If it had information on it, I could try to find the owner? It was probably only trash, but it was worth a shot. If I lost my little boat, I’d be very sad. A place in the middle where there had once been a mast was just a sad little fixture. A former sailboat. Full of family memories. Or I was overthinking.
Either way, I splashed out to it and reached in to find exactly what I needed. Hopefully. An old electric bill, yellowed and torn. Why would it be in a boat? I had no idea, but it did have an address, and based on the address for our cabin, it should be a little ways down the beach. Untangling the rope, I threw out the idea of towing it. My experience with the shore so far told me it would not go well. So instead, I tossed my shoes in and scrambled over the side. There were oars. Which was luckybecause I had not checked before freeing the little craft, and all the time with Dad in boats that often did not have motors, had me paddling with confidence.
But, being out of practice, by the time I came to a house with a small dock in front of it, my arms were aching. The rest of the rope was still present, and I tied the end still on the boat up and climbed onto the dock.
Taking the path to the house, I hoped I’d found the owner and that maybe they could give me a ride home. But nothing prepared me for the guy who opened the door, his bedhead the most adorable thing I’d ever seen. But the shadows under his eyes were not adorable at all.
Chapter Five
Sammy
Waking up before the sun hadn’t been my plan, but I didn’t pretend to go back to sleep. I wouldn’t be able to, because the second my eyes opened, the plan for the day kept going through my head. I was running on fumes, and the day hadn’t started yet.
I was grateful to the person hired to keep an eye on this place. They made sure the water was good to go, that the hot water tank was up and running, and surprisingly, the refrigerator was plugged in. I wouldn’t exactly call it down to temperature, but it was enough that I was able to throw my drinks in there yesterday.
Starting the long hot shower helped a lot. As a kid, I’d have to go really fast because the showers would be one after another, and it would run out. It was only me now, though, and I needed it to wake my body up as much as my brain.
I kicked myself for not having any coffee and took a soda out of the fridge. It was the only caffeine I was going to get, and I guzzled it down, my stomach instantly rebelling. I should’ve eaten first. I grumbled and grabbed a couple pieces of bread and slathered it with the peanut butter I brought with me. Hardly delicious, but it did help settle my queasiness.
First on my mental list was opening Grandpa’s room. There was no mandatory order to any of this, although starting with the kitchen would make the place more livable. But if I didn’t open that room up first, it was gonna weigh on me all day.
“I can do this.” I grabbed CB. “You’re going to stand by my side, right?” I made him nod and opened the door. Just like all the other rooms, it needed some air, but I couldn’t take that first step to get to the window. Looking around, it was like he had never left.
“Hey, Grandpa, I need to come in. Your room kind of stinks.” If he was there, he’d chuckle and go open the window himself and tell me that no, it was me who stank, but he wasn’t there. Knowing that, gave me the strength to do it for him.
I didn’t stay in the room long—I couldn’t—but it was a first step, and it would make the rest of the day easier.
Another trip to the car later, I came back in with my box of cleaning supplies. I hadn’t been sure what I’d find here at the store. After seeing the prices, I was glad for my choices.
“Kitchen cleaning, it is.” There was something therapeutic about scrubbing. I started with the counters, the cabinets, the floors, wiped down the inside of the refrigerator and set a large box of baking soda inside, and then it was time for the dishes—all of them. There weren’t a lot, a set of four of most things, but a lot more mugs, seven of them with some version ofGrandpaon them.
When I was in elementary school, we had a present fair every Christmas where kids could pick out something for their parents. For some reason, I thought my grandpa needed a mug every year from kindergarten through grade six. He was the one cheering loudest at my sixth-grade graduation, and, looking back, it was probably because he knew he wasn’t going to get any more mugs.
I kept my favorite one out to use during my stay.
I was feeling pretty good about the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. I assumed it was the person who kept an eye on this place, but when I swung it over, standing there was a man who looked a whole lot of city and not a lot of middle of nowhere. I mean, that wasn’t fair. I was judging him, but it was either that or stare like I did the daddies at Chained on the few nights I’d gone alone. I’d gawk from a distance, wanting to be brave enough to talk to them. I was much braver when Rowanand now Brock went with me, but with work being hectic, it was getting rarer and rarer that I made it out there.
“I hate to bother you, but I’m here fishing with friends, and I think I have found your boat,” he said.
“Why would you have my boat?” Wait? Did I have a boat? It was one of the things I hadn’t bothered to check when I got here. If anything was going to be stolen by my shitty relatives, it would be the boat.
“Long story short, it ran away from home,” he teased.
“What?” I was so confused.
“What I mean is, it broke away. Come look. I think it’s yours.”
“Yeah, okay.” Not trying to be rude, I was trying to figure out what was going on. He walked me down to the docks. Sure enough, it was mine.
“Is this your boat?”
“Yeah. Well, it’s my grandpa’s, but yeah, it’s mine now.” I’d had this place one day, and I had already lost his beloved boat. Great.
“Let me show you how to store it better.”
I tried to figure out why it had been in the water in the first place. There was no way it would’ve been there for years and not been ruined. Ultimately, I decided the caretaker did it as a favor. While coming to that conclusion, I missed the entire lesson by the hottie.
“I’m Will, by the way.”
