gotta go now. Get on the road.”
Gene glanced curiously first at Cam and then at the idling car which he could see through the diner windows. “You and your lady got special plans for today or something? You’re with Kjersten Solheim, right?”
Cam nodded, already backing towards the door. “Something like that. Thanks Gene. See ya.”
“It was good seeing you, Cam. You don’t come home near enough.”
“Well, goodbye.” He made his way out of the diner without looking back.
Chapter Five
The Pride of Eagle River
~ Galen ~
Galen realized that he was awake, had been for several minutes. He turned to face the clock, five of seven. Kyle had let him sleep in, and he’d slept hard, and felt groggy and heavy as a result. The light that eased in through the shutters was a gentle yellow-gray. His left leg tingled with pins and needles. Slowly, he moved it, only to find that it was buried under the dead weight of Heidi, the Odgers’ ancient boxer. Heidi turned her head and gazed at Galen soulfully with her dark eyes.
“All right, Heidi.” He stroked the silky head. “Two more minutes.” The dog rested her chin back down on the coverlet. Galen lay still, savoring the peacefulness of the morning and the decadent sensation of sleeping in.
The house was absolutely silent, but that wasn’t unusual in and of itself anymore. Kyle was never around and Pop wasn’t exactly a talkative kind of guy. The old house only felt like a home when Sandra and Joe and their brood stopped by.
His mother always said that “morning was the time to face reality,” to deal with life. So, Galen dwelled on the events that had transpired the previous evening. I handled it all wrong. I didn’t even talk to her. The break up was my fault. But why did she have to get together with Cam Fawst? The thought that she might actually love Cam Fawst twisted and coiled in his gut. He couldn’t stand thinking of Cam’s hands on her, touching her.
Shit happens. Whole mountain ranges of it. Sometimes it seemed as if Galen’s whole life had gone to shit. We’ve been through so much together. I don’t want to lose her as a friend. Maybe I already have. He longed desperately to speak with her. I gotta speak with her, even though it’s too late. There was nothing that he could say or do that could take anything that had happened back. Still, I gotta talk to her. I just can’t let it go like this. I can let her leave Eagle River with it so messed up between us.
Resolved, Galen got up and threw some clothes on.
He found the kitchen as disastrous as usual, the used microwave trays from the previous evening lay crusty on the kitchen counter while some dirty dishes were stacked in the sink. Jim Odgers sat reading the previous day’s Eagle River Eagle Eye at the kitchen table, oblivious to the chaos and filth around him.
“Mornin’, Pop.”
“Morning. There’s coffee in the pot.”
Pleasantly surprised to find the coffee made, Galen dug around in the cupboard until he located a clean mug. He poured himself some of the coal black, acidic, jet fuel that passed as coffee to his father. “After the milking, I’m gonna go into town for a while.”
His father didn’t respond.
He could tell that the old man had had another rough night of it. This morning, his eyes were bloodshot and his expression more hangdog than usual. Wonder where he hid the booze this time?
“What’s going on in town that’s so all fired important this time of morning?” Jim still didn’t look up from his paper. Galen saw that he was reading the obituaries.
“I want... I need to talk to a girl. Before she leaves.”
“Some girl can’t wait until chores are done?” Jim didn’t look up as he turned the page of his newspaper.
You could do some chores , Galen reflected. Then it wouldn’t be an issue. But his father had shut down on life long ago, and that wasn’t going to change any time soon. “Kjersten Solheim.”
The only sign that Jim had
Gene glanced curiously first at Cam and then at the idling car which he could see through the diner windows. “You and your lady got special plans for today or something? You’re with Kjersten Solheim, right?”
Cam nodded, already backing towards the door. “Something like that. Thanks Gene. See ya.”
“It was good seeing you, Cam. You don’t come home near enough.”
“Well, goodbye.” He made his way out of the diner without looking back.
Chapter Five
The Pride of Eagle River
~ Galen ~
Galen realized that he was awake, had been for several minutes. He turned to face the clock, five of seven. Kyle had let him sleep in, and he’d slept hard, and felt groggy and heavy as a result. The light that eased in through the shutters was a gentle yellow-gray. His left leg tingled with pins and needles. Slowly, he moved it, only to find that it was buried under the dead weight of Heidi, the Odgers’ ancient boxer. Heidi turned her head and gazed at Galen soulfully with her dark eyes.
“All right, Heidi.” He stroked the silky head. “Two more minutes.” The dog rested her chin back down on the coverlet. Galen lay still, savoring the peacefulness of the morning and the decadent sensation of sleeping in.
The house was absolutely silent, but that wasn’t unusual in and of itself anymore. Kyle was never around and Pop wasn’t exactly a talkative kind of guy. The old house only felt like a home when Sandra and Joe and their brood stopped by.
His mother always said that “morning was the time to face reality,” to deal with life. So, Galen dwelled on the events that had transpired the previous evening. I handled it all wrong. I didn’t even talk to her. The break up was my fault. But why did she have to get together with Cam Fawst? The thought that she might actually love Cam Fawst twisted and coiled in his gut. He couldn’t stand thinking of Cam’s hands on her, touching her.
Shit happens. Whole mountain ranges of it. Sometimes it seemed as if Galen’s whole life had gone to shit. We’ve been through so much together. I don’t want to lose her as a friend. Maybe I already have. He longed desperately to speak with her. I gotta speak with her, even though it’s too late. There was nothing that he could say or do that could take anything that had happened back. Still, I gotta talk to her. I just can’t let it go like this. I can let her leave Eagle River with it so messed up between us.
Resolved, Galen got up and threw some clothes on.
He found the kitchen as disastrous as usual, the used microwave trays from the previous evening lay crusty on the kitchen counter while some dirty dishes were stacked in the sink. Jim Odgers sat reading the previous day’s Eagle River Eagle Eye at the kitchen table, oblivious to the chaos and filth around him.
“Mornin’, Pop.”
“Morning. There’s coffee in the pot.”
Pleasantly surprised to find the coffee made, Galen dug around in the cupboard until he located a clean mug. He poured himself some of the coal black, acidic, jet fuel that passed as coffee to his father. “After the milking, I’m gonna go into town for a while.”
His father didn’t respond.
He could tell that the old man had had another rough night of it. This morning, his eyes were bloodshot and his expression more hangdog than usual. Wonder where he hid the booze this time?
“What’s going on in town that’s so all fired important this time of morning?” Jim still didn’t look up from his paper. Galen saw that he was reading the obituaries.
“I want... I need to talk to a girl. Before she leaves.”
“Some girl can’t wait until chores are done?” Jim didn’t look up as he turned the page of his newspaper.
You could do some chores , Galen reflected. Then it wouldn’t be an issue. But his father had shut down on life long ago, and that wasn’t going to change any time soon. “Kjersten Solheim.”
The only sign that Jim had
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