What We Find

“It is a beautiful morning,” she agreed. She wanted to discuss the coffee—just one cup, please. And activity today—nothing strenuous. Diet, they could talk about diet, and it wouldn’t include bacon... But Cal distracted her by popping open a camp stool for her to join them. “Thanks,” she said.

She watched as Cal put two pieces of bread he’d toasted on the grill onto a plate. Then he lifted his bacon and eggs out of the pan. He sat across the grill from Sully, plate on his knees, and worked away at his breakfast.

“That bacon smells every bit as good as I recall,” Sully said.

“If you stay away from the wrong foods you’ll live longer,” Maggie reminded him.

“I probably won’t. But it’ll damn sure seem longer.”

Cal laughed.

“What’s Cal short for?” Maggie asked.

He swallowed and looked at her. “You’ve been Googling me.”

“I have not!” she said.

“Is that what you were doing on the computer half the night?” Sully asked.

She scowled at him. “I’m just curious. Calvin? Caleb?”

“Why? Does one of those guys have a record?” Cal asked.

“How would I know?” she returned, but she colored a little. She’d always been a terrible liar.

He laughed at her. “I just go by Cal,” he said.

“You won’t tell me?”

“I think this is more fun.”

A car pulled into the grounds followed by Frank’s beat-up red truck. “There’s Enid and Frank. I take it you started the coffee?” Maggie asked.

“I did. And ate a bowl of that instant mush,” Sully said.

“What’ve you got to do today, Sully?” Cal asked. “What can you use help with?”

“Just the regular stuff. I can probably handle it with Maggie’s help. You know—shelf stocking, cleaning up, inventory. Hardly any campers yet so we’re not too far behind, but they’re coming. We have spring break coming up. I’m gonna have Tom and two of his kids to help this weekend and we’ll get that garden in. Once it’s in, I can handle it, plus the doctor said I should be back in the swing of things in a couple of weeks.”

“No. He didn’t,” Maggie pointed out. “He said you’d probably be moving slow for six weeks and in a few months you’d be in good shape. But no lifting anything over ten pounds for at least six weeks, preferably ten.”

“Thank God you were listening, Maggie,” he said sarcastically. “Otherwise I might’ve just killed myself planting a carrot.”

Maggie got up, turned and started walking to the store. “I don’t appreciate the attitude,” she said.

“I’m about ready to get out a big cigar and see how strong your heart is!”

“Do that and you’ll see how strong my right arm is!”

“This is going to be one giant pain in the ass, that’s what.”

“Sully, can’t you appreciate that I’m just being responsible? If you live right you have many good years ahead,” she said, a pleading quality to her voice.

“Let’s try to relax, Maggie. The doctor said I’d be fine and to keep an eye on too much bruising from the blood thinner. He didn’t tell me to stay in bed until I die of boredom.” Sully stood from his camp chair to follow Maggie. “He did tell me not to have sex or take my Viagra for a while,” Sully said to Cal.

Maggie whirled and gave him a dirty look as Cal smirked.

“Bummer,” Sully said.

* * *

Cal puttered around his campsite, cleaning up and stowing things. Then he ambled over to the store to check things out before Sully got himself in any more trouble with Maggie. Sully was full of mischief and reminded Cal a lot of his grandfather. His grandfather had died at the age of seventy-five and it had seemed so premature at the time. He, like Sully, had been so physically strong, mentally sharp.

Maggie was a very interesting character. He didn’t know all the details but he’d peg her for either a firstborn or only child. She was strong like her father, that was undeniable. Or maybe she was strong-willed like a doctor? Cal had had plenty of experience with doctors and he knew they could be arrogant, stubborn and nurse a great need to be right about everything. They were also often brilliant, compassionate, sensitive and yet not sentimental. Maggie seemed to embody those qualities.

And she wasn’t hard to look at, either. She had good teeth, he thought, then laughed at himself. Like he was judging a horse? He was just one of those people who noticed eyes and mouths first. It was somehow natural to him and also something he consciously thought about—you can tell a lot about a person from their mouth and eyes.

Maggie’s eyes were brown like his but darker. Chocolate. She had thick lashes, fine, thin, arching brows and a sparkle in her eyes. They reflected humor, anger, curiosity and embarrassment. He’d caught her; it was written all over her face—she’d been trying to research him. Probably because he was hanging around the campground so long, even during inclement weather. And not just hanging around the grounds but also the store—she was naturally protective of her father and his property.

He said good-morning to Frank, who sat by Sully near the stove. Sully had another cup of coffee and Cal guessed he must have gotten rid of Maggie somehow to score another cup. Who knew how many he’d had before walking with his steaming mug over to Cal’s campsite. Cal wasn’t sure whether Sully was hard to manage or he just enjoyed watching Maggie’s attempts. He was extremely curious about their family history. Where was Maggie’s mother?

“What would you like me to get out of that storeroom for you, Sully?”

“Aw, I don’t want to work you, Cal...”

“I don’t feel put upon at all. I don’t have anything on the calendar. Another week and your campground will get busy, the weather will get warmer and I’m going to take you up on your offer to park and see what these trails have to offer. So—want to tell me?”

“I’ll go with you and show you,” Sully said.

“As long as you don’t get in trouble with the warden.”

Cal went about the business of bringing out boxes of supplies and restocking the shelves. He rotated the goods so the newest went in the back and the oldest would sell first. He checked the dates on the food products if necessary and he used a dampened rag to wipe the shelving clean.

It brought back memories of his student days. Stocking supermarket shelves didn’t pay particularly well but it was something he could do at night. He went to classes and study groups during the day and early evening, worked at night. And sleep? When he could. He learned to work quickly, study every second he could spare, power nap, eat on the run. He recorded facts, stats, case studies and lectures into his pocket recorder, listened and repeated as he showered, drove, shelved. The days were long, the nights short, the labor intense.

Yet it was a happy time. He was achieving all his goals, was deeply bonded with his friends and fellow students, his life felt challenging but very stable. And he met Lynne.

Lynne Aimee Baxter was the smartest, kindest, strongest, funniest person he’d ever known. They weren’t headed in the same direction, not really. They both wanted to work in the legal system. He wanted to make a good living, put down roots, build a house that could hold him till he died and with space to accommodate a growing family. Lynne wanted to help people. He might end up in criminal law...maybe tax law...same thing, they would joke. She might end up a public defender or, better still, a storefront operation for the underprivileged in need of legal counsel. What was so comical—he came from nothing while she was a trust-fund baby.

Maybe that explained it. He longed for security; she wanted to shed the excesses of her life.

“You’re better at this than I am,” Sully said behind him.

He turned around with a grin. “I’ve done this before.”

“I’ll say it again—I just don’t pay you enough. Listen, Maggie’s gone over to town to pick up my seeds and starters and maybe to get away from me. Want to join me for a hot dog?”

Cal smiled. “You eat a hot dog, you’re going to pay. That’s for sure.”