Page 111 of Gone for You

I down a couple aspirin with the bottle of water he also left for me.

The breakfast burrito he set out for me is homemade and delicious. It’s full of scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese, some caramelized onions, salsa and… I look inside. Yup. Tater tots. It might sound weird but it works. In fact, I wish I had another one.

I down the last of my coffee and take a quick shower. When I emerge, I see a pair of work boots sitting at the foot of my bed. I must have missed Owen dropping them off when he was here earlier.

But I’m grateful. The clothes I packed are fine for working in, but I’m glad to have some safer footwear.

I get dressed, lace up the dark brown boots, and head outside into the cool morning. Between the breakfast, coffee, and refreshing air, the slight hangover is already fading away. The scent of rain still hangs in the air from the overnight storm, the leaves hang heavy from the trees and the ground is saturated.

Birds are chirping and squirrels are chattering. There might not be a rainbow, but the promise of new life is all around me.

I look to my left and stop in my tracks. The sunlight is glistening off the lake’s surface. It sparkles and shines and I stand mesmerized as a bird dives into the water. Moments later it pops back up, a fish in its mouth.

It’s not the first time I’ve seen this happen, but it still surprises me. How a bird can transform itself into a fish and eat a fish and float like a bird and… okay, maybe I am still a little hungover. I couldn’t even follow my own train of thought just now.

I shake my head and continue walking, taking my time to look around and soak in the nature all around me. It’s not hard to see why Owen loves it here. Secludes himself from the rest of the world, even. Life seems to take on a different pace. Slower, but not in a lazy way. More in a way that’s a remindertoslow down, pay attention to the world around us.

I walk down to the east loop and find the location where he’s building. Owen’s standing outside the shell of the cabins. Much like most of the other cabins, he’s building a duplex. Two cabins connected only by a wall.

“Come on, I’ll show you what we’ve got so far,” Owen says when I get closer.

The cabins are pretty basic. These will be a bit bigger than the unit I’m currently staying in. Two bedrooms. One bathroom. A small kitchen that doubles as a dining and sitting area.

“We’ll have screened-in decks off the back,” he says, his arm splaying out around him to show me where he’s talking about. “We’re putting in a small door and walkway between the two decks so if a larger family wants to rent both, they can get back and forth without having to go outside and through the front doors.”

“Nice.” I nod my head, being able to picture what he’s talking about and thinking it’s a pretty smart idea.

“Yeah, I think it’ll be good. I’m planning to build another set down here as soon as we’re finished with these.”

“So business is good, yeah?”

“It is. I’m shocked, really. Most families want to be in the middle of everything and their kids can’t stand the idea of just coming up here to unplug. I mean, we have a lot of groups coming in for fishing trips, too, but we’re seeing more families.”

“Which you love.”

“I do. I can see a trend hitting.”

“Probably because we’re all so damn glued to our phones that parents have to take drastic measures to spend time as a family.”

“Sad thing is, though, the parents have just as hard a time leaving their phones alone.”

“I get it. Some of it is business, too, you know? It’s not always bad.” He shrugs, seeming a bit annoyed so I drop it. “Ready to put me to work?”

He claps his hands and rubs them together, grinning. “Hell, yeah.”

* * *

“I’m dying.”

Owen chuckles. “You’re out of shape.”

I lift my shirt, showing off my tight abs.

“I’ve seen enough of your body for one lifetime. Besides, actual physical labor is a lot harder work than what you’re used to.”

“No shit?” I ask sarcastically.

“I bet you’re not thinking about that hangover anymore, though, are ya?”

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