Chapter 13 – Leap #4
“I’m hungry too. Come ‘ere.” He put his arms around her and pulled her up against him.
“Ummm . . . appetizer, maybe?” Suddenly, he pushed her away.
“No! What am I saying! I just went on this mission and found something, and we need to eat in a hurry and go see it.” He kissed her. “We’ll save the appetizer for dessert.”
“What’re we going to eat?”
“How ‘bout we open a can of chili? Easy and fast. We can even get fancy — I’ll grate some cheese. If we eat PB&J, you won’t be able to tell me your news.”
“Perfect.” They turned and headed up. “What did you find?”
“Ahhh,” Robby said. “You’ll have to wait and see, but there’s a dress code.”
“Dress code?”
“Yep. Under your top layer, you have to wear one of those string bikinis you brought in the toe of your boot.” Under his breath, he said, “That’s definitely going to find its way into a song.”
Grace changed clothes while Robby made lunch.
They agreed to hold off on news till they sat down.
When they had chili and the shared beer in front of them, Grace said, “Now?” Robby nodded.
“I don’t know where to start.” She stared off, then at Robby.
“Okay . . . Still waiting to see whether the cookout will be tomorrow or next weekend. Tonight’s out because there are still guests.
But — when we do it — Billy plays guitar!
It’s gonna be such fun! Turns out his family’s musical, so he sings too! ”
“He plays? Why hasn’t he said anything? Does he have a guitar?”
“He does. You can imagine why he hasn’t said anything . . . come on! Yes, he has a guitar with him. He said it’s his ‘dad’s old Martin.’”
“Oh man.” Robby sat back.
“And that’s not all. Kirsten, to be honest, was a bitch when I was up there, but Billy says she sings — really well. It sounds like he could like her if she were nicer. You’ll just have to win her over with the power of your presence. Isn’t this going to be fun?”
“Yes. It really could be.” He reached for the beer and took a long sip.
*******
The canoe was gliding through the lake as they crossed into Canadian water.
Too calm of a day not to be in a canoe. Ahead was a rock palisade Grace had noticed before but never thought much about.
There was the much higher, famous Palisade Head on 61 coming up from Duluth, where her dad had loved to walk and go on about the geologic formation of the cliffs.
Now she wished she had listened more closely — was this one also formed from a lava outflow?
At the same time? Whatever, Robby was heading right for it.
She had never been this close. They glided alongside the rock wall that rose intimidatingly above them for about fifty feet.
She reached out and touched it, letting her fingers drag lightly across its rough, cold, yet comforting surface.
When they reached the abrupt end, Robby turned into a small, almost hidden bay, and beached the canoe.
They got out. He’d brought a bulky pack which he now put on.
“Follow me.” He had found a back way up the palisade.
The view was stunning. They were not hundreds of feet above Lake Superior like at Palisade Head, but enough for a view on this clear day, of the entire lake and surrounding land.
You could still see the path of the Ham Lake Fire of 2007.
It had scorched this very rock on what must have been a wild and terrifying day.
Grace was so lost in thought that when Robby put his arm around her, she jumped and he had to grab her, afraid she would lose her balance and fall.
“Let’s move back. That’s way more of a leap than I had in mind. ”
Because of the fire, there were still no large, mature trees. They moved back to an area that was almost grassy, and Robby opened the pack, took out a sleeping bag, and spread it on the ground. “Your tanning bed.” He had another sleeping bag which he didn’t spread out.
“Now, I get the dress code,” Grace smiled, unbuttoned her shirt, and stepped out of her water shoes, then her jeans. She had on a rust-colored string bikini.
“You do that so well. It’s one of your best moves — the way you zip and unzip jeans — gets me every time.” He had removed his old moccasins and unbuttoned his shirt and stepped onto the sleeping bag.
“No you don’t! You have that look. I get my thirty minutes baking time. You may lie beside me, but no touching.” She stretched out on her stomach, untying the bikini top.
“Damn.” Robby took off his shirt and laid beside her on his back. He wondered when he’d ever been this relaxed without having taken something, then he fell asleep.
He woke up when Grace’s elbow bumped his shoulder. She was retying her top, still lying on her stomach. “Where do girls learn that? Is there a secret course in school boys aren’t told about?”
“We just know.” Grace turned on her side towards Robby.
He looked at her lips and smiled. “Have you ever made love outdoors?”
Grace laughed. “Is that a stock come-on line up here?”
