess” Thomas said.
As they drove, they could feel a raise in elevation and Ed said he felt more pressure in his ears. The forest around the road became covered more in the foggy mist that and gave the forest a dark and ominous feeling. Eventually they came to an open area and a parking lot that was for the most part empty except for two cars. The dogs were hopping around in the back of the truck and ready to stretch their legs and explore. Thomas parked his truck at the far end of the lot near the ocean. With dogs on leashes Thomas, Ed and Daniel made their way towards the ocean and the overlook. Below them, they could see the rocky walls with a small beach at the base. The waves were only moderately sized and for the most part gently rolled onto the shore. Big chunks of rocks were scattered in the water below and occasionally a wave would hit them and make a large splash.
A group of sea lions sat unbothered on some rocks and sand at the far end of the rock-enclosed beach below them to their left. The misty fog gave the grass in the park the surrounding trees a more intense color of green. As they made their way along a path which went wound its way around the park near the cliff Ed stopped, bent over and was looking at something.
“What do you see Grandpa” Daniel said walking over to join his grandfather.
“It’s some sort of hoof track buddy, biggest damn deer track I ever saw” Ed said.
As Daniel looked down studying the track, Thomas walked up and joined them.
“Grandpa that’s an elk track, not a deer track” Daniel said.
“Are you sure?” Ed asked.
“Positive, there is herd that is around this area they like hanging out in the park to hide from the hunters,” Daniel said.
Thomas looked at the track and agreed with his son said “yep Dad that’s an elk”.
“I didn’t know you had elk out here on the coast,” Ed said.
“We don’t have many, but there are some. Occasionally we see them walking down the roads but especially up in the mountains,” Thomas sad.
Ed smiled and was impressed at this discovery. He was also impressed at how smart his grandson was, some grown men could not tell one animal track from another.
They spent another hour or so wandering around the park, venturing down some hiking trails a little way and exploring the different views around them. They had briefly talked about going down the trail to one of the beaches but Thomas ended that idea. He explained that the trails were very wet, slippery and dangerous which got him a strange look from his son who had been down them before. The reality though is that they were very steep, especially going up and Ed would not be able to make it back up very well. Thomas’ dad was not a senior citizen yet but was not young either and the years were taking their toll on his body. Thomas winked at his son, a signal that he would explain it later. They walked back to truck slowly on the way Daniel stopped at the restroom. Thomas took the moment to light a cigarette and share it with his dad.
“It sure is nice here Tom, I understand why you like it out here so much. It’s real peaceful and quiet it seems” Ed said
“I like it always have, but you know that. Daniel and I do pretty well out here for ourselves,” Thomas said.
“So I suppose one day when I’m too damn old to take care of myself I’m gunna be coming out here to live with you and Daniel?” Ed asked.
Thomas looked at his father who was looking out over the ocean, his eyes tight and small, wrinkles at the edges. Thomas smiled and grabbed his dad on the shoulders and said “only when you’re ready Dad, only when you’re ready. You think you could deal with living out here someday?”
“Meh maybe, do I get free coffee at your coffee shop?” Ed asked raising an eyebrow.
“Well of course you do, but you better tip!” Thomas said laughing.
“I suppose I’ll be fine out here if needs be, but don’t be expecting me to move out here anytime soon,” Ed said.
Thomas smiled and at that moment, Daniel came walking towards them. Ed tossed the cigarette in his hand before the boy saw. Daniel was saying he was starving and wanted to eat, Ed and Thomas agreed. They piled in the truck, headed back into the downtown area of Cannon Beach, and found a place to eat. After dinner, they took one last walk down the beach but this time they drove down by haystack rock so they could get up close with less of a walk. As they meandered along the wet sand and avoiding the water rolling in, Thomas looked over and realized they were right in front of the cottage where that woman had been standing. The woman had been watching him and Daniel while they were on the beach. He again got that weird feeling in the pit of his stomach again and looked up at the cottage curiously, nothing and no one was there however.
“What are you looking at Dad?” Daniel asked noticing his father’s gaze.
“Oh nothing I guess buddy” Thomas answered then noticed his dad was giving him a weird look.
“I’m fine Dad,” Thomas said.
They continued walking for a while then went back to the truck and headed home and packed it in for the night. They were all tired and it had been a long and busy day.
. . .
Stephanie awoke to the sound of Shadow growling at the end of the bed in her hotel room. There were people in the hall way and she realized that they must of scared her dog.
“Come here big girl, it’s just people it will be okay,” she said to the dog then petting Shadow’s face and ears to calm her down. The dog made a few circles on the bed then lay down next to Stephanie who ran her fingers through the dog’s thick fur.
She had not slept well at all since she had returned from Oregon. Her house, her home did not feel comfortable to her, it was part of the reason she left town and stayed in a hotel room for the night. She hoped that she would be able to sleep and so far, it had worked even though Shadow was less than thrilled about the noises. She knew she could not keep doing this, staying in a hotel a few nights a week was not an option. She had to figure something out, what needed to be changed about her life and about her… she knew something did. She talked to Ann earlier who said sometimes “we have times in our life that define who we are and who we are going to be” and she thought Stephanie was getting that point of time in her life right now. Hearing the old lady’s voice made her relax a little bit, took some of the edge off. Stephanie eventually fell back asleep, her mind entering into dreams and secret desires.
