Levi spent another night in Brandon’s cabin. He liked the sensation of Brandon’s body up against his skin, but the talk about the paintings out in the shed by the cabin left a sour taste in Levi’s mouth. He woke up multiple times during the night until, finally, less than an hour before dawn, he crawled out of bed and put his clothes on.

Trying hard not to wake Brandon, Levi crept through the living room and out the front door to sit on the porch of the cabin and think. He wished that he was on the shore of Lone Cedar Lake. Something about the gentle movement of the water helped him organize his thoughts. Instead, he had to be content with looking at a darkened neighborhood lit by security lights and a glow emanating from inside a few of the houses.

More than half an hour after Levi got out of bed, Brandon woke up. He reached out to touch Levi in the dim light of morning and found nothing. He was alone in bed, and Levi was gone. Brandon shouted, “Levi!” There was no answer. Brandon yelled again and waited.

Levi heard Brandon, and he felt torn about responding. He knew that Brandon would ask for an explanation, and his comments would likely lead to talking about the paintings again. Levi wished that he’d somehow kept them a secret from Brandon. After a third shout, Levi stood up, opened the cabin door, and said, “I’m here. There’s no need for yelling. That’s what my parents used to do.”

Brandon stood in the center of the living room wearing only boxer shorts. He was still the most handsome man Levi had ever seen in person. He couldn’t believe a man as gorgeous as Brandon wanted to be his boyfriend. Only fellow scraps and outcasts were available back in Missouri.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell, but I was worried. When I went to sleep, you were there with me. When I woke up, you were gone. Did you have trouble sleeping? Were you thinking about Grandma Daley?”

Levi latched onto the illness topic as quickly as he could. “Yes, that’s it. I’m concerned I might lose her.” Levi tried to play it up as much as possible. “I think about being out there at the lake and how lonely it will be. I hope the doctor is wrong. I hope she beats the odds. Maybe they’ll come up with changes for her diet and a gentle exercise plan, and she’ll be fine.”

Brandon opened his arms wide for a hug. Levi stepped forward and nestled his face against Brandon’s chest. “We’ll go out to see her as soon as visiting hours open. We’ll see what the doctor has to say, and then we can come back and start planning how to deal with those huge paintings out there on the lake. I was thinking…”

Levi pulled free of Brandon’s grip. “Stop thinking about that! You don’t have any reason to be thinking about that! Those are Grandma’s paintings. They belong to her.”

“But you have to have an idea about how much money they’re worth. Think about what’s lost if they rot away out there in the winter cold and damp. It’s a waste, Levi. There might be a million dollars worth of paintings. Think what it could do. You’ll have all the money you need for a fine retirement. You may not even have to work at all.”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “And you think you can get your hands on the money, too, since you’re my boyfriend. Elle said the business is in trouble. This is your solution, isn’t it? Why are you so obsessed about them, Brandon? You were thinking about them last night, and you woke up this morning thinking about those paintings again, and they don’t even belong to you.”

Levi spit the words out in a bitter, vehement tone. He surprised himself. He couldn’t remember being so angry about anything since he moved to the Northwoods. Brandon represented a vague threat from the moment they met, and that vague uneasiness was coalescing into something very real.

Brandon reached out for Levi, but he backed away toward the door. “I can’t believe you think I’m out to get rich myself. I would never do that to you. I only want those to be handled in the best possible way for you and Grandma Daley. Of course, I would like the world to see what she’s done. She’s an extremely gifted artist. Even I can see that. I don’t mean harm, Levi. I want to save those paintings before the forest destroys them.”

Levi held his hands up over his ears. “I can’t talk about this anymore. I don’t even know if I can see Grandma this morning. I need to go home. I think I need to go home right now.”

“Home? Where’s home, Levi?”

“My home is in the woods! Don’t you understand that? Take me and the canoe to the falls. Either take me there, or I’ll find some way to do it on my own. I can’t talk about this anymore.”

“But what about the hospital?”

“You go. You’re so concerned about Grandma and her work and her welfare. Tell her I needed to go to the cabin and take care of something. Or tell her I didn’t want to come to see her. I don’t care what anybody thinks right now. I can’t talk about this. I have to be alone.”

Brandon stepped forward and tried for one more hug.

Levi pushed him away. “Don’t. Are you going to take me, or should I call Gabe? He’s part of the local police, too, isn’t he?”

“I’ll take you. Maybe a little paddling will help. Maybe it will help you think.”

Levi gritted his teeth as he hissed, “Maybe it will help the bitter gay boy calm down and understand the world’s still as fucked up as he always thought it was. Let’s go.”