Levi spent much of the rest of the afternoon and dinner without talking. Brandon’s long monologues about growing up, exploring the lakes and forests alone and with others, and then starting his own business at age 22 were enough to fill any awkward silences. Levi adjusted to spending many days letting hours pass while hearing only the birds in the trees and the occasional mammal rustling through the pine needles littering the forest floor. Brandon said, “You’re very quiet, Levi. Are you okay?”

“On most days, Grandma is the only person I hear talking. I’m fine.”

Inside, Levi knew that he was not okay. He was conflicted. On the one hand, if he let himself, he could get lost staring at Brandon’s face for hours while listening to his stories. He liked the company. Levi would never admit it out loud, but he was lonely sometimes.

On the other hand, Brandon was a threat. Levi saw him as a sort of pied piper that could bring the whole world to Lone Cedar Lake and disrupt his beloved grandmother’s way of life. Levi couldn’t let that happen. He would fight to stop anyone from shattering Grandpa Daley’s dreams and leaving them broken on the forest floor.

When Brandon suddenly was silent, Levi realized he didn’t answer a question. “I’m sorry. I missed that one. What did you ask?”

“I made a suggestion. Why don’t you take a day trip with me down to Arrowhead Falls sometime? I understand why you go to Iron Crossing, but I’ll tell people you’re a friend from out of town. They don’t have to know that you live out in the woods.”

The trip sounded appealing. In his long monologues, Brandon talked about hanging out with friends at a coffee shop. He also had a TV. Levi rarely thought about missing the world of electronic entertainment until Brandon brought it up. Unfortunately, he was also worried that venturing back into civilization was likely to be a slippery slope into disaster.

“I don’t think so. I need to keep an eye on things here. You’re a nice guy, I guess, but…no.”

Brandon laughed, and the sound of his laughter was warm and engaging. As soon as it stopped, Levi wanted to hear it again. Brandon said, “I think that’s a rejection. It’s a good thing my ego doesn’t get bruised easily.”

While he pan-fried walleye for dinner with Grandma Daley, Levi watched nervously over his shoulder. Brandon wandered around the living room. He looked at the paintings on the walls. Grandma Daley’s art hadn’t yet come up in conversations. Earlier in the afternoon, Levi took his large backpack to his bedroom to avoid unpacking the small works while Brandon was around.

Grandma Daley focused Brandon’s attention on her art. She asked, “Do you see things that you like on the walls?”

“It’s all stunning. Even though the paintings are abstract, they capture the spirit of the woods. You have great taste in art.” He pointed at a six-foot-wide painting that hung on the wall above the sofa. Deep greens and bright blues hung like curtains on the canvas. “Do you think the artist was looking at the northern lights when they painted that one?”

Levi tensed when Grandma Daley said, “Yes, I think so.” He worried that she was on the verge of revealing herself as the artist who created the works.

Instead, Grandma Daley said, “There are salad fixings here in the little fridge. Brandon, would you put those together for us? Everyone pitches in for dinner. That was always Walter’s rule.”

Brandon walked to the kitchen and mouthed a silent “Me?” to Levi.

“You heard her. Grandma will set the table. I’m frying the fish, and you can handle the salad.” Levi chuckled to himself when he heard a slight grumbling from Brandon.

After dinner, Grandma Daley was ready for bed. She said, “I know it’s an early night, but I’ll leave you boys to your conversation, and Levi, maybe you can help me for a few moments before bed.”

Levi saw the assistance he provided to his grandmother getting up in the morning and preparing for bed as an almost meditative experience. It was the same patterns every day, and it provided the warmth of physical contact for each of them. He helped her into her clothes in the morning and out of them and into her sleepwear at night. It was also another significant way for him to keep an eye on things. He could spot any changes in her body, bruises, abrasions, or anything that looked a little different.

In the evening, Levi gave his grandmother a quick sponge bath. He was reluctant to leave Brandon on his own in their home, but he couldn’t think of anything specific that was likely to happen. If Brandon wanted to cause the two of them harm, he’d already had ample opportunities throughout the day. He wasn’t likely to grab something off the wall and run, and there was no cash lying around to steal.

Behind the closed door of her bedroom, Levi asked, “Grandma, do you think it’s okay to have Brandon here? We didn’t have a choice since he appeared on his own, but I know that strangers haven’t been welcome since I arrived.”

She raised an arm so Levi could continue the bathing. “Someday, I won’t be around anymore. It’s good for you to meet people your own age. He’s a handsome young man, and he’s polite and friendly enough. The Wagners and Colliers are good friends, but they may not be around much longer than me.” She laughed softly.

