6. Chapter Six
Rain drummed the cabin roof as Ethan rolled over to look at the clock. Just after five. Even though it had been a year since he’d started working for himself, eleven years of early mornings with Dad and Joel had probably programmed his sleep pattern for life.
Shoving back the covers, he got out of bed and stepped to the window. Everything hung heavy with rainwater. This time of year, he could still see the house from here, though the dripping branches would soon pop out with leaves. Was Katie awake yet? Hopefully not, after the exhaustion of yesterday.
Unwelcome memories of Grant intruded on his mind. Ethan drew a deep breath even as his chest tightened. He had to be careful. It was all too easy to hate the man, and that kind of anger was not a path he wanted to walk again. Shaking it off, he left the room.
Once he’d finished in the bathroom, he walked into the living area of the cabin that once belonged to his grandparents. It wasn’t exactly where he’d seen himself living at thirty as a bachelor. He’d always pictured himself with a family, living in a lake house he’d designed and built with Dad and Joel. That, of course, hadn’t happened. It might have if he hadn’t ended things with Anna. Had it been the right choice? He hated how often he doubted himself.
Katie’s face sprang to mind, proving just how legitimate his reasons for breaking up had been. But that didn’t make the future any less uncertain. If anything, it just made it even more complicated. Besides, it was far too late to reconsider with Anna even if he had wanted to. She’d been happily married for a year and a half now.
Knowing the best place to turn to let it rest, Ethan walked over to his desk in one corner of the living room. The window above it offered the perfect view of the gray lake, where wisps of fog hovered just above the surface that rippled with raindrops. He sat down and switched on the green desk lamp to dispel the gloom. Then he reached for his Bible, the edges of the pages worn from the last several years of use. He opened to Daniel where he’d left off reading yesterday and settled in.
Just after six o’clock, he replaced the ribbon bookmark between the pages. While his questions about the future weren’t answered, he had a greater sense of peace. He stared at the words for another moment before he flipped through his Bible to the photograph tucked between the last pages. He pulled it out—his favorite picture of him and Katie sitting on the sidewalk eating ice cream in front of The Ice Shack. A pair of awkward thirteen-year-olds who’d meant the world to each other. Back then, he’d seen the future looking much different than it did now. Of course, that all shattered the day she’d come crying to tell him they were moving to California. She might as well have said the moon. Her absence had left a gaping hole in his life that had taken years to heal, and even then, remnants of it existed to this day.
Reminding himself of the comfort of the Scripture he’d just read, he tucked the photo back into the spot it had rested for the past fifteen years and set his Bible aside. He reached for his phone. Katie might not be awake yet, but his dad would be. He sent a quick text, asking Dad to let him know if Katie got up before he could get over there. After all, he might not see her again once she left Two Lakes. He wanted to make every second count. Maybe it would finally heal the lingering ache in his heart, and he could fully move on.
He grabbed his laptop next, checking for emails. Rob from the furniture store in town wanted to stock the two hall benches Ethan had constructed from a vintage door. He welcomed even one or two sales in these early days, especially to get his name out there. Though he always had the family business to fall back on if things didn’t work out, that left an uncomfortable itch inside him. Having this business to call his own was important.
A few minutes later, he noticed the rain had slowed temporarily. Now would be his best chance to go over to Mom and Dad’s without getting too wet. He tugged on his work boots and headed outside. As he walked along the soggy gravel drive toward the house, large raindrops splashed into his hair, threatening to fall more heavily at any moment. He hurried his pace. Good thing too. As he reached the porch, another wave of heavy rain echoed in the trees. So much for a decent opening day of fishing season. It seemed to go this way every year.
Ethan let himself inside. Rosie rounded the corner to meet him as he pried his muddy boots off. He ruffled her ears, and she followed him into the kitchen. Mom stood at the peninsula, whisking a bowl of pancake batter. Dad sat at the table with Becca, who was already dressed for work in a pair of purple nursing scrubs just like Mom used to wear. They all traded good mornings, and Ethan slipped up onto the barstool opposite his mom.
