Ali and Chase sat there awhile, looking out over the lake. It was peaceful, sitting there in the fading daylight, listening to the water lapping against the rocks.
"I haven't heard you say anything about your mom," Chase said, hesitantly. "I mean, it's okay that you don't, but if you want to, I'm here to listen."
Ali turned sad eyes to Chase. "I haven't said much because I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing, and I don't want my grandfather judging my mom."
Chase frowned. "How do you mean?"
Ali took a deep breath. "My mom was a good person, but she didn't always do things the right way. She had problems. I don't want my grandfather to know that, though. He'll find something mean to say about her then."
Chase shook his head. "I'm sorry to hear your mom had troubles, but I think you've pegged Ben wrong. He's only ever said nice things about your mom. I think he really loved her. I don't know what happened between them that made her stay away, but I do know it made him sad. I don't think he'd judge your mom harshly."
Ali sighed. "I don't know, Chase. Maybe he's different with you. I guess I'll just have to get to know him better, that's all."
Chase smiled over at Ali, and her heart warmed at the tenderness in his gaze.
"Come on," he said, standing up and balancing on the boulder. "You'd better get up to the cabin before he turns the lights out on you." Chase reached down and offered his hand to Ali, which she accepted, and he pulled her up to her feet. They stood there a moment, hands clasped, looking into each other's eyes. A loon flew overhead, his sing-song voice echoing across the cove. Both teens looked up at the same time, and the moment between them was gone.
"Don't let me muck up your life, okay?" Ali said, half-teasing as they both climbed down from the boulders and picked their way over the rocks and onto the mossy ground.
"I don't really see you mucking up my life," Chase said, looking at her seriously. "If anything, you only make it nicer." He reached for her hand again, and they walked back to the lodge in silence.
Chapter Ten
The week went by quickly for Ali as she helped Jo prepare the cabins for the weekend guests and studied for her driving test. She looked forward to the evenings after supper when she and Chase could hang out together. They'd sit on the dock, or take a walk in the woods. When they were out of sight of the lodge, Chase reached for her hand and held it as they walked together. Ali liked that. She knew that Chase liked her, but he hadn't tried to kiss her yet, and she wondered why. The thought of him kissing her made her nervous and tingly all at the same time. She'd never been kissed before, so she didn't know how it felt, but she bet that a kiss from Chase would be sweet, warm, and just plain wonderful.
Thursday morning came and Ali and her grandfather were off in the truck to Grand Rapids. It was an hour's drive away and he wanted to leave early, so right after breakfast, they hopped in his truck and left.
The drive was a quiet one with no conversation and no music playing on the stereo. Ali wondered if they even had any radio reception this far out in the country. She hadn’t yet asked her grandfather about stopping at the phone store or at a department store where she could buy a few necessities. About half an hour into the drive, she took a deep breath and spoke up.
"Grandpa?" she asked, saying this name for him aloud for the very first time. It felt strange to her. "Do you think, maybe, after the driving tests, we could go to the phone store so I can change my mailing address?"
Her grandfather looked over at her with a surprised look on his face. Ali didn't know if it was from being called "grandpa" or from her question about the phone store. He seemed to recover quickly, though, and replied after a moment's thought.
"I guess we can do that. I don't know where it is, though."
Ali pointed to her phone. "It has GPS. I can find the directions on my phone as soon as I have a signal."
Ben nodded, but didn't reply.
Ali took another deep breath. "And, if it's not too much trouble, can we stop at a discount store so I can buy a few things? I have my own money."
Ben looked over at her again. At least he wasn't frowning. "Well, I guess since we're in town anyway, we can stop somewhere," he said. "I think there's a Walmart in town. Will that do?"
Ali smiled and nodded. At home, she'd shopped at the Walmart and at dollar stores for most of what she needed. At least she knew she'd be able to get the same things here. She thought it was funny that he'd said he thought there was a Walmart in town. Ali cocked her head and looked at her grandfather quizzically.
Ben turned and saw her staring at him. "What?"
"You think there's a Walmart in town? Don't you ever go there to buy things you need?" Ali asked.
Ben frowned. "Why the heck would I? I can buy everything I need in Auburn at Chet's Hardware."
"What about personal items like clothes and stuff?" Ali asked.
"Jo usually picks up that stuff for me when she comes into town. I don’t need much. A few flannel shirts, some work jeans. I can get boots and coats at the L&M Fleet Supply store when I need them."
"What about stuff like oil, filters, and parts for the truck and boats? Wouldn't that stuff be cheaper at a place like Walmart than at Chet's?"
"Bite your tongue, girl," Ben said. "If Chet heard you say that, he'd have a fit. It may be a little cheaper at one of those big stores, but I believe in supporting the small, family businesses."
Ali shrugged. She found it strange that her grandfather was too cheap to have electricity at his house but he'd overspend on everyday items.
Once they were in town, Ben turned off on a side street which led them to the office where Ali could take her written test and road test. After standing in line for a few minutes, it was their turn at the counter, and Ali saw her grandfather actually smile at the clerk.
"Hi Carol. How's it going?" Ben asked the middle aged lady behind the counter.
