Chapter 18 - Options
Grace opened her eyes. The room was so dark, she had nothing to judge the time by, but she was ready to get up. Gradually, she could see light around the edges of the shades. She tried not to wake Robby, but he stirred, so she said, “Go back to sleep. Everything’s fine.”
The house was chilly. She put on the socks from last night, got into her jeans, pulled on Robby’s brown sweater, and went out front to make coffee.
A coffeemaker! Could she remember how to make coffee in a coffeemaker?
She almost laughed. She remembered the filter.
Thank heaven it was not a complicated model.
While it was brewing, she put wood in the stove.
Then she went quietly out to the sunroom.
The dog was nowhere to be seen. A relief, really.
But the sun was high enough to begin filling the room.
What a grand room. A good pandemic house for Robby, even with spotty internet and cell phone service — better than none at all — and he had the basement for music if he didn’t want to go to Fond du Lac.
If these restrictions went on much longer, a lot of people were going to start going stir-crazy.
Thoughts of what she was going to do when the weather turned cold started creeping in, and she went to get coffee.
She stood in the bedroom doorway with her mug.
Robby was still sleeping. On his back, angled across the bed.
Yesterday was hard for her. She couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for him.
Siblings and big family dynamics were a mystery to her.
She walked back to the sunroom. The furniture was metal, but it did have cushions.
Two chairs, a glass-topped coffee table, and a two-seater sofa.
She sat on the two-seater to get her feet off the floor and sipped her coffee.
When she thought about winter, her thoughts got all jumbled.
Her mind didn’t want to go there. She had just gotten settled where she was.
That had been a big effort, a life change.
She shouldn’t have to deal with more of that so soon .
. . but it couldn’t be an overnight decision. It would take planning. Sigh. Okay.
She knew she wanted to stay in northern Minnesota, to try the winter.
Her basic needs were reliable internet and phone service, food, shelter, and access to exercise.
Those would be covered at Getaway, so that was an option, although she’d basically be stuck up there.
She was not comfortable putting Robby in the picture — a lot could happen in a few months, especially if the pandemic ended.
Maybe she could find a place in Grand Marais.
She should explore that. Maybe Ely. Maybe Duluth.
Duluth was appealing because of the airport, especially since she didn’t have a car, in case something happened with the house or her mother. She’d explore Duluth first.
“I thought you’d be out here.” Robby was standing in the doorway in his boxers. He looked at her mug. “There’s coffee?” He turned around and walked off. When he reappeared, he had coffee and clothes. “I see our furry friend is back,” Robby said, sitting in the first chair.
“Oh! I didn’t notice. He wasn’t there when I came out.” Grace got up and walked over to the door, and there he was at the bottom of the steps, sunning himself. “He seems to be sort of settling in, don’t you think?” She went back to her seat.
“Yes, unfortunately. He looks healthy. He’s no wolf, but he might have some in him. He’s too heavy and his snout’s not long enough. Color’s right, though.” He took a sip of his coffee. “What were you so deep in thought about?”
“You sure you want to ask that before you’ve had that coffee?”
“Uh-oh. Is this one of those conversations where I need to eat first?” Robby looked at her over the rim of his mug.
“I don’t think so. I was thinking about my options for winter.”
“What a coincidence. I’ve been thinking about that too.”
“About my options for winter?”
“Well yes. I’m thinking about a lot of things, and where the woman I’m in love with will be this winter is one of them. That’s reasonable, right?”
“When you put it like that, yes.”
“What did you come up with? Please don’t tell me we’re back to square one, where I don’t get to know anything. I don’t think I could take that right now, in all seriousness.”
“No, no. This is just the first time I’ve persuaded my brain to even look at the subject. Can I get more coffee first?”
“Sure. I’ll see if Dog has warmed up any sitting in the sun.”
*******
When Grace returned, Robby was sitting on one of the lowest steps, his bare feet on the ground, the dog looking at him calmly from about fifteen feet away.
She opened the door, and they both looked up at her.
“I think he’d come to me if I waited long enough.
He doesn’t seem afraid — not aggressive for sure — just careful.
But my feet are too cold to wait. He slowly stood up and came back in the sunroom. The dog just watched.
Grace sat back down. Robby walked past her into the house, saying, “Socks. My feet are like icebergs.” When he came back, he took the chair again on the opposite side of the coffee table and stretched his legs out, letting his feet soak up the sun as much as possible.
