Chapter Two
“Have a wonderful day,” Jake said to the young woman. She smiled at him and tucked the beach umbrella under her arm.
“Goodbye, Clark,” she said, waving her free hand at Jake’s employee. The door chimes rang as she exited the shop, and Jake turned to the boy.
“Who’s that?” Jake asked.
“Cynthia. She was in my Chem class.” Clark was stocking shelves, and he had a pile of broken-down cardboard beside him. Aspen lay a few yards away, watching him work with mild interest.
“She’s cute,” Jake said, looking for a response from Clark.
“I suppose so,” Clark said, adjusting his glasses.
Jake let it go. The boy was so different from having Chuck working there, but he was a great kid. He worked hard, never asked for time off, and was an amazing pianist. Jake and Summer had gone to one of his concerts a town over a few weeks prior, and he was duly impressed at Clark’s skill. No wonder he was getting into Julliard.
As if on cue, the chimes rang again, and in walked Chuck. He was wearing his Columbia football jacket, even though it was far too hot out for such things, and he looked ten pounds heavier than the last time Jake had seen him.
“Whoa. The prodigal son returns.” Jake stepped out from behind the sales counter and hugged Chuck, patting him on both shoulders when they broke the quick embrace.
“I don’t know about all of that, but it’s good to be here. Sorry I haven’t come by sooner. I’ve been busy training. Have to stay in shape, you know.” Chuck glanced over at Clark, who was still filling shelves.
“Come on,” Jake said, waving Chuck over. “I want you to meet someone.”
They stopped a little ways from Clark, and he stopped what he was doing, sliding a recessed box cutter into his back pocket. Clark stuck out his hand to Chuck, who took it and gave it a few pumps up and down.
“Hey, I’m Chuck, the guy who used to work here. How’s Jake treating you?” Chuck asked.
Clark shrugged. “Jake’s the best. Nice to meet you, Chuck. Just so you know, every third customer asks me where you went off to. They loved you here.”
Chuck grinned from ear to ear. “It’s a great place to work. I miss it.”
Jake laughed now, finding it odd to see his two worlds collide. The young men were so different, but that was nice to see. He liked Chuck’s playful side, but also found Clark’s quiet and calm nature refreshing to be around.
“Clark, if you’re good with holding down the fort, I’m just going to take off for an hour with Chuck.” Jake saw Clark nod to this, and he jingled his truck keys, getting Aspen’s attention. “Who wants to go for a ride in the truck?” Aspen stood up, shook off his laziness, and trotted over to the back door, setting his nose on it.
“Some things never change,” Chuck said as they walked to the back of the store. “Good to meet you, Clark,” he called, getting a “You too” in return.
They got into Jake’s truck, and Chuck petted Aspen from the passenger seat. “He seems like a good kid.”
Jake found it funny to hear Chuck call someone a year younger than him “kid,” but he just smiled and agreed. “He works hard, like you did. Maybe harder.” Jake smirked as he backed out, and soon they were on Main, heading toward Maple Mountain Lake.
“That’s enough. I’m excited to see the house. Thanks for taking me,” Chuck said, looking out the window.
“Happy to show it off.” Jake waved to Mrs. W, who was out for a walk with her friends. They all happily waved back, their track suits glimmering in the sun. Flowers lined the entrance to the Pines, the welcome sign freshly painted this spring. He turned left, heading toward the far side of the lake. They drove with the windows down, fresh air bringing in the scents of wildflowers. He pictured Summer and himself driving this route together each day after work, and grinned.
“Things good with Haley?” Jake asked.
“Better than ever. We thought it would be harder, to be honest. We got together once a month, meeting halfway a few times. It really wasn’t that bad. We talk on our computers every night, and it’s nice to be able to see each other’s faces. It’s almost like we’re together, most of the time. Almost.” Chuck kept looking out the window. Jake detected a new maturity from him, the kind you only find when you leave high school.
“Your mom must be so happy to have you back for the summer,” Jake said. The road turned from paved to gravel as they passed the last house on the water, and he turned right into his new driveway.
“She’s thrilled. Of course, now that Haley’s living in Summer’s apartment, we spend a lot of time there.” Chuck, still a boy at heart, cleared his throat just enough for Jake to notice as he threw the truck into park.
The house stood majestically, its framing finished and most of the walls built up. A few workers were sitting down around the job site, eating lunch. Eighties rock blared out of an old boombox near the connected garage.
“It’s awesome,” Chuck said, getting out of the truck. Aspen followed him to the ground and ran for the workers, who greeted the familiar dog. He sat begging as one of the workers threw him a piece of sandwich meat.
“Thanks. Come check out the view.” Jake led the way around the house, and to the space behind it, which went on for a hundred yards before sloping downwards toward the lake. Jake knew if they ever had kids, he’d need to put a fence in, but now it was open, and the sight of the lake was awe-inspiring.
