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“So what brings you to Kitchi Falls? Last I knew you were some big deal in the Army. A Ranger, right?”
“Ranger in the 75th. Stayed in for eight years, but the last deployment nearly killed me. Literally. Was time to get out.”
“Shit. Were you hurt?”
“Repeatedly.” Rather than talk about a raid gone bad followed by an IED that nearly took me out, I changed topics. “Moved out near Pittsburg. Broke up with the girl when I caught her fucking her boss. Came back to Maplewood. Had a few good deals as a land developer who specialized in purchasing protected property, another long story. And here I am. Looking at acquiring some property on the lake.”
“Jesus. Her boss? Tough break.”
“For him, yeah.”
Gian smiled into his beer. “How does a business major and sergeant first class in the Army get into land development?”
“I met a guy in Ranger school whose father made millions doing it. Seemed like as good a gig as any.”
“You can buy protected land?”
“Under the right circumstances, yes.”
“Hmm. Seems like that would upset a lot of people.”
“I’ve seen shit and dealt with some real scum over the years. Not upsetting a few tree huggers isn’t high on my list of priorities.”
“This is the same Jax who got his ass busted for being a candy striper at the hospital in college because he wanted to help people?”
I laughed. “First of all, motherfucker, I wasn’t a candy striper. I was a hospital intern. Second of all, I only got into it when Gram died and her roommate was alone. Or would have been if I hadn’t sat with her. It was a good deed. And third of all, I’m the same guy. Just a little more realistic.”
Gian looked skeptical. I could tell him I started a program at our local hospital when I moved back home, bringing volunteers in to sit with and read to lonely patients dying, but I knew I’d get my ass busted so I didn’t bother.
“Fair enough. So how long are you in town?”
“As long as the deal takes. A few weeks probably. Hard to say.”
“You’ll stay here the whole time?”
“Sure. I can afford to, and it just makes things easier. Most of what I do is remote anyway.”
Gian’s genuine smile reminded me why I liked the guy so much. You couldn’t find a bigger bust-ass than him, and back in the day he was a cocky bastard too, but he seemed to have mellowed out a bit.
At least that made one of us.
“I’m happy to show you around town. Where you staying?”
“I rented a house on the lake less than a ten-minute drive from here. Nice place. I can see the appeal up here.”
“You’ve never been to the Finger Lakes before?”
“Once as a kid, but I think it was one of the other lakes. I’ll have to ask my mother.”
“How is she doing? And your brothers?”
We talked about my two brothers, one older and one younger, and Gian’s family, and shot the shit for long enough that the other bartender started to give Gian the evil eye.
“I better get back behind the bar. Don’t leave without giving me your number.”
I winked at him. “And I didn’t even have to buy you dinner.”
Gian laughed.