“So. What options did you come up with?”
“Well, the lodge is a possibility, but more like a safety net, because I know the winters are long up here, and I’d be more or less stranded and dependent on Jim and Nan.”
“Also stir-crazy, unless you got into winter sports, which I’m sure Jim and Nan know something about.”
“Oh, I’ve already got that covered. Don’t forget about the dogsledder who likes me.”
“Oh God. Him again.” Robby drank the rest of his coffee. “Let’s make Irish coffee. I think I’m going to need it. You lied when you said this wasn’t gonna be a bad conversation.” He stood up and reached for her mug.
“Are you serious?”
“About the Irish coffee? Yes. About the dogsledder? No. But maybe I should be, since he’s still on your radar. ‘Come on.” He motioned toward the door and walked off that way.
“Did you buy whipping cream?” Grace said from behind him.
“Reddi Wip. I always have Reddi Wip.” He looked over his shoulder. “It’s given me a lot of pleasure over the years.”
“You’re bad.”
“So are you. It’s one of your best qualities.”
“You’re feeling better.” She came up beside him, as he was getting a bottle of Jameson’s out of a lower cabinet.
“Yep. Sleep. And you being here.” He looked for a jigger but gave up and just poured the Irish whiskey into the hot coffee and sprayed a mountain of Reddi Wip in each mug.
He handed Grace her mug, picked his up, and held it toward hers for a toast. “To options.” He took a big sip and came away with a white mustache.
“I’m getting out of here now before you get crazy. It’s too early for crazy.” She turned around and hurried to the sunroom.
From behind her, Robby said, “I could catch you if I wanted to, but like I’ve told you before, I’m a patient man. Drink up. We got all day and all night. And Reddi Wip.” Sitting down, he looked at Grace, licking off his mustache. “Before we talk options, let’s establish what we’re sure of, okay?”
“Okay.” Grace settled into the two-seater and sipped her coffee.
“You’re sure you want to stay in northern Minnesota?”
Grace nodded. “As sure as I can be, never having done it before. It’s the only way I’m going to find out.”
“Okay. Do we agree we’re in love?” He tilted his head in question, and Grace nodded. “So we’d like to be close to each other, especially since you don’t have a vehicle or know how to drive in winter weather.”
“This is where it gets complicated.”
“How so?” Robby sat back, sipped, and waited.
“Because you have a house. Grand Marais is close, and maybe I could find something there, but my first choice would be Duluth because it’s got an airport.”
“I’m not saying that would be a bad thing, just curious — why do you want an airport?”
“In case something happens at home — my mom or my house. There are hurricanes.”
“Okay. Fair. I could use an airport, too, especially if the pandemic improves. I’ve got the apartment in Minneapolis, although I’ve started thinking of letting that go. I’ve had it forever but rarely use it now. So, unless you think Minneapolis is an option for you, Duluth is better for me.”
“So you’re not planning to stay here, in this house?”
“I don’t have to, and if you’re in Duluth, and the guys I play with are on the rez, and Mom and Dad are too, Duluth is better. You can see that, can’t you?”
“I guess. God, you must have a lot of money.”
“Enough. If we break up, I might move back up here, but I’m not planning on a long-term lease anyway.”
“Okay. It sounds like we both want to check out Duluth for the winter. Cool.” Grace smiled.
“Maybe we’ll end up neighbors.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I don’t see you in a low-rent district. You’re more the view-of-the-lake type, don’t you think? But we could still date — oh, wait. I forgot. You said rock stars don’t ask people for dates. I guess I’m gonna be looking for a new boyfriend.”
“You’re right — I’ve spent my time in low-rent apartments.
I’d rather not do that. As for asking for dates, if the pandemic’s still going on, I won’t be working, so my rock star status is suspended.
If I want someone’s company bad enough, I’m going to ask her out.
” He took a sip of coffee. “Especially if I’m in love with her.
But now I’m hungry, and I need to call Russell. ”
*******
Robby had to get a jacket and shoes and go on the deck to call Russell, so Grace looked around in the refrigerator and found the makings for an omelet .
. . actually more of a frittata. She hadn’t mastered the art of folding an omelet without overcooking the eggs, and she didn’t like overcooked eggs.
She was sautéing onions and spinach when Robby came back inside.