Summer of the Loon

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

  "Oh." Ali tried to absorb everything her grandfather told her.

  "Come on. We're late for breakfast," Ben said, leading the way down the gravel road to the resort.

  Ali followed him, but kept her eyes on the sky in search of loons so they wouldn't scare her a second time.

  Ben led Ali down to the rustic, log lodge and through a squeaky screen door that led into a screened-in porch facing the lake. Through there, he opened a heavier door that led them into the kitchen. They were greeted by the aroma of freshly flipped flapjacks, scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins, and rich, black coffee. Ali's stomach, which just moments before didn't feel hungry, was suddenly growling, reacting to the delicious smells.

  Standing at the oversized stove, flipping bacon and flapjacks, was a short woman with long, strawberry blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore jeans and a plain T-shirt under her white apron, and sensible sneakers. As Ali and Ben entered the kitchen, the woman turned from her work and smiled wide.

  "Ali. You're finally here!" the woman exclaimed, running over and pulling Ali into a warm embrace. Ali froze a moment, not knowing quite what to do. But the woman held her so tight that Ali couldn't help but give in and return her hug.

  Pulling away, the woman smiled up at Ali, her pale, blue eyes twinkling. "My, aren't you the prettiest girl I've ever seen. And look how tall you are. I've been waiting for this moment the minute your grandfather told me you were coming. Finally. Another female in the house. I won't be outnumbered by men anymore."

  Ali watched as Ben shook his head and walked over to the stove to take the flapjacks off and check on the bacon. The woman winked at Ali, then clapped her hands over her mouth.

  "Oh, my goodness, " she exclaimed. "How silly of me. I'm gushing all over you and you don't even know who I am. I'm Jo, short for Josephine, but everyone just calls me Jo. I own this old lodge, which means I'm the chief cook and bottle washer." Jo smiled again, and it was such a warm, sweet smile that Ali couldn't help but smile back.

  "It's nice to meet you," Ali said. Jo had freshly scrubbed, pale skin with a dash of freckles that ran across her cheeks and nose. She looked no more than fifteen years old, although Ali knew she had to be older. Jo's friendliness was so contagious, Ali couldn't help but be drawn in by Jo's fresh-faced looks and genuine smile.

  A door swung open behind Jo and in walked a young man carrying an empty platter. "We need more flapjacks," he said in a deep voice. "Those men are eating faster than I can bring them food."

  Ali looked up into deep blue eyes that immediately reminded her of the lake outside.

  "Honey, come meet Ben's granddaughter, Ali," Jo said, waving the young man over. "Ali, this is my son, Chase. He's graduating high school this year, so you two are really close in age. I hope you both will be good friends."

  "Hello," Chase said, smiling down at Ali.

  Ali smiled back, but didn’t say a word. Chase's long, lean body was several inches taller than hers, and he had sun-bleached blonde hair that curled at the nape of his neck. He had a golden tan and his smile was as infectious as Jo's.

  "Are you all just going to stand there gawking at each other or are you going to help me with breakfast?" Ben said, pulling the platter out of Chase's hands. Ben turned back to the stove, grunting in disgust, and began filling the platter with flapjacks.

  Ali blushed a deep red.

  "Don't get your flannel shirt tied in a knot," Jo said to Ben, winking once more at Ali before heading back over to the stove.

  Chase quickly picked up a basket of muffins and headed back out the swinging door.

  "Ali, go ahead and grab a plate and fill it with whatever you want to eat. There's cold milk in the fridge, or juice if you want it. Just make yourself at home," Jo said. She picked up the fresh platter of bacon and scrambled eggs and headed out to the dining room.

  Ali stood there, uncomfortable about not helping out when everyone else was working.

  Ben walked over, grabbed an empty plate, and began filling it from the platter of eggs, flapjacks, and bacon that had been left on the table in the kitchen. "If you don't help yourself around here, you'll starve," he said.

  Ali sighed, picked up a plate, and began placing food on it.

