I woke up before my alarm clock and pulled on a T-shirt and some sleep pants before wandering out to the kitchen. Edith had told me about a little town a few miles down the road and I’d gone there after work to pick up some groceries and a couple of items I would need for my stay at the cabin. At the top of that list was a coffee pot. I would need some of the strong brew if I was going to make it through another grueling day of hard work.
Not that I minded. I’d always been a very physically active person. I loved to feel my lungs burning and my muscles being stretched to their limits. When I was traveling, I usually took advantage of the fitness centers in the hotels where I stayed. If one wasn’t available, I’d go for a run.
None of that compared to the hard labor I’d done the day before. Not only had we removed the dead tree and done the weed-eating, but later we had also sanded down and stained the dock near the bait shop. It had worked a completely different set of muscles and I’d loved every minute of it.
I moved around the small kitchen space, making myself some scrambled egg whites and a piece of whole grain toast. Once I had my food plated up, I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed out to the front porch to enjoy my breakfast while watching the sun rise.
The porch wasn’t very big, but there were two chairs with a small table between them and I sat in one and leaned back, propping my bare feet up on the railing. I ate to the sound of frogs chirping and the occasional rustling of something in the woods behind me. When I was finished, I set my empty plate aside and rested the warm cup on my lap as I stared up at the stars. They lulled me into a peaceful state and I let my mind wander to the reason I was there.
Working with Zach had been interesting, to say the least. He’d spent the morning withdrawn, sticking to business and making it clear that he wasn’t interested in getting to know me. I’d tried relentlessly to get him to open up to me, but he’d refused, answering my questions with short, clipped answers.
Therefore, I’d been shocked when he’d invited me to have lunch with him in his cabin. He became even more guarded when we got inside, and I wondered if he regretted his decision. But after some gentle coaxing from me, eventually he relaxed, and I’d found myself caught up in the sound of his laughter and the sparkle in his eyes as he shared funny stories about our boss.
After lunch, he’d retreated back into himself, and not wanting to push too hard, I’d decided to give him some space. We’d worked quietly beside each other the rest of the afternoon as we’d sanded and stained the dock and then he’d dropped me off at my cabin and driven away.
As the sun began to make its appearance, a movement down at the water caught my attention and pulled me from my thoughts. I dropped my legs to the floor and leaned forward in my chair when I realized it was Zach. He swam out to the middle of the lake then stopped, and I watched as he leaned back and began floating on the surface of the water. His arms were stretched out at his sides and he looked completely at peace, not at all like the guarded man I’d worked with the day before.
I watched him for several minutes and then went back inside, feeling strangely guilty for invading his privacy. The irony wasn’t lost on me, given the fact that I was there to learn all I could about him and determine his true identity. But I’d read his file. I knew the injuries that had put him in the hospital, not to mention all the ones that came before. For someone to go through so much at such a young age and still be able to find peace seemed a miracle of sorts, and I refused to violate that peace any more than I had to.
After taking a shower, I pulled on some clothes and brushed my teeth then I went to the kitchen to clean up my mess. I was staring out the window and drying the last dish when I saw Zach walk out his door and climb in his truck. I hurried to put the dishes away and then left my cabin for another day of work.
“Good morning!” Edith called out as I walked into the bait shop a few minutes later. This time her hands were in a bucket of worms and she looked up at me with a grin. “I see you survived your first day.”
“Yes, ma’am, I did. And I even came back for more,” I answered her with a chuckle.
“Just can’t help yourself, can you?” she asked. It hit me then that I’d called her ma’am again. I opened my mouth to apologize, but she held her hand up to stop me.
“I know you didn’t mean any disrespect, I was just messing with you,” she laughed. “My husband was a military man too. He called everyone sir and ma’am, so believe me, I get it.”
“I’m trying not to, I swear. Some things are just so strongly ingrained, you know?” I shrugged my shoulders. She regarded me for several seconds and then nodded her head with a smile.
“I know,” she responded, turning back to the wriggling mass of worms in front of her. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re still here. Zach told me you’re a really hard worker, so I’d hate to lose you,” she informed me, closing the lid on the bucket.
“He did?” I asked. Edith glanced up when she heard the surprise in my voice.
“Yes. Does that surprise you?” she asked.
“Actually, it kind of does,” I answered honestly.
“Well, I trust his opinion, so if he says you’re doing a good job, then you are,” she said matter-of-factly.
I was shocked that Zach had said anything about me at all, but I felt myself smiling as I looked around for the man. “Speaking of Zach, where is he? I saw his truck outside.”
