Heart of the Woods

by Grant C. Holland

  “And the canvases? You can’t transport something like that easily in a canoe.”

  “Grandpa stretched most of those before he died. Grandma is starting to get concerned about running out, but I think there are a few more blank ones behind that stack to your right.”

  “Why don’t you move the paintings, Levi? I’m sure anywhere would love to…” Brandon thought about the size of the paintings, and he knew transportation in a canoe was still a problem. He figured out the answer to his own question. “You need to get a small plane or a helicopter in here.”

  “I don’t know what we’ll do with these in the future, but they are Grandma’s legacy, and I need to protect them as well as I can for now. That’s why I wanted to get back here. Maybe I’m paranoid to think that someone could be out here in the woods who knows about her paintings and would try to steal them, but that’s what’s been going through my mind all through the last twenty-four hours. I wasn’t here to protect her work.”

  Brandon said, “Yeah, I understand, and yeah, I think you are a little paranoid. I’ve got a question, though. You said that Grandma Daley sells her paintings. How do these get to Iron Crossing? You can’t take something like this in a canoe.”

  “Remember that big pack I had the day we met?”

  “Well, yeah, but it wasn’t this big.”

  “Small paintings. I take small paintings to Iron Crossing. That’s what goes to the gallery in New York City.”

  Brandon’s eyes opened wide. “Oh, wow. Is she that famous? Even her small paintings bring in a lot of money?”

  “Well, it doesn’t cost a lot to live out here like this. We don’t have utility bills, and we don’t use a lot of electrical appliances, so things don’t break very often. Most of the money we spend is spent on food. Still, Grandma has enough money saved to keep us both comfortable for several years into the future.”

  “Levi, what’s your plan for after? I don’t want to be rude, but she won’t be here forever. What are you thinking about when you’re on your own?”

  Levi hoped that Grandma Daley would be around for long enough that it would make sense to move in with Brandon whenever she was gone, but he didn’t want to push. He said, “I don’t know. Let’s go back outside. I worry when I’m inside here with the art. I worry that the shed will catch fire or the humidity or freezing temperatures will destroy the paintings. Let’s go outside. I worry a lot less about the woods. We’ll have to go to get back to the hospital soon anyway.”

  Brandon watched Levi close and lock the door to the shed. He said, “I hope I’m a big part of what happens after.”

  Levi turned toward the cabin. He started to take steps toward the porch and spoke without turning around to face Brandon. “Oh man, yeah, of course. Damn, Brandon, I can’t really think about that right now. I just need you to hug and kiss me and hold me. Honestly, that’s what I need. There’s too much on my mind with Grandma sick. I appreciate getting to stay at your place.”

  “Why would I do anything else?”

  “Because you could be like the others.”

  Brandon reached out a hand for Levi’s shoulder and gently turned him around. “You’ve hinted at that before. What others?”

  Levi looked down at the ground, and then he slowly raised his head. “I’ve had a couple of long-term boyfriends before. One was in high school, my junior year, and it lasted for almost a year. The other was about nine months during college. I thought the relationships were great. I thought a lot about the future, and I was ready to ask about commitment, not engagement, but some kind of commitment. They both found guys better looking than me and ended it without saying goodbye.”

  Brandon didn’t know what to say. He knew Levi well enough to know that experiences like that would have broken his heart. Ryan leaving the Northwoods in a rush was bad enough. He said the only thing that came to his mind. “I would never do something like that.”

  Levi shrugged. “It happens. So, do you think there’s anything in the cabin I should bring for Grandma? I’m going to grab the pillow off her bed. She has a small pile of paperback books that I know she’s read over and over. There’s probably at least a hundred books in the closet back there, but she has clear favorites.”

  Brandon kicked at the pine needles. He wanted to hug Levi and reassure him. He wanted to make sure that Levi knew that Brandon wasn’t like the assholes in the world, but it wasn’t the right time. He said, “Yeah, grab those. If I cut some of the flowers, can we keep them looking fresh for the hours it takes to get all the way back to the hospital?”

  Levi turned just before he opened the cabin door. “Don’t hospitals have gift shops with flowers?”

  “But you know that’s not the same. I’m going to see what we can do. Surely she has some bottles or something that can hold the flowers. I’ll take charge of that. You go get the books and pillow.”

  21

  Brandon

  By the time Brandon and Levi reached the hospital, Grandma Daley was showing some signs of recovery. Levi smiled from ear to ear when she greeted him by slowly drawing out his name in slurred but clear syllables. The nurse said, “She has a few words, and your name is clear. Your grandmother is a tough old bird. I’m not saying that in a derogatory way. I admire people like her. She’s a fighter.”

  Brandon watched the right side of Grandma Daley’s mouth turn upward into a smile. He leaned over the bed and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. “I hope you remember me. I’m Brandon. You gave me the best tasting lemonade ever.”

  She nodded twice in response. He pulled a small Mason jar from behind his back stuffed with flowers from the little garden by the cabin. “I know some of them are wilted, but it’s a long canoe ride from the cabin.”

  Levi said, “Grandma, your eyes are sparkling! You’ve always loved your flowers. Brandon insisted on cutting them. They are gorgeous. The delphiniums are at their peak.”

  After a visit that lasted for nearly an hour, Grandma Daley drifted off to sleep. The nurse returned to the room and said, “If you can be here at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning, the doctor will stop in again. I think he has some good news to share. She’s not out of the woods yet, but there are reasons to be hopeful. The future is hard to predict with something like this. He will tell you much more.”

