Summer of the Loon

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

  Quiet fell between them as the storm rumbled on outside. Ben finally stood after a long moment. "You know, if you ever want to look through your mom's things, you're certainly welcome to. They're your things now. Jo will know where the boxes are. Take what you like."

  Ali nodded. "Thanks," she said softly.

  "I'm going to bed," Ben said. He went over to the small closet in the hall and pulled out a pillow and blanket and laid them on the edge of the sofa. "You can sleep out here if you like. The storm should pass over soon. Goodnight."

  Ali said goodnight and watched her grandfather walk into the darkness to his room. He'd looked sad, like the past had unexpectedly crushed him. Ali made up a bed on the sofa and curled up on it. The storm was moving away, but she continued to hear thunder in the distance. As she slowly fell to sleep, she thought of her mother, her grandmother, and her grandfather, and of all the pain that could have been avoided if they'd just talked to one another. She would have had a family then, instead of growing up alone as she had. And maybe her mother would still be alive and happy, instead of spending years drowning in depression and alcohol. Instead of dying unhappy.

  ***

  The storm did clear away the muggy air as Ali's grandfather had predicted and the weather became mild and beautiful again. Ali couldn't help but feel that she and her grandfather had also cleared the air a little in their relationship. Even though it made her sad that her mother and grandfather never had the chance to settle their differences, Ali was happy to learn he hadn't forced her to go. Somewhere, deep inside that grumpy exterior was a man who did know how to love, and Ali hoped she could find a way into his heart so they could be more like family and less like two strangers living together.

  Another thought occurred to Ali as she did her work around the lodge. She'd never dared even wonder who her father was, because she had no idea where to start looking for him. But now, living here, she realized that her father might also live around here and maybe even went to school with her mother. She hoped she would find some clues to who he was in her mother's things, so she wouldn't have to ask Ben. She had a feeling that Ben wouldn't tell her even if he did know, so she hoped to find out herself.

  The lodge was buzzing with guests all week so Ali didn't have a chance to ask Jo if she would show her where her mother's belongings were stored. On Thursday, the food truck came with Jo's order for the week and Ali and Jo began unpacking and putting the items away. Jo had told Ali that having the food delivered was so much easier than going shopping every week, plus, because of food safety laws, she felt safer buying the food from the service.

  "Years ago, they used to raise their own chickens for eggs and purchased their milk, butter, and cheese directly from a local dairy farmer," Jo told Ali as they worked. "Nowadays, that wouldn't work since we're considered a public kitchen. Everything has to be on the up and up, thank goodness," Jo said, wrinkling her nose. "I hated getting eggs from the chickens. They were mean old buggers."

  Ali laughed. Ben had come into the room at that point. "The fresh eggs and milk were wonderful," he said. "I miss everything being fresh. What I don't miss is the two mile trek all year round my brother and I had to walk three times a week to get milk, butter, and cheese from the dairy farm."

  "You have a brother?" Ali asked. It was the first she'd heard of him.

  "Yep. Jeremy is his name. He lives down south in Florida now. He hated the lodge and all the outdoor stuff. Became an engineer and has worked inside his entire life."

  "Ben. You should take Ali to the old farm where you used to get the milk," Jo suggested. "The barn is still standing and it's a nice hike. She can see firsthand where you used to go."

  Ben shrugged. "Maybe we can squeeze in a walk there. We'll see."

  Ali saw a look pass between Jo and Ben, one that reminded her of when her mother had a boyfriend and her mother would tell her boyfriend to do something he didn't want to do.

  "It's okay. You don't have to if you don't want to," Ali told her grandfather.

  "I didn't say I didn't want to. I just have to find the time, that's all," Ben said gruffly. He headed out the back door, into the June sunshine.

  "Why's he always so mad?" Ali asked Jo.

  Jo chuckled. "He's just a grumpy old man, that's all. He doesn't mean anything by it."

  Ali sighed. Then she remembered the attic. "Grandpa mentioned that some of my mom's things are in the loft room here. He said I could look through them if I wanted. Could you show me where they are when we get a chance?"