  As Ali ate her breakfast in silence alongside her grandfather, she looked around the kitchen. It was a large, square room, big enough to contain commercial grade appliances, generous counter space, and a large oak table with two long bench seats that could easily seat eight people. There was nothing fancy about this room. Everything was plain and utilitarian, yet the honey colored log interior, red and white checked table cloth, gleaming pans hanging over the butcher block island, and cheery red and white curtains in the window over the sink made it feel very cozy. But it was Jo's friendly smile as she ran to and from the kitchen to serve the guests that filled the room with warmth.

  Ali wasn't used to eating such a big breakfast, so she was finished by the time Jo and Chase came in and sat down to eat. As the two latecomers filled their plates with food, Ali took her dishes to the sink and rinsed them, then stacked them into the dishwasher tray that sat on the stainless steel counter beside the commercial grade dishwasher.

  "Now Ali, you don't have to work your first day here," Jo said from her seat at the table. "Come over and sit and tell me all about yourself."

  Ali reluctantly returned to the table and sat on the bench across from Jo and her grandfather, who was finishing up his mug of coffee. Chase sat just a foot away from Ali, seemingly concentrating on his food.

  "How was your flight here?" Jo asked, giving her full attention to Ali.

  Ali answered all her questions about her flight, the friends she'd left behind, whether or not she enjoyed school, and if she'd left a boyfriend behind. Jo asked the last question with a wink, and Ali saw her grandfather roll his eyes when he heard it.

  "No boyfriend," Ali answered, embarrassed. "I was too busy with school and other things."

  "Good," Ben said, getting up and walking over to the sink to rinse his mug. "I don't need some lovesick boy coming out to visit you."

  Ali stared at him but didn't say a word.

  "Don't listen to him. He's just an old grouch," Jo said.

  Ali saw a small smile appear on Chase's face.

  "Humph. I'm taking a few of the guests out fishing," Ben said. "You coming along, Chase?"

  Chase shook his head. "I have to run to town for Mom later."

  Ben nodded, then pointed his finger at Ali. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone," he said, then he was out the door.

  Ali's eyes followed him as he left the room. She sighed. Ali hated that he treated her like she was three years old. She stood and headed over to the sink and began rinsing and stacking the dishes that Chase and Jo were bringing in from the outer room. Before Jo came back into the kitchen a second time, Ali had already started a load in the dishwasher and was stacking a tray for a second load.

  "You know how to use that dishwasher?" Jo asked, surprised. It wasn't a regular dishwasher, but the heavy-duty type found in restaurant kitchens. It washed dishes quickly so several loads were done in a matter of minutes.

  Ali shrugged. "I've used a similar one before," she said, as she continued rinsing and stacking dishes.

  Jo cocked her head and quietly watched the young girl with interest.

  Once the dishes were washed and the kitchen was in order again, Ali picked up her laptop bag. "My grandfather said you have Internet here in the lodge," she said, hopefully. "Would it be okay if I signed onto it?"

  "Oh, I'm sorry honey," Jo said. "We do have Internet, but it's dial-up and very slow. It's hooked up to that dinosaur of a computer we have out in the main room. You're welcome to use it, but if you're anything like Chase, it'll frustrate you."

  Ali's face dropped. "Oh."

  "Chase always goes to the coffeehouse in town to use their Internet when he has homework to do. They have wireless. All the kids go there."

  "There's a coffeehouse in town?" Ali
asked, surprised. She hadn't seen much of Auburn, the nearest town, when they drove through last night. She'd assumed there wouldn't be much there except for a gas station.

  Jo smiled. "Yep. Chase is going to town to run a few errands for me in a bit. Why don’t you go with him? He can drop you off so you can use your computer. I bet you want to talk to your friends."

  Ali nodded. "Are you sure it'll be okay with my grandfather if I go into town?"

  Jo waved her hand through the air. "Don't worry about Ben. If I say you can go, then you can go."

  Ali decided she really liked Jo.

  Jo drew closer to Ali, her expression serious. "I hope I don't upset you by saying this, dear, but I am so sorry about you losing your mother. Jen was a nice girl, and beautiful, too."