  Levi said, “We can be here then, or at least I can. We’ll go downstairs and get some coffee while she’s sleeping. Maybe she’ll wake up again this evening before we have to leave.”

  The nurse nodded. “She is drifting in and out. I would say there’s a good chance you’ll see her open her eyes again before you have to go.”

  While they stood in line to pay for their coffees in the hospital’s small cafeteria space, Brandon said, “I’ve been thinking more about those incredible paintings stored up at the cabin. Each one is surely worth at least three or four times what a small painting brings in. Isn’t that the case?”

  Levi paid for his coffee and looked for a place to sit before he answered the question. As they sat down at a small round table, Levi said, “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about that. Mr. Wagner handles the financial arrangements with Grandma’s art. I don’t look at it in terms of the money. I’ve concerned myself with protecting the paintings. I’ve never thought about selling the large works.”

  Brandon couldn’t believe Levi’s comment. Surely, he’d thought about the fortune he stored in that shed. Wealthy people didn’t collect diamonds without ever wondering what they were worth. Brandon asked, “What does a single small painting sell for?”

  “Most recently, they’ve been selling for around $5,000 according to Mr. Walker. Grandma looks at the specific numbers, but I don’t pay much attention.”

  “And how many paintings are there in the shed? There must be close to a hundred or so, and every one of them would be worth a lot more than the small paintings. That’s a whole lot of money.”

  Levi sipped his coffee. “I don’t think I want to talk about this. Can we talk about something else? Gran
dma looked a lot better. She loved the flowers. You were right to bring some along. Let’s talk about that.”

  Brandon wanted to talk about the paintings. There was a tremendous amount of money stored in that shed. He didn’t know very much about art and paintings, but he guessed that trying to store them in a shed in the woods wasn’t a good idea. They could easily deteriorate over time. He thought the best option was figuring out a way to sell the canvases before they had a chance to deteriorate. Levi could deposit the money into a bank account, and he would be set for the future. As he pulled himself out of his thoughts, Brandon looked across the table. Levi was unhappy.

  Brandon said, “She does look much better, and she spoke. You won’t take her back out to the woods after this, will you? I suspect she’s still in a lot of danger of experiencing another stroke.”

  “I’ll do what she wants me to do. If there’s anything I’ve learned from three years living with Grandma Daley, it’s that you should follow your gut and follow your dreams. If she wants to return, I’ll take her there. She feels closer to Grandpa out at the cabin, and I understand that.”

  Brandon protested, “But it’s a huge risk. We’re all lucky that she survived the trip to the hospital this time.”

  Levi shook his head. “There’s a tiny nagging voice in the back of my head asking if I did the right thing this time.”

  “The right thing? You called for help. What else would you do?”

  “Grandma told me more than once that it was her time to go if she laid down and couldn’t get back up. The hardest thing about her not being able to talk is I don’t know what she wants.”

  Brandon asked, “Would you let her die?”

  Levi frowned. “Don’t ask me that question. I don’t want to look at it that way. Would I do what she wants me to do? The answer to that question is yes. Let’s go back upstairs so I can say goodnight.”

  Brandon watched Levi get up from the table, throw his coffee cup into the trash, and proceed to the elevator without looking back. Brandon barely slipped inside the elevator with Levi before the door closed.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  Levi said, “Drop it, please. I’m thinking about Grandma now.”

  In the hospital room, Brandon stood back while he watched Levi gently enfold his grandmother in his arms. She spoke his name softly once more. Seeing the scene caused a single tear to leak from the corner of Brandon’s eye.

  As Levi said goodnight and stepped back, Grandma Daley reached her right arm outward again. Levi said, “She wants to hug you, too.”

  Brandon stepped up close and gently placed his arms around the frail woman. He whispered, “I’m so happy I got to meet you. I can’t wait for you to be well again.”

  As he released her from the hug, Brandon thought he saw a smile on the right side of her face. Levi said, “Goodnight, Grandma. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  22

  Levi

  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 wi
ll 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.”

  23

  Brandon

  Brandon waved goodbye as Levi set off into the woods with his canoe, but he didn’t receive a wave in response. Levi marched grimly forward with the boat over his shoulders until he disappeared into the thick forest. Brandon refused to believe that it was the last time they would see each other, but he didn’t know how things would unfold the next time they were together.

  For the rest of the day, Brandon moved through actions on auto-pilot. He visited Grandma Daley in the hospital. She took more steps along the path to recovery. While he sat by the side of her bed, she strung together short phrases of intelligible words.

  Brandon covered for Levi. Grandma Daley wanted to know about him. She asked, “Levi where?”

  “He had to check some things out at the cabin. He insisted on going this morning. I think he’ll be here tonight.” Brandon thought the chances of Levi coming back from the cabin on the same day were slim, but he didn’t want worry to sabotage Grandma Daley’s recovery.

  After returning to Arrowhead Falls, Brandon dove into work at the Arrowhead Adventurers office. Elle said, “It’s all starting to pile up. I don’t want to interrupt that great new relationship energy with Levi, but the work won’t go away on its own.”

  Brandon grumbled something about Levi that Elle didn’t understand. He also said, “I’ll get to it. Give me some time alone in the office. I have to focus. If you need to interrupt, send me a text message first. Otherwise, I’m likely to bark at you.”