  "Oh, sure dear," Jo said. "I forgot all about those things up there. It was nice he thought of them. There are two or three boxes. We can grab Chase after we're done here and he can help us move stuff so we can get at them."

  Ali and Jo each picked up a ten pound bag of flour and carried it to the pantry. Once they'd set down their bags, Ali turned to Jo. "Can I ask you a question about my mother?"

  "Of course, dear," Jo said.

  Ali bit her lip. "Do you know who she was seeing before she got pregnant with me? I mean, does anyone know who my father is?"

  Jo looked over at Ali with tenderness in her eyes. "I'm sorry, dear. I don't know who he was. I was working here at the time it all happened, but no one ever said anything about who your father could be. Your mom wasn't dating anyone seriously at the time, that's why it came as such a surprise. She was a good student and hung out with a nice crowd of kids. But as far as I knew, there was no one special."

  Ali's eyes dropped. She didn't want Jo to see her disappointment. "I just wondered, that's all."

  "Have you asked Ben?" Jo asked.

  "No, and I really don't want to. I'm sure he would blow a cork if I did. Please don't mention to him that I asked. I was just curious, that's all."

  Jo nodded. "I won't. Let's finish up here and we'll go up and find those boxes, okay?"

  A little while later, Jo found Chase and the three of them headed up the stairs to the attic room. At the top of the staircase was a small landing with a railing where a person could see everything that was happening down in the living room. Ali now understood why her mother had compared this spot to a bird's nest. It would be fun for a child to sit up here and spy on all the grownups. Beyond that was a door, and through that they entered a room much like Ali's attic room, long and narrow with a sloped roof on both sides.

  Jo pulled a string in the middle of the room and the light came on. It only took moving a few big boxes, Christmas decorations Jo told her, before finding three small boxes marked "Jen's Things".

  "Do you want to go through the boxes up here, or do you want Chase to take them up to the cabin?" Jo asked.

  Ali decided she'd rather have them in her room at the cabin so she could go through them in private. The three of them each carried a box downstairs but before they made it to the kitchen, Jo was waylaid by a guest who had questions about signing up for a fishing trip. She set down the box and told the kids to go ahead without her.

  Ali and Chase loaded the two boxes into the back of his pickup truck, then Chase ran back inside to get the third box. As he closed the tailgate on the truck, Ali looked up to the top of the hill and saw her grandfather talking to another man. Actually, it looked like he was arguing with the stranger. After studying the man a moment, Ali realized it was the guy who'd stared at her in town and who her grandfather had said to stay away from.

  "Who's that guy my grandfather's yelling at?" Ali asked Chase as she pointed up the hill.

  Chase looked up, shading his eyes against the glare of the sun. "Oh, that's Jared Halverson. He owns a real estate business in Grand Rapids, but he sells homes around here, too. He's into developing land around lakes, too."

  "What do you think they're arguing about?" Ali asked.

  "Halverson comes around here every once in a while to try to talk Ben into selling some of his land. He wants to plot off lots around the lake and sell them to people who want to build lake homes. Ben always refuses, even tells him to not come back, but he keeps coming bac
k anyway."

  Ali's brows furrowed. "My grandfather owns a lot of land on the lake?"

  "Oh, yeah," Chase said, looking at Ali. "Didn't you know that? Ben's family has owned the land around here for decades. He owns about a thousand acres of land, most of it around this side of the lake and the rest heading back into the woods toward the old dairy farm."

  Ali's mouth dropped open. "You mean, he's rich?"

  Chase laughed. "Yeah, I guess he is. At least the land is worth a lot of money. But Ben refuses to sell any of it to Halverson. He has sold a plot of land here and there to certain people who he didn't mind having live nearby, and he sold the resort and land to our family, but other than that, he won't sell out. He likes the lake undisturbed, and that's good for the resort, too."

  "Wow, I didn't know that. He's so cheap. I thought he didn't have much money," Ali said. She remembered how he'd handed her money in town without even blinking. She had thought at the time he was just being nice. She never realized he could afford to give it to her.

  "Ben is cheap," Chase said. "But he can be generous, too."