“How are you this morning?” Mom didn’t look up from adding more buttermilk to the batter.
Ethan brushed a drop of rainwater from his sleeve. “Okay.”
Maybe something in his tone gave him away. Something unperceivable to anyone but her. Or maybe it was just mother’s intuition, but she paused now to give him a probing look. A look that drew out the truth more times than not, even if deeply buried.
Ethan raised his brows. “What? I’m fine.”
She didn’t appear convinced. She was entirely too attuned to the slightest upset in her children’s lives. But he loved her for it.
He did, however, silently thank Dad for cutting in with a change of subject. Mom couldn’t do anything about his earlier uncertainties anyway.
“I guess we won’t be going fishing with Joel later.” Dad had turned in his chair to look out the window. “Marshall will be disappointed.”
Ethan agreed, imagining how his nephew could be lamenting it right now. He probably had all the new fishing gear Dad had given him for Christmas sitting by the door, ready to go. “Yeah, he’s excited to try that new pole.”
“Maybe tomorrow afternoon. It’s supposed to clear up by then. He can always test it from the dock. We’ve caught some decent fish from there.”
It wasn’t the pontoon, but they’d enjoyed plenty of suppers growing up that consisted of sunfish Ethan and his siblings had landed from the dock.
A moment later, Dad’s attention shifted, his smile warm and welcoming. “Good morning.”
Ethan turned in his seat as Katie entered the room. She looked comfy this morning in a black hoodie with red embroidery around the edges—obviously another one of her upcycled creations. He loved seeing her creative streak. She always had been artistic. Hopefully, she’d take Megan up on her offer to help get a business going.
She greeted them all and approached the peninsula.
Ethan pulled out another stool. “Have a seat.”
She boosted herself up beside him. “Looks wet out.”
Ethan rubbed at the small spot on his sleeve where some raindrops had soaked in. “Yeah, I reached the porch just as it started pouring.”
Mom glanced up from the sausage links she’d just arranged in a pan. “You should have used an umbrella.”
Ethan just shrugged. “A little rain won’t hurt anything.”
The mothering expression remained but grew into a smile as her attention shifted to Katie. “I hope you still like pancakes. I switched to a new recipe recently but haven’t had any complaints.”
“I do. They’ll be much better than the cheap granola bars and ramen noodle cups I planned to survive on for the next few days.”
Ethan winced. That wasn’t much to survive on. Then again, if he didn’t live close enough to enjoy his mom’s cooking regularly, he probably wouldn’t eat much better. Frying up fish or grilling a good burger was about as far as his kitchen skills went.
In a few minutes, they sat around the table with plates full of Mom’s fluffy golden pancakes and sausages. Dad blessed the food, and they dug in. Becca asked Katie about her upcycled clothing creations between bites, and Ethan encouraged her to consider starting her business. Her eyes lit up whenever she talked about it, so she had a passion for it, something he understood.
Once they finished, Becca left for work at the local hospital. Katie helped Mom clear the table and then disappeared back upstairs to get her phone in case Drew called. Ethan stayed at the table since Mom insisted she and Dad could do the dishes. He glanced at his phone but caught Mom and Dad talking quietly to each other as they worked. Dad teased her before giving her an adoring smile. If ever God blessed Ethan with a wife, he prayed for a relationship like his parents had. Almost thirty-seven years of marriage and their love held strong.
He covertly snapped a couple of photos of them before movement drew his attention toward the living room. Katie had returned and stood at the patio door momentarily before letting herself out onto the porch. She hadn’t said where she’d been living these days—it had to be close to Madison, where Grandma Ruby had been—but he was willing to bet it didn’t have the view they had here.
He pushed up from his chair and walked to the coffeemaker. Dad always put a fresh pot on in the mornings. Just enough remained to fill two of Mom’s brightly colored mugs with the silicone lids. He stirred a spoonful of sugar into a blue one and then added double that and French vanilla creamer to the red mug. After putting the lids on, he carried them toward the patio door.