11. Chapter 11
eleven
A nnie sprang out of bed before her alarm went off the next morning.
She worked a little before getting ready to meet Julian. The first shirt she pulled on didn’t feel right, but after a quick change, she felt more at ease.
Why do I feel so giddy about manual labor? She slipped into her black jacket and gloves, and stood outside, sunglasses on her face and phone in her pocket.
A night wind had pushed out the rain, revealing a periwinkle blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds the color of cream. The air smelled grassy and damp. It was cold, but thankfully it was nowhere near cut-right-through-to-your-bones cold.
Enjoying the fresh air, she paced the property slowly until Julian walked out of his house.
When he noticed that she’d seen him, he gave a little wave and headed over.
Today, he wore a button up green plaid shirt with a white t-shirt underneath.
He’d pushed the sleeves up to his elbows, showing off his broad, firm forearms.
“Morning.” He picked up his baseball cap and scratched his forehead with his bare fingers. From his back pocket, he pulled out the flashlight she’d loaned him. He handed it to her. “Better than Rudolph on Christmas.”
Her lips parted into a smile. “Ready to get back to work?”
They started stacking the rain-sodden logs, chatting.
It was friendly and light. All told, Annie felt herself opening up.
.. and… she couldn’t remember the last time she’d so readily opened up to a new friend.
Perhaps not since meeting Molly in the fourth grade, when Annie had needed crayons, and Molly had drooled over Annie’s well-loved dolphin homework folder.
“Sure, he’s just a ‘friend’...” Serene Hallowbrew whispered. “You ogled those well-muscled arms of his, and that was purely platonic...”
Out of the corner of her eye, Annie did a sly up-down of Julian, but was then instantly thumped with regret. She lowered her eyes and inwardly kicked herself. I’ve already got this guy in my crosshairs? Now’s not the time for new love. Rebounding would be the worst thing I could do right now.
She whispered under her breath, “Get it together, Annie…”
“No… you really meant ‘get together,’ Annie…”
Annie bit back a response.
Although the time she’d spent with Julian had been innocent, she reminded herself that her goal was to move away from Chris and start her new life in Fort Walton.
To be there for Molly and Peter when they needed her.
This was just a vacation. While Julian had made it clear he enjoyed her company, what were the chances that he—
“This is nice. I hate it when people talk just to fill the air.”
“What?” Annie snapped from her thoughts. “Oh, yeah! Yeah, nobody needs to talk every second of the day.”
Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She checked the I.D.
Chris...
Frowning, she declined the call and put it back in her jacket.
They finished stacking the first load of very wet wood. She followed Julian with his wheelbarrow for two more rounds of wood gathering and stacking. She felt appreciative for the gloves on her hands when she noticed Julian picking at the caked-on, dust-coated sap spotting his long fingers.
Her phone rang again when they were stacking the last pieces. It was almost noon.
“Sorry, sorry. One sec.” She checked her phone.
Christopher.
Again.
She declined and turned her phone off.
“I don't miss that much," Julian said.
She raised a brow.
Julian gave her a half smile. He looked a little tired around the eyes. "Someone bothering you? I could ‘ave sworn I heard your growl."
She sighed. "Yeah... he's kind of the reason why I'm here... actually."
“He?”
“My ex. Newly.”
“Ah.”
“Just trying to put some space between me and him.” She lowered her voice and muttered. “Very much needed space.”
“I’m guessing it wasn’t mutual.”
Annie rolled her eyes. “Definitely not. And I… I didn’t exactly initiate the coolest breakup. Though, I don’t think it would have gone well no matter how I did it. He’s making leaving a bit… difficult.”
Julian frowned a little. "Are... are you in some kind of trouble?"
Her eyes widened. "No, it's... it's just complicated.
I needed some distance, is all." She noted the concern in Julian's voice.
"I didn't mean to make it sound so dramatic.
" She bit her lip. "I don't know." She added some wood to the stack.
"He loves going out and being around people and he doesn't really get it. "
"Get what?"
Of course I'm being vague. She hated how it was her fault that the conversation had turned so awkward. But when she looked over at Julian, and saw that he was listening, her nerves melted away.
"I just don't think I want the same things he wants. I can't stand to be around people sometimes. I need my space. To be myself. Does that make any sense?"
Julian blinked. "I think that makes perfect sense."
"It... it doesn't make me a bad person to not want to be around people all the time?"
He smiled back and sort of laughed. He shook his head. "No."
She sighed. “And I don't need to impress others into liking me, but that seems to be the only language he and his friends understand. And to not feel like I'm performing for their entertainment would be nice. It’s so… shallow. Sorry. I guess I needed to rant a little…”
“No, by all means.”
She fell silent for a moment. Maybe she shouldn’t have vented, but talking to Julian was so easy. “You live out here full-time, don't you? What made you want to live out here?”
“The woods are quiet. It’s… There’s less… drama — obviously,” he said, then added, “I don’t dislike people. But I’d rather be here with my work. I get peace. Out here.”
“People can be a lot sometimes.”