“Maybe. I can’t rule out I might have said something similar before.” His expression suddenly changed. “Wait. Has someone said that to you up here?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, recently.”
“Oh . . . really. Do I need to worry?”
“If I weren’t seeing you, I’d call him.”
“Tourist or resident?”
“Resident — dog sled driver, fishing guide, winter sports guide. Handsome too, and likes me.”
“And did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Make love outside with a handsome musher who likes you?”
“No. We didn’t get that far . . . but he brought it up.”
“Hmmm. Will you?”
“Will I what? Get that far with him?”
“No. Make love outdoors. With me. Now. I want to make you forget him.”
“Yeah. Sure. Give it your best shot.” Grace laughed.
*******
“Robby?”
“Yes.”
“You either have to spread out that other sleeping bag, or we have to go. I’m cold.”
“Oh,” Robby said, getting up. “Now that you mention it, that’s why I brought it.” He opened the sleeping bag, spread it over Grace, and crawled under beside her. “Better?”
“Ummm. Much.”
“And was making love outdoors better?”
“Ummm . . . better than the last time I did it.”
“That’s not the enthusiastic response I was hoping for, but don’t elaborate. My ego can’t take any more right now.”
“Actually, I’m about ready to go back and see if I can get an answer about tomorrow. If we’re having a cookout, we’ll need to figure out what to grill.”
“What do people in the South say, when they want to grill chicken with barbecue sauce on it?”
“That. They say that — what you just said.” They both laughed.
*************
Grace was heading to the door to go to the lodge. Robby was sitting at his computer about to put on his headphones but waited. He heard her stop as she stepped onto the porch. He smiled, stood up, and laid the headphones on the table. He was turning to walk to the door when he heard his name.
“Robby?”
She was standing, looking at the hammock in disbelief. She turned to him. “How did that get here? When?”
“I think FedEx delivered it . . . to my house. It’s been a while. It’s been there,” he pointed to it, “all day.” He put his arm around her. “Like it?”
“Did you get it? You put it up? Does Jim know?”
“Yes, yes, and yes. Go try it.” She started for the hammock. He followed.
Grace sat in it and smiled. She looked over at the bright red pillow. “Did that come with it? I’ve never had a special pillow before.”
“Yep. It’s a pretty deadly combination. I tried it out while you were gone. You almost found me in it, asleep.”
Grace laid back, head on the pillow, and looked up at him. “It’s wonderful! Didn’t I tell you?” She smiled and closed her eyes, then she opened them. “Get in! It can hold both of us.”
Robby sat. Grace rolled against his back and laughed. He laid back, and they got situated. “It’s surprisingly comfortable. I may get my dad one. And Marie . . . everyone, from her to Russell to the boys, would use it.”
“This was a sweet thing for you to do. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Glad you like it.” He turned his head and looked at her. “I like making you happy.” He tried to kiss her, but his elbow went through the hammock, and they both laughed.
************
When Grace walked in the door of the lodge, Nan was at the desk and Jim was in his chair. Grace said, “Hi,” and went straight over to Nan, leaned forward on the counter, and said softly, “Where’s Kirsten?”
Nan looked up from her paperwork. “We gave her the afternoon off. She’s gone to visit friends on Loon Lake till supper time.” She looked at Grace curiously.
“Do y’all have a minute to talk, someplace private?” She looked over at Jim.
“I do. Nan?” Jim pushed his laptop away.
“Just let me organize these papers, so I know where I am when I come back.” Nan looked down and began gathering papers. “Why don’t you get me a cup of coffee, Jim, and I’ll meet you two at the corner table?”
Jim and Grace headed for the coffee bar, then on to the corner table in the dining room, the one with the best view of the lake. Nan joined them in a few minutes.
“What’s up?” Jim asked.
“I’m only being secretive because I want to run this idea by y’all first. Although — to be honest — I asked Billy about it this morning, when I couldn’t find y’all.
Anyway, Robby and I want to have you two, Billy, and Kirsten down to the point for a cookout, as soon as possible, when there’re no guests — so you’re free and Robby’s safe.
Tomorrow or next weekend, maybe. And Billy said he’d bring his guitar and that Kirsten sings really well. It’ll be fun! What do you think?”
Nan looked at Jim. “I thought you said Grace knew about Kirsten.”
Jim looked at Grace. “Remember our talk about her? I don’t think that’s going to make for a pleasant evening.”