Randy unslung his pack and pulled out two bottles of water. He passed one over, and I blinked at how cold it was.
“You got a cooler in there or something?” I joked.
He laughed. “Sorta. I’ve got an insulated pouch.”
“Just to walk your own land?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t know how long things would take. Better to bring a couple bottles of water than have to go back down because we’re thirsty.”
“Makes sense,” I conceded.
I unscrewed the top and took a long drink of the cold water.
A light breeze rustled the leaves, and birds called to each other from the safety of the canopy.
“It really is special here,” I murmured.
“It is.”
“Thanks for sharing it with me.”
There was a beat of silence, then, “You’re welcome.”
Neither of us spoke for several minutes, but it was the comfortable sort of quiet that didn’t need to be filled.
“Oh, yeah,” Randy said.
“Hmm?”
He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then passed it over.
I studied the screen for several seconds, then realized what I was looking at. The bug-hole-riddled board had been filled with colorful resin and finished. Flecks of turquoise shone against the wood.
“That’s gorgeous,” I said as I passed the phone back over.
“I’d let you see it, but it sold already.”
I smiled. “I think that’s a good reason not to see it.”
“It was a good piece. Thanks for saving it for me.”
“You’re welcome.”
I swallowed and decided to take another risk. “I’d love to see you work sometime.”
“It’s nothing exciting,” he replied. “You probably see bigger saws every day.”
“How about the lathe?” I suggested. “We don’t use that at the mill.”
He hummed. “If you really want to.”
“I do.”
“Ok. Do you want to come back another day, or once we’re done?”
“That’s up to you. But if you think there’s time…”
He chuckled. “I pulled out a couple of small bowl blanks this morning. It wouldn’t take too long for you to get an idea of my process.”