  Ali watched as the man Chase called Halverson got into his truck and drove away. Her grandfather turned and walked back into the house.

  "Why does my grandfather hate this Halverson guy so much? When we ran into him in town, Grandpa said I should stay away from him, and he called him trash."

  Chase shook his head. "I don't know why he hates him, but he does. I always figured it had something to do with his wanting to buy up Ben's land. I don't really know Halverson, so I'm not sure."

  Ali thought it was strange, but decided to brush it away for now. They got into the truck's cab and headed up to the cabin to unload the boxes.

  Chapter Thirteen

  June weather in northern Minnesota, Ali soon learned, was a rollercoaster of temperatures. Some mornings she'd wake up to air so cool she could see her breath, and she'd have to dress in warm clothing when she went out on the lake with her grandfather. By afternoon, the temperature could rise up to the eighties, and she'd find herself taking off layers of clothes that she'd then have to put back on as evening approached. One day could be unbearably hot and muggy, then a rainstorm would erupt and the next day would be cool and comfortable. Ali got used to wearing layers and always having a sweatshirt close at hand in case the temperature dropped quickly.

  One morning it was warmer than usual, so after Ali came into the lodge's kitchen, where it was hot from the stove and dishwasher running, she hung up her sweatshirt and changed into a pair of jean shorts before helping Jo serve breakfast to the guests. When Ben came in for breakfast, he eyed Ali up and down, frowned deeply, and asked, "What are you wearing?"

  Jo, Chase, and Ali looked at him with confused expressions. Ali had on a hunter green T-shirt with the Willow Lake Lodge logo on it that Jo had given her, jean shorts, and a pair of sneakers. She looked down at herself, then back at her grandfather, her brows furrowed.

  "Clothes," she replied.

  Ben huffed. "You weren't wearing those tiny shorts in the boat. Why are you wearing them here?"

  Ali rolled her eyes. She couldn't help it. "Tiny? These aren't tiny. These are just normal shorts. Jo said it was okay to wear shorts on hot days. I get too hot cleaning cabins in jeans."

  Jo piped up. "She looks fine, Ben. I've seen much shorter shorts on girls who are guests here. Besides, I wear shorts all summer, so why shouldn't Ali?"

  Ben's gaze went from Jo's khaki walking shorts that went halfway down to her knees, then back to Ali's shorts that were up much higher on her thighs. Ali's legs were long and lean, so there was a lot more leg showing. "Not the same thing. If Ali wants to wear shorts while she's working, she can get a pair like yours."

  Jo sighed. "Don't be silly, Ben. Ali's young and cute. She doesn't want to wear old lady shorts like mine. Now sit down and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

  Ben scrunched up his face, but he sat and ate.

  Later, Ben and Chase helped Ali clear and reset tables in the dining room as groups of people ate and left and others came in. A family of four came and sat down, and Ali brought out the coffee pot and started telling the family their choices for breakfast. The teenage son in the group kept staring at Ali, which didn't go unnoticed by Ben or Chase.

  "Chase will serve that table," Ben said abruptly when the three were back in the kitchen.

  "I can serve them," Ali said as she started stacking fresh pancakes on a platter and asked Jo for a bowl of fruit.

  "No, it's okay. I'll serve them," Chase said firmly, taking over as Ali and Jo stared at him in disbelief. "That kid out there was staring just a little too hard at you, Ali." Chase grabbed the tray of food and drinks and headed out the door.

  "Well, I'm glad to see Chase has the good sense to step in when necessary," Ben said, then headed outside.

  Ali looked at Jo and sighed. Jo shook her head.

  "Men," Jo said, disgusted. "Don't worry. They'll get used to boys staring at you. They'll have to. You're a pretty girl. You're going to be stared at."

  Ali sighed again. She thought her grandfather and Chase were being stupid, but she decided the best thing to do was ignore them.

  In the afternoons, when Ali had some time off of work, she'd go up to her attic room for an hour or so and look through her mother's boxes. She'd turn on the generator so she could run a fan in the room to cool it off, sit on her bed, and sort through the many things that once belonged to her mom.

