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As we walk over the threshold, I’m greeted by the scent of cedar, and the sight of a wall of windows that meets up with the vaulted, wood-plank ceiling. There’s an expansive view of the calm, crystal clear lake. It’s so bright outside, it takes my eyes a second to adjust to the dimmer lighting in the large room.
The large kitchen is to my right. It has a big L-shaped island with stools facing the window. I’ll probably set up my laptop there. To my left is an airy living room with a long, brown, leather couch and two matching armchairs. A flat screen TV adorns the far wall and is surrounded by bookshelves filled with paperback novels, board games, and some Indigenous wood carvings.
“So? What do you think?” Julia asks.
“It’s perfect.” Seriously, if someone asked me to describe my ultimate writing lair, this place would be it.
“Good. Your payment cleared, so you’re good to go. No parties. No smoking. No pets of any kind.”
“No problem,” I say in a light tone.
Narrowing her eyes, she asks, “I’m not going to have trouble with you, am I?”
Yikes. Apparently there’s no joking around either. “I’m just here to do some writing.”
“Writing,” she scoffs. “That’s what they all say, then I find cigarette butts in the garbage, sheets are missing, and the carpets are so soaked with beer they have to be professionally cleaned.”
“I don’t smoke, I promise if I drink the odd beer while I’m here, it’ll go directly down my throat and not on the floor, and I have no intention of stealing your sheets.” This lady is a total character.
“Don’t get wise with me, young man,” she says while glaring at me like I’ve just come up from the bowels of hell to pillage her property.
“Sorry, ma’am,” I find myself saying while trying to keep my voice from cracking with humor.
“I’ll leave you to it then,” she sniffs. “But if I find out there’s been any funny business, you’ll be out on your ass so fast you won’t have time to put your pants on.”
My suppressed laughter emerges as a bark.
“You think I’m joking? Do I look like a clown to you?”
Oh, no. She’s Alaska’s answer to Joe Pesci inGoodfellas. “Not at all.”
Julia glares at me for a second, then yanks open the front door. She gives the “I’ll be watching you” gesture as she points first at her eyes and then mine. She finally walks out, letting the screen door slam behind her.
“Welcome to Alaska,” I mutter.
* * *
“Uncle Ethan!” Lily screams as soon as she sees me walk through the front door of the lodge.
“Lily!” I crouch down in preparation of her launching herself into my arms. When she does, I swoop her up and give her a big hug while she squishes my cheek with hers. “How’s my favorite girl?”
“I’m great. Alaska’s the best. We had a moose and her calf in our yard the other day. In ouryard, Uncle Ethan. Can you believe it?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, but just keeps talking. “Thank goodness kindergarten is over. I’m worn out from all that learning. Now I can finally relax.”
I set her down and ruffle her hair. “I bet.”
Snapping her fingers, she says, “Nuts. I forgot it’s my turn to feed Otis. I’ll be right back.”
Just as she rushes off, her brother, Liam, walks into the lodge. He’s carrying an enormous rainbow trout on a chain. “Hey, Uncle Ethan! Look what I caught.”
“Wow. Is that for our supper?”
He shrugs, looking awfully nonchalant for a nine-year-old. “I’ve just gotta gut it and hand it off to Digger so he can grill it up.”
“Gut it, huh? I bet that’s something you never thought you’d be doing?”
“That’s how we do it up here.” He sounds like a local already.
Harper appears from the office behind the front desk and runs at me full force as Liam jumps out of her way. “I’ve missed you so much!” she exclaims while throwing herself into my arms.