  Ali looked up with interest. "You knew my mother?"

  Jo nodded. "Oh, yes. Of course, I was years older than she was. I've been working at this lodge since I was sixteen, and I worked for Ben's parents first, then Ben and Lizzie until my husband and I bought it. Jen was as cute as a button from the day she was born, and you never saw parents who doted on their daughter as much as Ben and Lizzie did. Why, Jen used to shadow her father everywhere he went. She had no desire to learn about cooking or cleaning, she wanted to fish and hunt with her father. And he let her. Every morning, come rain or shine, you'd see those two out in the boat at five a.m. with their lines in the water. They were quite a pair."

  Ali frowned as she tried to picture her grandfather doting on her mother. She had trouble imagining it.

  "Oh, dear. I'm so sorry if I made you feel sad. I didn't mean to go on and on," Jo said.

  "No, it's okay. I like hearing about my mother. I really don't know too much about her life when she lived here."

  Jo walked over and gave Ali a big hug. "Well, you just come talk to me anytime about anything you want to know. I'll be happy to tell you about your mother, your grandmother, and anyone else you're curious about. Okay?"

  Ali nodded. It felt good to have an ally here in this place that seemed so foreign to her.

  Chapter Four

  As Ali waited for Chase, she wandered through the main part of the lodge. Beyond the kitchen's swinging door was a huge, open area that held four big tables like the one in the kitchen. Each was covered with the same red and white checked tablecloth as the kitchen table. Beyond the tables was a great room with a massive stone fireplace, huge leather sofas, and overstuffed chairs. A flat screen television was hung over the fireplace mantel. The ceiling was peaked and log beams were exposed. High on the walls were mounted animal heads— two deer, a moose, and a black bear that looked like it was jumping out of the wall. Ali shivered. The thought of killing all those animals made her sick. Other than the dead animals, though, the room was warm, cozy, and very North Country.

  "They give you the creeps, don't they?"

  Ali jumped at the voice behind her. She turned to see Chase standing only inches away.

  "Kind of," she said honestly. "Did you kill them?"

  Chase shook his head. "These have been here for years. I think Ben and his dad killed them and had them stuffed. I hunt, just like everyone else does around here, but I don't feel the need to hang animal heads like trophies."

  "That's good, I guess," Ali said, uncertain. She wasn't used to the idea of hunting and killing animals, even if it was legal. But she guessed if she was going to live here, she'd have to get used to it.

  Chase smiled. "Ready to go to town?"

  Ali nodded and followed Chase through the kitchen where she retrieved her backpack. After a quick wave to Jo, who was busy baking a chocolate cake, they went outside and headed over to a faded red pickup truck.

  "Is this your truck?" Ali asked after they were seated inside the cab and Chase had started the engine.

  "Yep. I know it's not much, but it gets me to town and back. I'm hoping when I go to college in the fall that I'll be able to buy something newer to drive."

  "Where are you going to college?" Ali asked.

  "Duluth," Chase said. "I know it's not far, but I want to be close enough to home in case my mom needs me. Of course, she always has Ben to help her, and now you," he said with a grin. "But I still feel like I shouldn't be too far away."

  "Have you already graduated high school?" Ali asked. It was only the middle of May and she thought it was too early for school to be let out. In California, she would have been going until mid-June.

  "No. We're done at the end of May. Ben said he fixed it with the school so you wouldn't have to start school here until the fall. He didn't think you'd want to go for only a couple of weeks."

  "How thoughtful of him," Ali said sarcastically, turning to stare out the window. In truth, she was relieved she didn't have to start school here yet. It was bad enough she had to go to a strange school for her senior year, but at least she had the summer to get used to the idea.

  The two sat silent for a few minutes as Ali watched the endless procession of trees stream by as the truck bumped along on the gravel road.

  "He's not all that bad, you know," Chase said softly.

  Ali looked at him, startled. "What?"

  Chase smiled at her. He had perfectly straight, white teeth. Between his good looks and easy-going nature, Ali had yet to find anything wrong with him, except for the fact that he killed animals for sport.