Thirty Five
The weekend came and went faster than expected on the Oregon Coast. After a busy Sunday of driving up and down the coast, sitting in Sunset Café with his father and hiking on other beaches along the Pacific it was already Monday. They left the cottage about midmorning and drove towards Portland. Before going to the airport Thomas, Ed and Daniel stopped off at Multnomah Falls along the Columbia River east of the city.
Ed’s plane did not leave until five in the evening so it gave them plenty of time to drive around and show the old man other parts of Oregon. They walked around the falls, took pictures, and bought souvenirs from the gift shop in the bottom of the stone and wood building. They had an early lunch in the restaurant, which was on the top floor of the building and had a nice view of the river. More than once Ed would say he wanted a cabin like this.
They drove up into the Cascade Mountains so Ed and Daniel could get a better view of the large volcano that towered behind the Portland area they saw when driving from the coast. Ed had never been this close and Thomas had to reassure his father it would not explode. The skies were clear inland and as they got up into the higher elevations, they could see Mt. Saint Helens in the distance on the other side of the river.
“Dad next time Grandpa comes can we take him to see Saint Helens up close” Daniel asked.
I think we can manage that buddy, I’ve been telling your Grandpa Ed I wanted to take him there for years and years�
�� Thomas said then adding as he looked at his father “I guess it depends on when your grandpa is going to come and visit us again”
“Oh I don’t think it will be too long maybe next spring I’ll come back out since you guy are coming to Michigan for Christmas this year” Ed said.
“That’ll be great,” Daniel said.
Eventually they headed back down towards the river and into town, making their way to the airport. After parking Thomas, Daniel and Ed walked inside and got him checked in with the airline. He had a one way flight to Grand Rapids, which did cost more. However, both Thomas and his sister were worried their father would get lost in another airport if he had a layover.
They walked towards the security checkpoint and said their goodbyes. Daniel began crying; as little boys have tendency to do when their grandfathers leave from visiting. Thomas and his dad did something they rarely did and hugged goodbye.
“Amanda will be at the airport waiting for you when you get back to Michigan okay,” Thomas said. He noticed his father appeared nervous about flying again. Then also said, “I’ll call Amanda and let her know when your plane takes off”
“Okay, I’ll be fine,” Ed said quietly.
“You don’t gotta be worried Grandpa it’s just a plane ride, you will be okay,” Daniel said smiling.
Thomas shook his dads hand and passed him some pills for the old man to take on the plane.
“What are these?” Ed asked quietly.
“They will help you relax on the plane Dad, and then you can try and sleep and not be worried. Don’t take them until you take off though they work fast” Thomas said not telling his dad they were the same pills he gave the dogs when they had to fly.
“Okay thanks,” his dad said smiling. Then Ed bent down, hugged his grandson one more time, whispering something into the boy’s ear, turned, and walked towards the security area. After going through the production of airport security, he talked to a man in a uniform about directions then waved one more time to Thomas and Daniel. Then Ed was out of sight and off to find his flight. Thomas and Daniel walked around the airport for a while until Ed called Thomas and let him know he was getting ready to get on his plane. Thomas and Daniel then headed back out to their pickup truck. They had parked on the top of the parking ramp, which sort of overlooked the airport and gave a nice view of the area around it, the mountains and volcano to one side, the Columbia River to the other. Thomas and his son sat on the tailgate of the truck and waited for Ed’s plane to take off. They were looking for a plane with a picture of a bobcat on its tail according to what Ed had told them.
Daniel saw the plane first taxi down a runway the slowly lift off the ground and banking to the right as it climbed higher and higher in the sky.
“You think Grandpa will be okay Dad?” the little boy asked.
Thomas smiled and hugged his son “yeah buddy I think he will be okay. He said he’s gunna call you tomorrow since you will be asleep by the time he gets back to Michigan”.
Daniel smiled and said “okay”.
They put up the tailgate and got in the truck after the plane was out of site. As they were pulling out of the parking lot Thomas looked over at his son, and asked, “By the way what did your grandpa whisper to you when he hugged you”.
Daniel laughed and said with a big smile, “oh he told me not to let you give me any crap and too keep you on your toes.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow and said, “Well then, I guess you better do what he said he is my dad after all” then he burst out laughing.
Thomas and Daniel took their time getting back to the coast since there was no reason to rush. Harley and Layla were in the back seat, heads out the window as usual. They took a longer route and ended up on the coast a little ways south of Oceanside. They decided to stop at Lookout Rock State Park; it was a Monday so the park should not be too busy. When they reached the parking lot, it was empty as was the beach. They spent the rest of the afternoon playing fetch with the dogs, wading in the ocean and doing their normal beach thing that the two of them enjoyed.
