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After our leisurely time on the porch, we go inside to rinse out our coffee mugs and get ready for the day. Jaxon decides since the weather is still holding up, he wants to take us for a ride on his bike. He instructs me to pack a light lunch. I do and a few minutes later, with our lunch packed away in his saddlebags, we take off.
He takes us back to the lake, where he took me the night he heard from his father. The one time I was here it was dark so I wasn’t able to appreciate the beauty of it. Now, with the sun sending sparkles across the water and the ducks wading and dipping their heads in, it’s absolutely breathtaking.
With the fall colors of yellows, oranges, and reds the trees are stunning. They surround the lake on all sides except the side we’re currently on, which has a clearing. Off to the side is a dock with an old boat at the end.
“Oh wow! I didn’t realize the last time we were here how beautiful it is.” I turn to him and smile.
He smiles at me in return and then grabs our lunch and a small blanket out of the saddle bags. We make our way closer to the waterline and he sets the basket containing our lunch down and spreads out the blanket. We sit, and I start pulling out finger sandwiches, freshly cut fruit, cheese, crackers, and two bottles of water.
After we finish our lunch Jaxon gestures for me to come closer. I scoot in between his legs. With my back to his front, his legs on either side of my hips, and his arms surrounding me, we look out at the water.
There are several white Pekin ducks floating close to the shore. I watch as one by one they slowly make their way closer to us.
“Will they come to us?” I ask Jaxon—quietly, so I don’t scare them off.
“Watch and see,” he says, just as softly. I feel Jaxon shift slightly and a few seconds later he holds out a couple top layers of our sandwiches. I break apart a few pieces and hold them out in my hand.
A couple of the ducks waddle closer until they are just out of reach. They stand there and watch us for a bit. I hold my breath when one closes the gap between him and my hand. He takes the bread and swallows it whole. Quickly breaking apart more, I hold my hand out again. As if sensing that it’s safe, the rest of them make their way up to us. They nibble their way through all the bread, every once in a while nipping my palm. I giggle when they miss their mark and hit my palm. It doesn’t hurt, just tickles a little.
Once all the bread is gone, they waddle back toward the lake, scooping up water in their beaks once they get there.
“That was so cool! I’ve never fed a duck from my hand before.”
Jaxon laughs in my ear and tightens his arms around me. “They’re usually pretty friendly. I don’t know why, but even as a child the ducks here would always come up to us for bread. Normally wild ducks won’t get close enough to eat from your hand.”
I turn my head and place a kiss on Jaxon’s cheek. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Anytime you want to come, just let me know,” he says, and nuzzles his face in the hair at my neck.
We sit for a few minutes in silence until Jaxon breaks it.
“When I was little, my dad would bring me here to fish. The boat that’s at the dock is the same one we used.” He stops talking and I sit there in silence, waiting for him to continue.
“We would come out right after dawn and spend all day here. I thought I was the luckiest boy in town those days. Once we were done, we would come home with our catch, clean it, and then we would all have it for dinner. I was so proud of myself that I could help provide dinner for us. The fishing trips stopped when I turned twelve. I don’t know why, but my dad changed. He withdrew from us all and started acting differently. He wasn’t the fun-loving dad anymore. He turned mean and bitter. Still to this day, I don’t know why he changed, and neither does my mom.”
I place my arms and hands on top of his and lace our fingers together, squeezing them.
“I’m sorry, Jaxon,” I murmur to him.
“Don’t be sorry, angel. I got used to it a long time ago. To be honest, when he left it was a relief. Yes, it hurt who he left with but I was glad he was gone. The whole house was on tenterhooks around him. We were able to be ourselves again.”
Having grown up with terrible parents I can sympathize with him. No, his situation wasn’t as dire as mine, but it doesn’t hurt any less. To have a parent neglect you when they are supposed to love you unconditionally hurts all the same, no matter what the situation may be.
We sit for a bit longer, just enjoying the view before we get up and start packing away our stuff to make our trek back home
* * *
IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT AND the bar is packed once again. The juke box is blasting “Demons” by Imagine Dragon and everyone is dancing, drinking, and in good spirits. Mia, Andrew, and I are behind the bar busting our butts trying to keep up with orders. As Jaxon’s Pub doesn’t have waitresses, everyone who wants a drink has to come to the bar. Just when I finish one drink order another comes up. I contemplate talking to Jaxon about hiring on a couple waitresses for Friday and Saturday nights. It’ll help lessen the stress on us behind the bar.
“Hey, baby, can you get me a shot of Jack, and one for yourself?” a deep voice asks from behind me.
I turn to see a man, probably in his mid-thirties, with dark brown hair. His gold-colored eyes are looking me up and down and it sends a cold shiver down my back.
I grab a shot glass and splash some Jack in it before sliding it across to him.
“Sorry, but I don’t drink,” I tell him.
He gives off a laugh, tosses the shot in his mouth, and slams the glass back on the bar.