“He’s seeing what paint supplies we still have,” Edith answered. “I need you boys to go to the hardware store and get whatever we don’t have so you can start painting all the picnic tables. We’ve gotta get this place looking good for Memorial Day.”
“Okay. I’ll go out and see if he needs any help,” I offered.
The door opened just then, and two fishermen walked in. Edith waved me off and I headed out the door in search of Zach. I saw him coming out of the shed as I approached.
“Morning!” I called out to him, not wanting to startle him for the second day in a row. His head popped up at the sound of my voice. For just a second, he looked almost happy to see me, but then, I watched as the mask went firmly back in place.
“Hey,” he mumbled.
“I hear we’re painting today,” I said, hoping my cheerfulness would pull him out of his shell a bit.
“Yeah. Got to head to the hardware store first for some supplies. You can just wait here if you want. I won’t be gone long,” Zach suggested.
I wasn’t going to be dismissed that easily though. I needed to spend more time with him if I was going to determine his true identity. At least that’s the reason I gave myself. In truth, I’d enjoyed being around him the day before. He was a nice guy, intelligent with a good sense of humor. Even when we were quietly working side by side, it had been nice to have someone near.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll go with you. It’s not like I have anything else to do,” I said, shrugging my shoulders casually.
“Fine, we’ll take my truck.” I heard him sigh and I had to fight to hide my smile as I followed him across the parking lot.
We were quiet as we drove to the hardware store, and even while we gathered several brushes and sandpaper then waited for the man at the counter to mix our paint. So, I was surprised on the way back to the lake when Zach spoke up.
“I didn’t eat any breakfast and I’m starving. I think I’ll drive through for some food before we get to work. That okay with you?” he asked.
“Yeah, that sounds good. I could use another coffee,” I said.
He pulled into a nearby drive-thru and ordered a breakfast bagel and two cups of coffee then turned to me. “You want anything to eat?”
“Nah, I already ate, but thanks,” I said.
He pulled up to the window and I watched him as he lifted his hips and dug his wallet out of his back pocket. The move shouldn’t have been sexy, but it planted images in my head of those hips rising up to meet mine and I had to swallow back a groan as I turned and looked out my own window. The guy was sexy as fuck, there was no denying that, but I could barely get him to look me in the eye or talk to me. If he knew the things I’d been thinking about him, I’d scare him away for sure.
Zach had finished eating by the time we got back to the lake. It was barely ten in the morning, and the place was already busy. Several new campers had arrived while we were gone, and their owners waved to us as we drove by. We drove around to the far-left side and pulled up near a large pole barn. He put the truck in park and we both got out.
Zach slid the large door open and I peered inside. It was dark and smelled like dust and gasoline. The place was filled with old signs, fishing equipment, chairs, lanterns, and two large riding lawn mowers, which explained the smell of gas. It was obviously where they stored the things that were too big or not used often enough to be kept in the smaller shed.
Fortunately, someone had taken the time to organize it and put most of the smaller items up on shelves, and I wondered if that someone had been Zach. From what I’d seen of his home the day before, he liked to keep things orderly. Although, I’d been disappointed that there had been no personal items on display that would’ve given me a clue about who he really was.
I followed him to the back of the barn, careful not to trip over anything. The only light was from the open door and two small, grungy-looking windows on either side. When we got there, I saw a row of five wooden picnic tables.
“We need to load each of these up, check them for any loose boards or splinters and paint them before we put them out around the lake,” Zach told me.
“Okay. That shouldn’t take too long,” I said as he moved around to the end of one of the tables. He laughed then, and I was glad it was dark, so he couldn’t see the shiver that went through me.
“Umm, I hate to break it to you, but that’s just the ones in here. There are at least thirty others already around the lake that need cleaned up too,” he explained.
I let out a low whistle. “Oh. Well, I guess that’s going to take a little bit longer then,” I said with a chuckle.
We got to work then, carrying each table out of the barn. They were solidly built and fairly heavy and I wondered how in the world Zach had managed to do that all by himself the year before. We could only fit two at a time into the bed of the truck, so we decided to load up what we could and come back for the rest.
After we got the tables situated in their new locations, we worked together on each one and before long we had a steady rhythm going between us. Zach would check the boards and tell me if any of them were loose, in which case, I would follow along with a hammer and some nails, securing them back in place. Then I would sand down any rough areas while Zach mixed and poured the paint into smaller containers that we could hold as we worked.
