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Rather than probing further, he grins and suggests, “I have the perfect place for that.”
He grabs a candle, bug spray, and a blanket, holding the door open for me. The screen door slams behind us, and I turn back to see Riggs sitting at the door, whining. I shoot him a sympathetic look. I’d bring you if I could, buddy. Paxton ignores him and leads me down a set of stairs to a lower deck, steps from the water.
The scene unfolds in pure tranquility, with the water laying still like a reflective mirror beneath the fallen clouds. The storm shifted directions and seems this round will miss us.
“How can you ever leave this place?” I marvel.
“If it wasn’t for work, I’d never leave. But it’s also why I spend most of my free time out here,” he shares.
I settle into one of the Adirondack chairs. He places the bug spray and candle on the table beside me and retrieves a lighter, lighting the candle.
“The damn mosquitoes are vampires. This’ll help.” The scent of citronella wafts through the air as the candle flickers.
“This is amazing,” I reply.
He tilts his head, gesturing that he’s going back up, and waits for me to nod before leaving. His momma raised him well. I bet he’s a big momma’s boy.
After he’s out of sight, I spot a red canoe at the water’s edge, tempting me. Would it be rude? He offered this space for me to think…and the water looks so inviting.
I forget the phrase Pearl always used—something about asking for forgiveness later. He won’t mind. I’ve never been in a canoe. It can’t be hard, right? I pick up an oar and slide into the single seat. Now what? The canoe stays wedged between the water and the shore, half in and half out. To free it, I sway back and forth, using the oar to push off the ground. I groan at the stuck canoe.
What was I thinking?
I know how to canoe like I know how to surf—clueless and likely to end up drowning.
“Need some help?”
I yelp at the voice, twisting around. Paxton stands there with an amused expression.
Good, he’s smiling.
“Naw. I’m trying to see how a beached whale feels,” I joke.
His laugh echoes over the lake. “In that case, it’s my job to keep you wet.” Cold water splashes on me, running down my skin.
“Paxton!” I half yell, half laugh as I wipe my arms off. “You are mean, sir.”
“Kali, you have no idea.” He laughs.
He surprises me again with a quick shove. The ground releases me, and I’m floating atop the water. My fingers have a death grip around the sides of the canoe. The slightest movement makes the canoe tilt.
“What are the odds of this thing turning over if I move?” I inquire, frozen in place, afraid to even look back at Paxton.
A brief hum makes me regret taking it out. “You should be all right.”
“That doesn’t sound reassuring.” I chuckle nervously. I’m glad he finds this whole thing entertaining. I don’t. The water beneath me is murky, and I’d rather not find out what’s waiting for me below the surface or how deep it is.
“You can swim, right?”
“You’re not helping,” I quip, but thankfully the answer is yes. Yes, I can.
“Keep it steady, no sudden movements,” he says. I figured that much out myself. “Put the oar in the water to one side and glide it through the water.” I follow his instructions with minimal motion, but the canoe turns rather than goes forward.
“Shouldn’t I have two oars?” I ask as the canoe pivots, now facing Paxton. I lift the oar, hoping that will make it stop turning.
“You alternate sides,” he explains, gesturing the movement. Sounds simple enough. But it’d be easier with two oars, though. I try it out and move in a straight line. “I’m going to go finish dinner. Think you can stay out of the water?”
Switching between smiling and wincing and then smiling again, I nod, excited I’m getting the hang of it, but still afraid to move. I hadn’t noticed Riggs on the beach until he laid down, keeping his eyes trained on me. As I glide closer to the middle of the lake, I slow my strokes, letting the warmth of the sun blanket me. This is how I imagined it would be out here: quiet. Not dead quiet like my box, but a peaceful quiet. It’s freeing. Now and then, a cicada sends out its battle cry, but in between is where the magic happens.