On the way home, they stopped at The Whaleback to visit with Derrick who was sitting in his office. As Thomas and Derrick talked and caught up Daniel nibbled away on a bowl of maraschino cherries and sipped on a root beer that Derrick had gotten for him. Thomas was glad to hear that things were getting better for Derrick and Erin and that he was not sleeping at the bar anymore. The idea of his uncle sleeping at the bar confused Daniel and he kept asking things like: “where do you sleep”, “what do you sleep on” and “where do you take a shower”?
When Derrick’s reply to the last question was “well buddy I don’t take a shower when I stay here” he received a weird look from Daniel who said “gross”. It made them all laugh however and Derrick admitted it was a little gross. The visit did not last long, about and 45 minutes and then Thomas and Daniel left and headed home.
Thirty Six
About a week or so later, Thomas and Daniel had gotten back to their normal everyday life. Thomas’ dad had got back to Michigan safely and Daniel was already looking forward to going to Michigan to visit on Christmas break. It was Thursday afternoon, the first day of June. Daniel was spending the day at the beach with a friend from school and his parents, which left Thomas to fend for himself. He spent some time in the shop and then went for a drive north on his motorcycle and wandered around Cannon Beach. He had no particular reason for being there but just felt like walking around there.
After a while he drove back down to Tillamook and stopped for lunch at a small diner in Garibaldi. Daniel would be home by 6 pm and that was getting near so after eating he headed home.
He sat on a chair on his deck enjoying the sun that was lowering on the horizon. Harley and Layla were sleeping on the warm wooden deck next to him when he heard a car pull into his dirt driveway. Harley raised her head tilting it to one side, and Layla let out a few light growls, both the dog’s tails were wagging. Thomas looked at his watch and assumed it was his son and said, “You’re early buddy, I wasn’t expecting you for another half hour” when he heard footsteps on the wood deck next to the house out of his view.
“Don’t call me buddy, Tom, or I’ll kick your ass. How would you expect me when you didn’t know I was going to be here?” an old woman’s voice said just around the corner.
Harley and Layla shot up to investigate and Thomas stood up just to see his old friend Ann walk around the corner. The dogs were sniffing the old woman with curious noses. She gave them both big dog treats, which they took happily and laid down.
“Still travel with dog snacks huh Ann,” Thomas said as he went and gave her a big hug.
“You know it; you’re losing weight you should eat more Thomas. I say that because I’m old and that’s what old farts are supposed to say to people who are like their son, even though you look all right to me” Ann said.
“Well I’ll work on it just so you can pretend I listen Ann” Thomas said with a smile then pulling up a chair for the old lady to sit on. Ann had a bag in her hand and set it down next to her chair.
“I didn’t know you were coming Ann, Daniel should be home soon and he’s going to be excited to see you. He was asking about you the other day,” Thomas said.
“Well I came to see both of you but this works since I have something I need to talk to you about just the two of us” Ann said as she looked around inspecting the cottage then said “you’re keeping the cottage up pretty damn well I see, how did you fair in that storm?”
“Yeah your old place is looking pretty good, I’ll show you inside later if you want but it looks more or less the same. We had a little damage in the storm but nothing too bad that I couldn’t fix pretty quick” Thomas relaxed then added “the neighbor just north got hit hard though, far side of his house is trashed.”
Ann reached down, grabbed Thomas’ pack of cigarettes, took one, and lit up, exhaling with a smile.
“I thought you quit that a long time,” Thomas asked with a smile.
“It happens, I won’t tell. So what’s up Ann, haven’t seen you in well over a month or better, what brings you around not that I am complaining at all,” Thomas said lighting up his own cigarette and sitting back in his chair.
“Well it’s rather difficult to say so I’ll get right too it, you’re a big boy and I think you can handle it okay” Ann said
Thomas felt a knot well up in his stomach. Ann had always been very up-front with Thomas but she had always been there for Thomas and Daniel whenever he needed her. She was there for Thomas when he was out here alone after he moved back to the coast.
“Well you know that place over the drive from me and Ben, that cottage that’s for rent.” Ann said.
“Yeah I think I recall the place. Isn’t it the place Beth and Jack rent out?” Thomas asked.
“The one and same” Ann said raising a finger in the air then adding, “We had a visitor a few weeks back, a young woman close to your age. She was very charming and sweet, very quiet though. I think she would be right up your alley except she’s not from around here”
Thomas laughed and said, “Oh Ann I’m not ready for anything I just broke up with my girlfriend not that long ago. We were not together very long but I’m not ready for anything yet, but thanks.”
“Well, don’t be too sure about anything Thomas, it seems you already know this particular woman,” Ann said, then reaching over into her bag on the ground and pulling out what appeared to Thomas to be a picture frame. She looked at it for a moment, smiled as she touched the picture gently then handed it over to Thomas.
He grabbed the picture; he had a weird feeling in his stomach as he took it in his hands. Without looking at it, he asked, “you framed the picture Ann?”
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