  Ali had opened up all three boxes to see what was in them, and then slowly took her time looking through each box, one at a time. One box was filled with her mom's favorite books as a teenager. There were a few steamy historical romances that Ali laughed about, some Judy Blume books, and some classics like The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye that Ali assumed her mom had read for English class. Ali thumbed through each book to see if her mother had left any scraps of paper, notes, or anything that would tell her more about her mother as a teen. Finding none, Ali carefully packed the books away and started searching through the next box. This one was more interesting. There were yearbooks from her junior high and high school years. Ali pulled out her mother's seventh grade yearbook and slowly went through it. Kids had written messages on the inside of the cover and beside pictures. It looked no different than Ali's own yearbooks that she'd left behind with Megan for safe keeping. Ali wanted to read everything so she could get to know her mother better. She decided to read them a little every night. It would be a good way to remember her mother before she fell asleep each night.

  Ali made a point of going into town at least once a week to sit in the coffeehouse and talk to Megan on her phone. School was now out and Kat worked there almost every day, so Ali was able to visit with her, too. Ali missed her California friends. Every time she talked to Megan, she felt more homesick. Chase always asked her how Megan was, and each time Ali told him how distant she felt from her best friend. Megan was working at the mall, hanging out with their group of friends, and had even started going out with a new boyfriend that Ali had never met. Ali felt disengaged from her former life, yet not quite fitted into her new one. As much as she enjoyed Chase's and Jo's company, and she was getting along fairly well with her grandfather, she still felt disconnected from what she once knew and where she was now.

  One afternoon, Kat and Jake drove out to the lodge and joined them for lunch, and Chase suggested they take the bigger motorboat out for a while to swim, tube, and enjoy the sun. Jo thought it was a great idea and even packed snacks and soda in a cooler for the kids. Ben was out fishing with a tour group and wouldn't be back until supper, so Ali didn't have to hear him grumble about her skipping a few hours of work.

  Ali was the first one ready to go and waited on the dock by the boat for the others. She'd changed into her swimsuit and wore a tank top and shorts over it. She couldn't even imagine what her grandfather would say if he saw her in a bikini, after the shorts incident. But what was she supposed to swim in? Jeans and a sweatshirt?
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  As she stood on the dock, staring out at the lake, Ali was surprised by a deep voice that came up behind her. "Hi."

  Ali turned, and there stood the boy from the other morning who her grandfather and Chase had complained about staring at her. He was as tall as Chase and had sandy brown hair that was long and shaggy. He wore light-colored board shorts and a white T-shirt with a surfer design on it.

  "Hi," Ali replied.

  "I was surprised to see you down here," the boy said. "It seems like you're always working."

  Ali smiled. "Usually, I am. It's a nice day today, though. I thought I'd get some sun."

  The boy smiled back at her showing perfect white teeth. "I'm Aaron," he said. "You're Ali, right?"

  Ali nodded.

  "I've heard that older man call your name, that's why I knew it," Aaron told her. "So, does your mom own the resort?"

  Ali shook her head. "No. Jo is just a friend. I live up the hill in that cabin with my grandfather and work for Jo." She pointed up at their cabin.

  Aaron looked disappointed. "Oh. I thought maybe she was your mother and that blonde guy was your brother. You all seem like a family."

  Ali laughed. "No. Chase isn't my brother, he's just a friend. I just moved here in May, and Jo was nice enough to give me a job."

  "Where are you from?" Aaron asked.

  "Southern California. Torrance, actually."

  Aaron's face lit up. "Really? We're from Monterey, up in northern California, but we have relatives we often visit down near Torrance."

  "That's neat," Ali said. She looked around for the others, but didn't see them coming yet.

  "Are you waiting for someone?" Aaron asked, a look of disappointment spreading across his face again.

  "My friends and I are going out on the lake this afternoon," Ali said, then silently admonished herself for saying it. What if he wanted to tag along? She wouldn't know how to say no, and Chase might not like having him along.

  "So, what do you guys do for fun around here?" Aaron asked. "There's literally nothing in town to do, unless you want to go to an old movie or hang out at that coffeehouse wannabe. All there is around here is the lake and woods."