Julian picked up the last log in the wheelbarrow and held it aloft, one end up. “Well, we’re done.” He swung his arm like he was going to light an Olympic torch and slotted it onto the top of the stack, which was now up to Annie’s chest. He swatted his hands clean—or clean-ish— on his pants.
“Thanks for the help. Molly and Peter will really appreciate it.”
“Well, won’t you, too?” Julian asked. “When you come visit again?”
As they’d talked, she’d mentioned the many trips to the cabin with her friend. She nodded. “Of course I will! And, of course, too, I’ve already been enjoying your fine product, and didn’t even know it.”
He laughed before he glanced back over at his cabin. “Well... I got another job I need to cut with my mill.”
“Oh.” Annie tried to hide her sudden disappointment.
“Yeah, gotta keep that wood moving,” she replied, immediately feeling silly.
Her thoughts did a 180 to spare her the cringe and turned to work.
She’d been enjoying herself, but it was time to get back into the little routine she’d created.
Her deadlines would be here before she knew it.
See, I’m just another day’s work. Good company, but just something on his to-do list.
“Or... someone...?”
Shuttup! Annie scolded Serene Hallowbrew.
Julian turned to his wheelbarrow and laid his hands on the handles. His fingers danced there for a moment. “Annie, you don’t haveta, but would you like to watch?”
She went to swallow and coughed as the spit went down the wrong pipe.
Julian came forward and patted her on the back. “You okay? Breathe.”
“I’m okay,” she choked out. She cleared her throat, her face thoroughly red now. Julian’s proposal had surprised her. Thoughts of work intruded her consciousness again as she tried to come up with the words to tell him she had commitments of her own.
Well, you are right, Julian. I have work, too. Better get back to it! Say it... say it...
“I thought we were having a nice time,” Julian began.
“And I wouldn’t mind having some company while I worked.
” He then kicked at a rock on the ground.
“I really only use the mill when someone’s up here.
Just in case. You don’t have to stand with me, though.
Just having anyone at all nearby is great. ”
See? He just wants a job site manager… You’re basically OSHA.
Julian quickly clarified, “Not that you’re just an anyone.”
Annie blinked. She bit her lip. “I... really should do some work.”
“No pressure.” He smiled again, but looked slightly crestfallen. He grabbed the wheelbarrow again. “Work comes first. But it is pretty cool. At least I think so.” The front wheel rolled softly over the overgrown grass by the woodpile.
Grief filled her chest as he walked away.
For someone she had only just met, he was already having an impact on her mood, which both intrigued and frustrated her.
Before she could stop herself, she blurted.
“Maybe I’ll come look at it. I think work can wait a few minutes.
” She closed the gap between them. “If it’s that cool? ”
He looked down at her and grinned, a boyish look in his eye. “I might have hyped it up.”
“So it’s cool... but isn't that cool?”
“You’ll see.”
She had to admit that when she saw it, she didn’t really know what she was looking at.
But Annie watched Julian lift a metal contraption that was attached to a chainsaw with a blade that ran parallel to the ground.
The motor growled to life with the yank of its cord, and he used the metal rods to guide his cuts straight through a long log.
She covered her ears. Burnt fuel filled the air with blue-gray smoke.
With several cuts, and some grunts as he rolled the log over on its flat sides, Julian transformed the trunk into a perfectly square beam.
He turned off the special chainsaw and looked over at her with the biggest grin she’d yet to see on his face.
“So that’s my mill.”
She nodded. Her enthusiasm could never be quite as high as his, even if she tried, but his passionate energy made her smile. The look on his face told her that he was like a kid in a toy factory; he was very clearly at home and in his element. “What are you gonna do with it?” she asked.
Julian walked over to an unprocessed log. “Repair some stairs.” He wiped his brow before he tilted his head and pointed behind her. “Hey, look, some deer.”
Annie turned. Sure enough, there were four deer. They were strutting by Molly’s cabin. She guessed that they were somewhat tame, as they hadn’t been scared off by the noise. She smiled. “Cute.”
“I need to get this sawed up so I can take it for a kiln dry. It’s pretty wet after last night.” He leaned over the wood and squinted his eyes. “Looks a little knotty… Hope it’ll be alright...” he muttered to himself.
She would’ve been blind to not see that he was getting sucked into the task at hand. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she turned it back on to see what time it was while Julian picked up a standard saw and turned it on.
I should have plenty of time to work, even if I stay for a bit longer.
Chris has left her a voicemail, but she ignored it. Again the feeling of unease gnawed at her. What does he want now?
“Just the other end left!” Julian yelled over the saw. “Promise I’m done showing you my toys!”
Annie smiled and covered her ears again. While she’d been busy with her phone, he’d cleaned up one end of the beam. She walked around the beam so she faced its full length.
Julian moved to the other end. He leaned down, his back to her.
For a moment the chainsaw made an odd noise. Julian struggled with it. Pulling the saw blade from the cut, he shifted his weight and stamped his feet before trying again. The chainsaw growled at what sounded like full power.
The saw jumped backwards, kicking up and out of the cut.
Julian screamed.