  "Ben. He's not really all that bad," Chase said. "I've known him all my life, and even though he puts on that grumpy act, he's really not a bad guy. Once you get to know him, you'll know what I mean."

  Ali shrugged and turned back to stare out the window.

  ***

  Chase dropped Ali off at the coffeehouse and said he'd be back as soon as he finished his errands. Ali stood on the sidewalk and watched him drive down the street toward the gas station-slash-hardware store. Auburn was bigger than she'd expected, but still tiny compared to a real town. The sign at the outskirts of town announced that Auburn had a population of 862 people. Ali wondered if they changed the sign every time a new baby was born or someone died.

  Looking down the street, Ali saw a grocery store near the gas station, three different bars, and a small movie theater. She wasn't surprised to see that the movie showing this weekend had come out over a year ago in California.

  Sighing, Ali hoisted her backpack up on her shoulder and entered North Country Coffeehouse. "Everything around here is named North Country," Ali grumbled. But the minute she walked into the cabin-like setting, the aroma of sweet coffee and fresh baked goods lightened her attitude and made her smile.

  A middle-aged woman wearing jeans, a black polo, and a white apron greeted Ali with a friendly smile. "What can I get you?" she asked.

  Ali ordered a caramel cappuccino and couldn't resist ordering one of the fresh, frosted brownies in the display case. There were so many delicious treats to choose from including cookies, extra-large muffins, scones, and lemon bars. The list went on and on. But the brownies looked heavenly.

  As Ali stood at the counter and waited for her order, she noticed a large chalkboard displaying the lunch and supper food selections. North Country Coffeehouse offered sandwiches of all varieties as well as homemade soups. Ali hoped she'd get a chance to spend a lot of time here and try their food.

  Once her order was ready, Ali carried her tray toward the back of the building and sat down at a table in a corner by an unlit fireplace. The interior was exactly what she'd expect from the name with its tall ceilings with exposed beams and ductwork, slatted pine walls, blue calico curtains hanging in the windows, and large, thick rugs over the polished hardwood floors. Small tables sat around the room and in the back corner, two tan cushy sofas faced each other with a coffee table between them. Music played softly throughout the building, most likely an area radio station that played songs from the 60s through the 90s. Ali heard an old Beach Boys tune playing and was immediately homesick for California.

  Ali was the only customer in the place, which seemed strange to her. She'd never sat at a St
arbucks or café at home that wasn't crowded with people no matter what time of day it was. She supposed this was such a small town that most people came in early for their coffee, then filtered in again as lunch time grew near.

  Ali pulled her laptop out of her bag and turned it on. She drank her cappuccino and ate her brownie while she waited for her computer to load. She'd been right. The brownie was heavenly, and she ate every last bite.

  Ali sighed as she waited for her computer to turn on. She'd bought it second-hand two years ago from a girl at school who was just going to throw it out. Ali took it to a computer geek friend to clean it out, and so far it had worked pretty well. But it was getting slower and slower to load, and if it died, she didn't know what she'd do. She didn't have enough money saved to buy a new computer. She hoped it would run for at least one more year, until she could finish high school and start working full-time.

  When her computer finally came on, Ali thanked the computer gods and logged onto the Internet, using the code the woman at the counter had given her. She opened up her chat program and hoped her friend, Megan, would be online.

  "Ali? Is that you?" Megan's smiling face appeared on the screen.

  Ali's heart jumped. It had been only twenty-four hours since she saw her best friend, but it seemed like a lifetime.

  "Hi, Megan. I'm so happy I caught up with you."

  "Oh, my God, Ali. It seems like forever since we talked. What happened yesterday? We were talking when you were on the plane and then, nothing. I tried calling you several times last night and you didn't answer. I thought you'd fallen off the planet."

  Ali smiled. It was so good seeing Megan again, even if it was on a computer screen. Megan's sun-bleached, blonde hair was pulled back in a smooth ponytail and her green eyes sparkled with excitement. Ali wished she could reach through her laptop and give her a big hug.