Page 24 of Barefoot Lake

“I spend the perfect amount of time with my books, thank you very much. This is a good story. Trust me.”

“That’s it, though. It’s just a story.” I sigh because briefly letting myself think about Jake that way is exciting. Another piercing bite on my leg snaps me back to reality. “Are you seriously not getting eaten alive by mosquitos right now?”

Piper shakes her head. “Nope! Just you.”

“Life is not fair.”

We hear a deep belly laugh as we pass through the opening in the trees that leads to Grateful Bob’s house. I briefly worry we’re interrupting a visit from guests as we walk toward the opening between his house and his neighbor’s, but then I distinctly hear Scott’s voice.

“I thought we were going to get arrested for sure.” He’s laughing again as Piper and I come around the side of the house and spot the two men on Grateful Bob’s back patio. We’re clearly interrupting Scott during his dramatic retelling of this morning. He cuts off when he sees us.

“Piper! Alice!”

Grateful Bob turns around in his chair and waves us over. “Ah yes. Some more delinquents of Wilcox Grove.”

“Hi, Grateful Bob.” I squeeze his outstretched hand with both of mine when we reach the men. “This is my friend, Piper.”

Grateful Bob rises to shake her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, miss. Please, have a seat.”

Scott immediately leaps to his feet.

“Take mine!” he exclaims. Grateful Bob looks at Scott with raised eyebrows before pointedly looking at the four other open chairs on the patio.

“Boy, sit down.” Grateful Bob chuckles.

Piper and I take two of the empty chairs before she turns to Grateful Bob. I notice the cushions we’re sitting on are all embroidered with a pattern of tiny loons.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Grateful Bob. Alice wouldn’t tell me, though — why are you called Grateful Bob?”

“Ah, it’s a fascinating tale. When I was young, I spent several years studying Tibetan Buddhism and the importance of the virtue of gratitude. I learned to express it in every aspect of my life, and the nickname just stuck.” Grateful Bob clasps his hands together, closes his eyes, and bows his head, as if remembering a very peaceful past.

Scott snorts. “That’s not what you told me! You said it was because of all the ladies who thanked you for the pleasure of your company!”

Grateful Bob pins Scott with a glare and smacks him upside the head with speed I wouldn’t expect from the older man.

Scott jolts and grumbles something that sounds like “Twice in one day!”

“Excuse you! My past is one of virtue. I would never.” Grateful Bob’s mock outrage is enough to have us all in stitches.

We chat easily for a while about how nice Scott’s friends are and how fun the night had been before its abrupt ending. At her request, Scott passes along Hannah’s number to me with a plea for me to text her so we can meet up. I feel giddy at the thought of having made another Wilcox Grove friend.

Eventually, I get around to apologizing for calling Grateful Bob in the dead of night.

“At least you had Jakey come to the rescue,” Grateful Bob says. “I still wish I could have been there for you all.”

“Please don’t worry about it. We were just fine.” I place a hand on his forearm. “I can handle Jake’s judgment.”

“Nah, Jake didn’t mind. I’m sure he doesn’t think anything of it,” Scott defends his brother.

I snort loudly. It’s very dignified.

“Trust me, your brother is NOT my biggest fan. He —”

I cut off and look awkwardly at Scott. He immediately catches my eye.

“What?”

“Never mind.”