Chương 26: Blackberry Season (July) Part 5
"Wow!" Fabian gasped. The house was nice, but the deck and the view were even nicer. The river bank was very steep here and Fabian was caught in the illusion of standing in midair as he stepped out onto the deck. There were several picnic tables along the deck, most of them already covered with food. A long set of stairs led from the deck to merge into railroad tie and grass steps that led to the lake shore. The Kendalls had a pier with several different kinds of boats around it. Fabian recognized a Sunfish and a canoe and thought he saw a small motorboat. He could see part of the floating gazebo and averted his gaze before the memory could start creeping in. Far away was the opposite shore of the lake -- a line of blurry trees in the distance. To the west next to the house, a creek rushed through a small gorge to the lake.
"That's the same creek that goes under the bridge at the rectory," Greg told him. "When I was a kid, we had a small cabin here and we used to use that stream as a refrigerator. Part of the stream branches off upstream and goes through the head race at the west mill. As a result of that stream and a few other factors, there is a very deep hole around where the boat wharf is. See that pole out at the end of the wharf?" Fabian did -- it protruded from the water about two feet and was blue, yellow and green. He had seen something like it before. The green meant ....
"That's a depth measure," Greg told him. "If the measure is green, it's over twelve feet deep. So if you're into diving, feel free to dive from the end of the wharf. More than three colors out of the water, though, and it isn't safe." Fabian wondered how in the world he already knew that. It felt creepy.
"What if the bottom shifts?" Fabian asked, trying to hide his discomfort.
"Oh -- that thing isn't permanent," Greg told him. "It's weighted and it sits on the bottom. I put it there this morning and checked the bottom to be sure there wasn't too much silt. It's safe to dive, if you have a mind to. Come on -- I'll show you the coolers. Keith had a point about my hospitality -- I should have offered you a beer immediately."
The deck wrapped around the side of the house. There were a few steps down to the western side, where there was an outdoor living room set up. A small fireplace was built into the structure of the house and would vent through the chimney of the indoor fireplace. Three coolers full of cans of beer and sodas were next to some of the picnic tables. Fabian reached into one and found a beer that suited him, then went down to the living room area. Just as he popped open the beer, motion from the upper deck caught his eye. He looked up, stared, and swallowed hard. Lisa was coming around the corner of the house, chattering animatedly with Annie and carrying some containers, which she set down on one of the picnic tables. She had changed into a tank-style bathing suit and had a beach towel wrapped around her hips like a skirt. Strange how although he'd seen her in shorts, a dress, and her waitress uniform, her legs suddenly seemed to be the sexiest legs he'd ever seen. She wasn't top-heavy like the women he'd preferred in the past, but she was very nicely proportioned. She looked incredibly beautiful, and he couldn't help comparing Lisa's slender, svelte proportions to Marlene's overripe form.
"Hey -- you okay?" Greg asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Fabian replied, touching the cold beer to his forehead. "That stream water's still cold, right? What about the lake?"
Greg laughed and gave Fabian a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"I completely understand," he said. "I'll change the subject and help you get your mind off of it. I hear you're a newly certified teacher. Any prospects yet?"
"I've had some interviews," Fabian told him. Lisa joined them. "I've been asked at several if I can relocate. That's the advantage to living in the vardo."
Lisa's heart gave a pound and she felt chilled. Of course he would leave. The summer would end; the carnival would go. She wondered when those interviews were and if he'd had them while they were apart. Would that have made him more inclined to move? Had he looked here? She knew there was at least one opening for a teacher right now. Did he know about it? Should she say something?" Fabian noticed she was standing next to him, wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head.
"I don't know how you live in something that small," Greg said. Fabian shrugged.
"I've spent every summer in one of those since I was a kid," he said, "and all four years of college."
"Seriously?" Fabian nodded.
"There was a campground close to the campus. For a nominal fee I could hook up there and it was a short commute to school. I loved it -- it was nice and quiet; I could have my dog with me without having to live at home. It was great."
"My mom likes small spaces," Greg told him. "That's why they kept the house in town and rent us this one. Mom liked the old cabin and thought Dad went overboard when he built this. Mom visits now and then, but she thinks it has the ambiance of a warehouse. Hey Rod!" He waved, and Rodney grinned and joined them, holding a cola.
"No beer?" Greg asked, teasing. "Going all Mennonite on us?"
"Nope. Underage," Rodney replied, "and dating a cop-to-be. Nothing to do with Mennonites."
"Rodney, have you met Fabian DiSanti?" Greg asked. "Fabian, this is Rodney Weaver. He's an excellent mechanic who dates Amy's sister Leslie."
"I've heard about you," said Rodney, shaking Fabian's hand and nodding to Lisa. "Hey -- Leslie told me the woman from the shooting gallery was arrested." Something in Rodney's voice and a hint of wicked glee on his face clicked something in Lisa's memory. Rodney's voice from May came back to her: "She...her name was Marlene and she wasn't very nice. Actually, she was more of a grown lady. It was two years ago." That Marlene was Jill's mother. A chill went down her spine and she tried not to look disgusted.
"Yeah," Fabian said. "Not sure why, but she wandered into the men's locker room at the pool and flashed a whole troop of Boy Scouts."
"She's vile," Rodney shuddered.
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