Carol smiled back at him. "Busy, but fine. You'd think a small town like this wouldn't have so many drivers." Carol turned to Ali and smiled at her. "So you're Jen's little girl, eh? Nice to meet you, Ali. You sure are a beauty, just like your momma."
Ali stood there, confused, but answered her. "Thank you."
"This is Carol. She's your Grandma Lizzie's niece. She's the reason you were able to take both tests on the same day," Ben said.
"Oh, well, thank you," Ali said, shaking the woman's hand. "It's nice to meet you." Carol was short and round with short, dark hair that was beginning to gray at the sides. She didn't really look much like Ali's grandma Lizzie, but she had a nice smile and seemed friendly.
"Well, it wasn't easy to arrange, dear, but I know what an old grouch Ben can be and it wasn't worth it telling him he had to come back a second time," Carol said with a wink. "I was happy to do it for you."
Carol got to work looking over Ali's paperwork from California. Ali had a driver's permit and a signed certificate that stated she'd completed driver's training. Carol gave Ali new paperwork to fill out, then sent her to sit at a row of tables and chairs with dividers where the electronic driving tests were. Ben went over to sit on a long bench by the wall and started reading a hunting magazine.
After Ali finished the test, she waited in line again and when it was her turn, Carol looked over her test. "Congratulations, Ali. You only missed one answer. That's good, otherwise you'd have to reschedule your driving test."
Ben paid the fees for both tests. Ali hadn't expected him to. "I brought money to pay for this," she told him, but Ben shook his head.
"I'll take care of this," he told her.
Ali thanked him but felt funny about his paying. She was used to paying her own way.
Ali's appointment for her driving test was in a half hour, so she and her grandfather sat out in the truck to wait for the instructor. She had to use the truck for the test, and she was nervous about parallel parking. Chase had set up a practice spot for her at the lodge, so she had practiced parking it a few times, but if she missed just once on the test
, she'd have to take it over again.
"Nervous?" Ben asked, looking over at Ali.
"A little. Mostly about parallel parking this big rig."
Ben waved his hand through the air as if it were nothing. "You'll do fine," he said.
Luckily, his prediction was correct and forty-five minutes later, Ali left the building with a piece of paper that stated she had a brand new Minnesota driver's license.
"Where to now?" Ben asked as he got behind the wheel. Apparently, he wasn't going to ask her to drive around Grand Rapids. Ali looked up the phone store address on her phone, found it, and told him where it was.
They drove there and Ali hurried in and made the necessary arrangements. The phone store clerk tried talking her into a new phone and plan upgrade, but Ali declined. She had always had the least expensive plan available because she couldn't afford to spend too much on her phone service. It meant she had to be careful about the minutes she used, but it was better than having no phone at all. Ali set it up to pay by mail, and gave them her new address. She'd have to open a bank account somewhere and find a way to get money in it so she could write a check or transfer from an account. She hadn't figured out where she'd do that yet. She thought about banking at the little bank in Auburn, that way she could deposit money there easily. Everywhere else was too far away. She decided she'd ask Jo where the best place to bank was.
When Ali hopped back into the truck, Ben headed to the other side of town and pulled into the Walmart parking lot. They walked inside and Ali was surprised to find it was such a big store. She grabbed a hand basket and looked at her grandfather, who looked lost in the mob of people.
"I'll just let you do your shopping and catch up with you in a bit," Ben told her. "Meet me in front of the first checkout. Get what you need, I'll pay for it." With that said, he wandered off in the direction of car supplies.
Ali was glad he'd left her to be on her own because some of the things she needed, like new underwear, a bra, and other personal items, would have probably embarrassed him. She set out for the personal care items first, then headed over to women's clothing. Since she was familiar with the store brands, she knew exactly what would fit her, so it didn't take long to pick out a bra and underwear. She also picked out new socks, and four scooped-necked T-shirts like the ones she already had. They were on sale, so she was able to get more than she'd planned on. Ali skipped the jeans because she'd never had any luck fitting into the brands here. She walked through the shoe department looking for some new sneakers but didn't see anything that she thought would hold up to constant wear. Finally, she was finished, so she headed over to the front counters and waited for her grandfather. She could hardly believe it when she saw him heading toward her with a cart full of items.
"What's all this?" she asked with a grin on her face.
Ben wrinkled up his face. "Don't you go telling Chet about this, you hear? You were right. Oil, filters, spark plugs, and a whole bunch of other stuff I usually buy at his store are so much cheaper here. I guess I have been missing out by not coming here to stock up."
Ali laughed. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
They got in line and Ben paid for their items. There was a teenage girl ringing up their purchases, so Ali took a chance and asked her, "Is there a secondhand clothing shop around here?"
The girl smiled and nodded. "Yep. It's called Rosie's, and it's right downtown on Third Street. You can't miss it."
Ali thanked her. They loaded up their cart and headed out to the truck.
As they settled into the truck's cab, Ali asked her grandfather if they could make one more stop at Rosie's on Third Street. He agreed, and soon they were parked in front of the small shop on a tree lined street in the older part of town.
"Are you sure this is the shop you're looking for?" Ben asked, looking confused.