Levi blushed slightly and said, “I think he’s handsome, too. Maybe I can talk him out of bringing tourists up here. He could come on his own and help out with projects around the cabin, but I want him to keep the details to himself.”

Levi never discussed his sexual orientation with his grandmother, but he was out to his parents. When he decided to stay on Lone Cedar Lake, he assumed his parents shared the information, but he never knew for sure. With a simple sentence in response to his comment about Brandon, she cleared up his questions. “I hope you meet a nice young man someday. Keep your eyes open, and keep an eye on this young man. You never know about these things. I would have missed your grandfather if I was looking the other way.”

Using a washcloth to gently clean down the other side of Grandma Daley’s body, Levi asked, “How did you meet Grandpa? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard the story.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, Levi knew that she transported herself back into her memories. “It was my first solo gallery show. I was still painting variations on the works of other painters. My mature style wasn’t developed yet. I stood among a small group of my friends and colleagues. We were all using big words to talk about art.”

Levi reached up with a hairbrush and brushed his grandmother’s hair. It was solid gray and hung nearly halfway down her back. He washed it every other day for her, and she insisted on having it brushed every night.

Continuing her story, Grandma Daley said, “Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this young man looking at one of my paintings on the wall. I thought I should speak with him because the works weren’t only for show, I hoped to sell some too. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tear myself away from my friends.”

“But he didn’t get away.”

“No, he didn’t. He came back about five minutes later, and that time, I excused myself and insisted that I talk to the handsome stranger. I remember his first words, ‘Absolutely stunning.’”

Levi smiled. “He really liked your paintings then.”

“He said, ‘I’m talking about you.’”

After Grandma Daley settled into bed and Levi turned out the light, he returned to Brandon in the living room. “Are you ready to go now?”

Brandon sat in one of the easy chairs. He was fiddling with his cell phone and looked up when he heard Levi’s voice. “Go? Where?”

“Back. You said you have a campsite not far from here. It’s getting late. You’ll want to go before it’s pitch black out.”

Brandon gestured toward a window. “It’s almost dark out there already. I’ve got a sleeping bag in the canoe. Can’t I spread it out here on your sofa?”

In his gut, Levi wanted Brandon to stay around longer. He liked the idea of having someone else around first thing in the morning, too, but he was worried about getting attached. It was only a day, but they’d already spent several hours together. His intellect told him that he should treat Brandon something like a business partner. They should negotiate the details of their interactions instead of letting it all flow. The lack of constraints would make everything much more dangerous.

Levi didn’t like to lie, and he convinced himself that his words were only slightly bending the truth. “Grandma is a little uneasy with you here. I guess you can spread the sleeping bag out on the ground outside. I would suggest the shed, but there isn’t any room in there. You could put up your tent. There are lots of options, but I don’t think you should stay in the cabin.”

Brandon sighed. “That’s your final offer?”

“I think you’re lucky I’m letting you stay at all. It’s not going to rain tonight. You can watch the stars. You can see everything in the sky out here. Just keep your flashlight nearby because it gets dark out there.”

“And bears?”

Levi struggled to stay calm and speak in a business-like tone. He wanted to talk to Brandon like a friend, but he thought that would get awkward fast. “You should know there’s nothing to worry about with the bears if you take precautions. I haven’t seen a bear on the lake in the last two years.”

Brandon asked, “Will you come outside with me? Maybe you can help me figure out where to make my camp.”

Brandon leaned toward one of the paintings on the wall for a moment before heading for the front door. As he stood on the porch with the evening sun filtering through the canopy of pine trees, he said, “I saw a signature in the corner of that huge painting over the sofa. Your grandmother is the artist. They are amazing. Has she ever tried to sell any of them?”

There was something about Brandon’s lack of awareness of Grandma Daley’s artistic reputation that made Levi smile. He was incredibly open about everything. Levi wondered if Brandon knew how to keep a secret or deflect the topic of conversation.

Levi said, “Yes, she’s an artist.”

“Does she still paint?”

“You haven’t seen the back of the cabin. There is a small studio built onto the back, and we also store some paintings in a sort of expanded closet at the rear of the shed.”

“Can I see?”

Levi shook his head. “No, not for now. It’s all private space. I can’t show it to you without Grandma’s specific permission.”

“Okay. I guess I am sort of pushy. Where do you suggest that I pitch the sleeping bag?”

Levi took the two steps down off the porch in one stride. He walked to the head of the path from the lake and said, “Right here is probably as good as any. There aren’t so many rocks, and the layer of pine needles is thick. It will create a natural little mattress of sorts. Lay our pad on top of it, and you should be comfy.”

“You’re not going to go back inside right away, are you?”