We worked for a couple of hours and then took a break for lunch. I invited him over to my cabin this time, explaining that I’d gone shopping. I expected to have to talk him into it, but he surprised me when he agreed right away.
Somewhere along the line, it seemed that the tension between us had shifted and we were starting to form a friendship of sorts. I knew that it was precarious, and that any sudden movements on my part could rock the delicate balance between us, but I was happy that at least so far, he seemed to be relaxing around me.
“So, Edith was saying something about getting the place ready for Memorial Day and I assume that’s why we put out extra tables. What goes on around here then?” I asked as we began eating.
Zach finished chewing the bite he had in his mouth and then set down the grilled chicken sandwich I’d made him. “It’s not just that day. It’s a huge event that lasts the entire weekend,” he said.
“What kind of event?” I asked, curiously.
“Well, there’s games and prizes for the kids, tons of food, fireworks and of course the main event is the big catfish contest,” he explained.
“Catfish contest?” I sputtered. Zach smiled at me over his glass of lemonade and I wondered if he was pulling my leg.
“Yeah. We have contests here all the time that pay out to the person with the largest catch,” he told me.
“Is that what all those photos hanging up in the bait shop are all about?” I asked.
“Yeah, exactly. The Memorial Day catfish contest is the biggest one of the year though. There’s the usual cash prizes for the largest catch, but everyone is after one fish in particular. The biggest, meanest fish in the lake.” He leaned forward like he was about to share an important secret and I felt myself lean closer too, grinning as I went.
“Moby Dick,” Zach whispered.
“No!” I gasped dramatically.
“Yes!” he exclaimed.
We laughed, but I noticed that neither of us had pulled away. The sunlight shone through the window behind him, picking up the lighter blond streaks in his hair and I was completely mesmerized by the thick, dark lashes that framed his blue eyes. Without thinking, I reached my hand out to smooth the hair out of his face, wanting to see all of him. Zach jerked away as if he’d been burned and I saw the mixture of heat and confusion in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just…” I stopped, unsure of how to finish that sentence. I just wanted to touch you? I just wanted to see the real you? I just want to learn everything about you? None of those were appropriate after only knowing each other a couple days, and all of them would surely send him running.
“I just thought I saw an eyelash hanging and I didn’t want it to go in your eye,” I said instead.
“Oh. Well, thanks,” he murmured as he settled back into his chair.
“So, what is the prize if someone catches Moby Dick?” I asked, trying to get us back on solid ground. It seemed to work because Zach’s shoulders visibly relaxed.
“About five thousand dollars,” he answered.
“You’re kidding me,” I said, nearly spitting my drink out.
Zach laughed at the expression on my face. “I’m totally serious.”
“But, it’s a fish,” I exclaimed, shaking my head.
“Nooo, it’s not a fish. Moby Dick is the fish,” he laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself.
“I guess I just don’t get it. Of course, I’ve never fished before so maybe that’s why I can’t understand the draw,” I told him.
His jaw dropped. “You’ve never fished before?” He stared at me as if I’d grown two heads.
“Hey! I grew up in Boston, not Mayberry,” I said, pretending to pout.
I watched as he threw his head back and laughed. I wasn’t sure what it was about the sound of his laughter, but something warm unfurled inside my belly and I suddenly felt like the king of the world for having been the one to make him laugh.
We finished eating and then went back to work, slowly making our way around the lake, repairing and painting each table. We continued working for several hours, and it was dark by the time we finished the last table. We worked quietly as we put everything away and washed out the paint brushes, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When we were done, we walked around the lake towards our cabins and I let out a yawn.
“Tired?” Zach said with a chuckle.
“Yeah. I didn’t sleep very well last night. I’m not used to all the quiet,” I admitted.
“Well, get some rest. We’ll have another busy day tomorrow,” he warned.
“Looking forward to it,” I told him, sincerely.
We slowed as we neared Zach’s cabin. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.
“You are?” I asked, my head whipping in his direction so quickly, I was surprised I didn’t hurt my neck.
“I sure am. I had to do this all by myself last year.” He looked at me then and I could see the mischievous sparkle in his eyes and the smirk lifting the corner of his lips.
With that, he turned and started walking towards his cabin. Something fluttered inside my chest and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face as I walked in the opposite direction towards my own cabin. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that Zach was warming up to me. It wasn’t much, but it was a start in the right direction. I couldn’t deny that my happiness had nothing to do with the assignment I was on and everything to do with my own desire to get closer to the man who had just walked away.