Ali nodded. "I need some new jeans and maybe a pair of shorts. All of mine are getting pretty worn out. I'll hurry," she said as she opened the truck's door and started to step out.
"Wait a minute." Ben reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He took out two one hundred dollar bills. "Here. Will this be enough?"
Ali looked at the money in his outstretched hand and wavered. Once again, she was amazed he was so readily handing her money. "I don't expect you to buy everything for me," she said. "I have some money of my own."
"I said I wouldn't pay for your silly phone that you can barely use, but I will pay for things you need," Ben said gruffly. "Here, take it."
Hesitantly, Ali took the money. "Thanks. I'm sure I won't need this much, so I'll bring back the change." She stepped out of the truck and headed inside the store.
***
Ben sat and watched Ali walk inside the store. He stepped out of the truck and leaned against its side, looking at the shop. It was a beautiful day. The temperature was mild with the sun shining overhead. He'd parked the truck under a big oak tree, and stood there, enjoying the shade. As he stared at the store, he frowned. "Gently used clothing" the sign in the window stated.
Ben wondered why Ali thought she had to buy used clothes instead of new ones. Did she think he was that cheap? Or that he didn't have enough money to buy her nice things? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Sure, he may seem cheap to her because he didn't have electricity hooked up at the house but that was because he didn't like depending upon a company for something he could supply himself. He didn't have a computer or a phone because he just plain didn't need one. Who in the world would he call or email? Everyone important in his life lived at the lodge. He may not own a lot of fancy things, but he didn't scrimp when it came to the things he did own, like household items, his truck, or his boat. And he'd always been able to afford nice things for his Lizzie and Jen. By the time Ali came out of the store with a big bag under her arm and a smile on her face, Ben was fuming.
They both climbed back into the truck's cab and Ali handed Ben one-hundred and ten dollars.
"Is that all you spent?" he asked. "Your bag is full."
"Yep," she answered, practically beaming with delight. "Rosie's is a nice store. There were so many great clothes in there in practically new condition for good prices. Look," she slipped a pair of jeans out of the bag. "I bought two pairs of Levi's Silver jeans for only twenty dollars each. Do you know what these sell for in the stores? Eighty-five dollars a pair. And I got a sixty-dollar American Eagle sweatshirt for only fifteen dollars. Can you believe it? They look just like brand new. I bought two pairs of Levi's shorts and a pair of sneakers, too. I just can't believe that people buy these great clothes then resell them after barely wearing them."
Ben stared at his granddaughter in utter surprise, his earlier anger dissipating. He'd never seen anyone so excited before about buying used clothes. Still, he felt like he wasn't being a good guardian by letting her buy second hand clothes to wear.
"You know, we could have gone to a clothing store and bought you some new clothes. There's a mall around here somewhere. I don't expect you to buy used clothes," Ben told her.
Ali laughed lightly. "Are you kidding? Who'd pay full price for these things when you can get them practically new for so much cheaper." She folded the jeans and slipped them back in the bag.
"I may seem cheap to you, but when it comes to family, I can certainly afford nice things," Ben said, his blue eyes flashing. "No granddaughter of mine needs to wear hand-me-downs when I can afford better."
Ali's smile faded from her lips. "I said I didn't mind."
"Well, maybe I do. It's nice that you want to be careful with money, but when it comes to personal things like clothes, you can have new. My Lizzie and Jen always had nice things. They never wore second hand clothes."
Ali's jaw tightened and her blue eyes matched her grandfather's angry ones. "Second hand clothes are all I've ever worn," she said tightly.
Ben's anger slowly left him as Ali's words sank in. He watched as Ali turned away from him to stare out the window. He knew he s
hould apologize for being angry with her, but he wasn't too good at saying he was sorry. He started the truck and pulled out of the parking space, heading the truck toward home.
***
It was late afternoon when Ben and Ali arrived back at the cabin. Ali quietly thanked her grandfather for her purchases then disappeared up to her room. Ben unloaded the items he'd purchased and stored them in the garage. With one long look up the staircase to Ali's room, he sighed and walked down to the lodge.
When Ben walked into the kitchen, Jo's face lit up. She'd been putting away the food supplies that came on the food truck every Thursday, but she stopped what she was doing and walked over to where Ben stood.
"So, how'd it go?" Jo asked. "Did she pass her tests?"
Ben nodded. He walked over to the cookie jar and pulled out one of the chocolate chip cookies Jo had made earlier in the week and started eating it.
Jo frowned. "Didn't you two stop for lunch? I swear, Ben, you can be so forgetful." Jo took some lunchmeat out of the refrigerator and started making a sandwich for Ben. "So tell me, how was the trip to town? Did you two get a chance to talk?"
"Cripes, woman," Ben said. "Why are you all full of questions today?" He accepted the sandwich Jo handed him with a nod.
"Because you don't tell me anything without my asking, that's why," Jo responded. She headed back over to the pile of dry goods she'd received that day and started putting them away in the pantry.
"What kind of mother do you think my Jen was?" Ben asked.
Jo stepped out of the pantry. "What?"
"I asked what kind of mother do you think my Jen was? Do you think she was a good mother to Ali or a bad mother?"
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