Levi turned in a circle looking around and then watched as Brandon turned his canoe over and pulled a lightweight sleeping bag from his pack. Levi asked, “Do you need help with that?”

“I probably don’t need help, but I would accept it. Do you think I should set up the tent?”

Levi shrugged. “Sometimes I come out here myself and sleep in the open air. We get a few humid nights in the summer. It can be cooler out here when the weather is like that. There’s a hammock, too, a little way into the woods in the opposite direction of the lake. I’ve slept overnight in it, too.”

Brandon spread a small pad on the ground and laid his sleeping bag on top. He sat down and patted the bag. “Come and sit. I want to hear more about living off the grid. I can’t believe you make it through life without coffee shops, video games, TV, and…people! That’s crazy.”

Levi sighed as he sat near Brandon. The sleeping bag was not large, and it was designed for one person. That meant he had to sit nearby. He couldn’t figure out a position that avoided touching Brandon in some way. He said, “Being away from people wasn’t so hard. I didn’t have a lot of luck in that direction at home. I had a couple of good friends, but they found each other as a couple. I was left out in the cold.”

Brandon lay back with his hands propped behind his head. He bent his knees, and they brushed up against Levi’s back. Brandon said, “I haven’t had the greatest luck either. I have some good friends, but I think I kind of suck at the dating thing. My buddy Gabe says I’m too picky. He tells me that I can’t have everything go my way. I don’t think I’m that stuck on myself.”

Levi laughed out loud. He said, “You confessed something to me. I guess I owe you a confession, too.”

“Confession?” Brandon patted the sleeping bag again near his head. “Relax, Levi. We can look at the stars together. You’re right that they are great out here. You can see the constellations. It’s like looking at a star chart in a book.”

Levi stretched out on the sleeping bag. He tried again to avoid touching Brandon, but there wasn’t enough space. In a voice just above a whisper, he said, “I like guys, too. That’s my confession. I don’t know what the chances were that we would meet out here and we’re both gay, but that’s how it is.”

Levi watched as Brandon smiled. “Now tell me something I don’t already know.”

Rolling over onto his side, Levi rested a hand on Brandon’s belly. “Is this okay? You probably don’t know that I’m a baseball fan. Not many gay guys I know like baseball.”

Brandon looked up into Levi’s eyes. “Nope, not many that I know either. I’ve gone to Twin games, though. It’s fun hanging out at the stadium. I’ve never learned much about baseball rules, so I watch the crowd. Oh, and I do admit that the uniforms look nice.” Brandon stretched his arm up into the air and ran his hand in a curving motion. “The way those uniform pants fit a player’s ass…yum.”

Levi began to rub Brandon’s belly through his T-Shirt. The muscle was firm, and feeling Brandon sent a warm, electric sensation through Levi’s body. It was such a long time since he’d touched anyone else other than his grandmother. Levi leaned in and rested his head on Brandon’s shoulder while he looked up at the sky.

“That feels good. Do you know the constellations?”

“Some. There are the easy ones like the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. I know Cassiopeia, too. I like Orion in the winter time.”

Brandon said, “You can see Hercules up there. He’s kind of hard to see down in the Twin Cities, but up here it’s easy, particularly his knee. I like heroes. If I were born in ancient times, I would have been a gladiator or a minor God.”

Levi sighed. “I haven’t known many heroes in real life, and the ones that I thought might be disappeared.”

Brandon reached out and wrapped an arm around Levi’s shoulders. “You know what, Levi? I’m glad I met you.”

“I think I’m glad I met you, too but, to be honest, I’m still scared.”

“Scared of me?”

“Scared of what comes next. Day in and day out with just Grandma Daley is easy in most ways. You…” Levi paused. “How can I say this without sounding mean. You make some bad things possible.”

“I hope maybe some good things, too.”

“I guess so, but I don’t know what, yet.”

Brandon shifted slightly onto his side. He held out a fingertip and traced it down the side of Levi’s face. “I love this thin beard. Did you just start shaving like that?”

Levi grinned. “I saw a guy in Iron Crossing. He was obviously a miner, and I liked how it looked on him. There are a few hot, hunky guys out there that are miners.”

“But they hate what people like me are trying to do.”

Levi blinked his eyes. “I don’t take sides.”

Brandon’s finger reached Levi’s lips. A shiver crept up Levi’s spine. “I can’t help it. I don’t have a choice. I’m on one of the sides by definition.”

The conflict between miners and the tourist industry was already far from Levi’s mind. He concentrated on the fingertip and pursed his lips. Brandon pulled his index finger away and leaned forward. Levi closed his eyes for a moment before their lips touched. He wasn’t sure if he saw fireworks, but the sensation was explosive. It was his first kiss in almost four years.