Page 75 of Barefoot Lake

Grateful Bob raises his eyebrows like he’s saying “Duh.”

“But I stayed in Wilcox Grove because I had to. I’m not sure I would have come back otherwise, not permanently. That decision was made for me. I want Alice to stay, but I don’t want to ask her to. I don’t even want her to think I’m asking her to stay for me.”

“So don’t ask her to stay,” he says like it’s the simplest thing. “If she left, would you try distance? Would you be willing for things to be a little difficult to keep her?”

“Of course.” I start, surprised by my answer. The words are out of my mouth before I realize I’ve even thought of them. “Yeah… I’d at least try to keep things going. I don’t think distance works long term, but Boston isn’t so far away while we figure it out.”

“And if it continues to work, what is she worth?” Grateful Bob asks.

I pause. It feels rash to think it already, but Alice feels like home.

“Maybe everything,” I admit.

“Then I’m not seeing much of an issue. Life is hard, and you might be at one of the hard parts. It could get complicated, but maybe it won’t.”

“I think she’s special. I don’t want to mess up.”

“It sounds like you don’t need my advice, Jake.”

Tim and Marty (short for Martine), another high schooler we have working at the nursery, are thrilled by my benevolent gift of donuts. They take two each and scurry off with quick shouts of “thanks!” thrown over their shoulders. Eli, on the other hand, eyes me suspiciously from where he leans against my desk, beside the pastries. I sit in my chair and try to ignore him, but he stares me down.

“What now?” I finally cave.

“Three days ago, you hightail it out of here because you can’t stop thinking about your sexy neighbor, then you take off two days and come back with donuts? Word on the street is that the two of you were canoodling around town yesterday. What’s the deal?”

“Maybe I just took two days off, and there isn’t more to it.”

I shrug. I know there’s no way Eli lets me off the hook here, and I’m certainly not trying to hide Alice, but it’s fun to jerk his chain anyway.

“And maybe people in this town need to mind their own business,” I continue, looking around for Tim. It seems like he took his donuts and fled.

“Of course they should. That’s not the point. You didn’t just take two days off and there is more to it. I know there is,” Eli persists.

I take a bite of the maple bacon donut I’d snagged. Hannah was right. These were worth the wait.

“Have you tried the maple bacon donuts? Hannah made them this morning and they are fire,” I deflect.

Eli turns to look at me head-on and smacks his palms down on the desk, making everything shake.

“You’ve gotta tell me what happened with Alice!”

“You’ve gotta be more gentle around the donuts. They’re precious cargo.” I slide the box toward me and give Eli my best “serious” face.

Eli huffs and crumples against my desk, exasperated. I take mercy on him, though the dramatics are entertaining.

“I spent the last two days with Alice.”

Eli perks up immediately.

“I knew it!” he shouts.

I quickly shush him and lean forward to look into the greenhouse space to make sure Tim and Marty haven’t reappeared to eavesdrop. I finally spot them pretending to straighten potted plants, but really just shooting the shit.

Eli lowers his voice and continues.

“And what were you doing for two whole days?”

“We were… not fighting.” I can’t keep the corner of my lips from ticking up at the memory. Thinking about those moments without Grateful Bob glaring daggers at me is much more pleasant.