Picking up a stone, I throw it as far as I can.
It lands in the water with a wet, sloppy sound.A man sticks his head out of one of the cabins.
“Morning.Help you?”
Shit.We were introduced at the bar, but I can’t remember his name.
“Morning, Mister?—”
He smiles.He’s friendly, even though he looks a bit like a skinny weasel.“Vince Pruitt, Miz Aila.We’re mighty happy to know your ma’s decided to stay on.”
“Vince Pruitt.”I pretend to memorize his name even though I’m leaving Landslide.I think of something friendly to say.“How many skyquakes have you seen?”
I’m fascinated by skyquakes.Icebergs calving, volcanoes erupting, Northern lights: all of those things can be scientifically explained, but not skyquakes.
“Heard, you mean?Ain’t nothing to see but the empty sky when a skyquake decides to come along.”He thinks for a moment.“I’ve heard about a dozen or so.Monty told me you caught one on the ferry coming over.Consider that your ‘once in a blue moon.’”
Once in a blue moon.How apt to describe my entire Landslide experience.
“Have you always lived on the boat?”Pointing to his cabin, I don’t want to even imagine how cold it must get in winter.
“I do maintenance on the boat in winter.”Vince points to the corrugated metal sheet shed next to the mechanic’s shop.“But in my business, it’s wise to keep no fixed address.”He chuckles.“If the Mounties get wind of me, I can sail Stateside.And vice versa.”
He knows it would be rude of me to ask him his business.
“You know what?I might just do that.Go Stateside, I mean.Have a good day, Vince.”
I have my passport.I could go if I wanted.
By the time I get back to my room at the inn, Mom has packed her stuff and moved out.
What I’m seeing has serious “end of an era” vibes.But that is not what’s on my mind.Kicking off my sandals, I push the two narrow beds together to make one double bed with my head by the window.
There is one particular bridge I have no desire to burn.
I spent the day with my mom at Ben’s house, helping her unpack and being shown around the farm.It’s nice, but I can’t imagine Mom being happy here.It’s so, I dunno…basic.I suppose I might like living in a rural area after sowing all my wild oats, but I won’t bet on it.
Before leaving, I get to the point I wanted to make.“You coming to the inn tonight?To hang around the pub with the rest of us bar flies?”
Fortunately, my mom doesn’t guess the real reason for me asking the question.
“No, thanks.I’m going to cook us something nice for supper and get an early night.”
“Us?”There I go, sticking my foot in it.I should’ve just left.“I’m still full from the big lunch you made me.And we ate it mid-afternoon.”
Mom makes a shooing gesture towards me.“Exactly.Us as in me and Ben.We’re safe here, Aila.Go and enjoy your evening.”
No need to ask me two times.I have big plans for tonight in my brand new private bedroom and Theron-sized bed.
He told me his work schedule is from sunrise to sunset.At ten o’ clock on the dot, I’m sitting in the bar playing on my gaming apps and waiting for the hot biker to come in.
To be fair, they are all hella hot; the bikers, I mean.They are all lined up at the end of the bar counter nursing those home-brewed beers of theirs and talking in soft voices.
There’s Luna and Shadow, her stunning husband, and another one whose name I don’t know, a burly unit of a man with russet hair falling over his face.
The other three should be coming along any minute now.The one who looks like the Witcher character because of his long, straight, silvery-blond hair.And the one with short, spiky black hair.
And Theron.