Chuck stood at the edge, scanning the expanse. Maple Mountain was in the distance, its perfect reflection flashing across the still water. “You guys must be so excited to move here.” He turned to Jake and suddenly looked sullen. “You deserve this, Jake. Just remember that.”
Jake felt his heart beat a little faster, warmed by the meaning behind his young friend’s words. He did deserve it, he told himself. They deserved it. He and Summer would be happy growing old together in this house. They would finally have a place of their own and make a lifetime of memories in each and every room.
“Thanks, Chuck. That means a lot,” Jake said. They stood there, looking at the panoramic view for a few minutes before heading back to the house. They toured the empty space, Jake showing Chuck what each room was going to be. Right now, it was a lot of lumber, plywood, and subfloors. Jake could see the finished product as he stepped into each separate space.
When they were done, the site supervisor waved at Jake. “I’ll be right back, Chuck. Would you mind checking on Aspen for me?”
“No prob.” Chuck headed outside, and Jake and Allen were alone.
“Hey, Jake, I wanted to talk to you about something.” Allen had a tablet in his hand, and he was tapping away at it.
“What is it?” Jake asked. Every time he spoke to Allen, the costs went up.
“It’s the hardwood. It turns out the one you picked out is discontinued, and any similar ones are almost twice the price,” Allen said. Jake stared at the older man; his short hair spiked in all directions, and he sported a mustache, which made him seem like he was out of a different generation.
“That’s the stuff Summer chose. She had her heart set on it. Do you have a sample of the new wood?” Jake asked.
Allen nodded, and he brought a piece out of a duffel for Jake to inspect. “It’s even nicer than what you’d chosen.”
“And nicer means more expensive.” Jake nodded his head in acceptance. “Let me ask you something.”
“Go for it,” Allen said, setting the tablet down.
“Do you mind if I do the finishing work on the plumbing? That should save a few thousand.” Jake had thought of this before, but he and Summer had discussed it, saying they should let the builders take care of everything so they could spend more time together leading up to the wedding.
“I’ll see what we can do. Does that mean I should order the flooring?” Allen asked.
“Go ahead.” Jake wondered if he should ask Summer first, but he made an executive decision. Summer had enough on her mind.
*
“As you lie in savasana, breathe in through your nose and sigh out the breath.” Summer followed her own advice as the whole class followed suit. “As you end your class, think about how your body feels. When you put the work and energy into it, you’re rewarded in body and mind. Let that feeling resonate as you leave and carry it with you the rest of the day. If things become hectic, or the pressures of life start to overwhelm you, close your eyes and remember how you felt at this moment. Take as long as you like. Namaste.”
The class echoed the word, but not as loudly as she was used to. Summer tried to not let the lower-than-average attendance worry her as she went to the front desk and sat down. She slid a black t-shirt on over her sports bra and looked up as Kimber came in the front doors, her face grim.
“Summer, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t get Tomas to sleep, and…” Kimber was whispering in hurried tones.
“It’s okay, Kimber. The class went well. To be honest, I needed it as much as the students.” Summer smiled as the class began to part ways.
Geri, a regular, walked up, her mat rolled under her arm. “Summer, thank you for such a great class. This is so much more my thing than spin.”
Summer kept her jaw from falling open. “What do you mean? Did you try the Mountain Spin?”
Geri nodded then noticed her faux pas. “I mean… some of the girls said they were going, to mix it up. I went, but I prefer yoga.”
Summer felt a lump forming in her throat. It was going to be just like before. She looked around the studio; now the smaller class sizes were threatening to drive her into a panic. “It’s okay. Everyone’s free to try new things,” she stammered, trying to sound sane.
“See you tomorrow,” Geri said, giving Summer a sad smile.
Once the studio was empty, Summer lay her forehead down on the desk. “Kimber, what are we going to do?”
An email popped up on the computer, and Summer looked up to see a message from Haley. There was a link, and Summer clicked it, almost wishing she hadn’t.
A video started, filmed in high definition. It showed the inside of Mountain Spin, where a full class was sweating, the instructor a firm and beautiful woman leading the way. The camera zoomed out, taking the viewer for a ride to the outside of the new studio, before hovering in the air for an aerial shot of Maple Mountain Resort, the lake and mountain behind it.
A message scrolled across the screen as the video faded to black. Limited time only! Get full access to Maple Mountain Resort’s pools and spas with a three-month registration. Come to Mountain Spin and start your new life today.
“Ahhhhhhh!” Summer sighed.
“Ouch. That was good.” Kimber bit a nail, looking at Summer over her hand.
A fire burned in Summer’s gut, and she felt betrayed by Monique. She wanted to text her and hash it out, but the woman was just getting back from her honeymoon, and Summer couldn’t ruin the euphoria that would continue to linger from it. Plus, it was just a retail space her father had rented out. Monique didn’t control that. Still, she couldn’t help but feel like the world was against her.
“Kimber, I need to fight back. I’m not going down again. And I know just who to talk to about it.” Summer looked at the clock and picked up her cell phone, dialing Trina’s number.