Page 28 of King
Mia reached over and grasped Sammy by the hand, giving her an understanding smile.“That’s okay, honey.I’m sure Ben understands.”
“He does.”There was relief in Sammy’s tone.“He said we’ll move forward at my pace.”A soft laugh escaped her.“He wasn’t even mad when I canceled.”
“Honey, what’s to be mad about?The fact that he’s willing to give you the time you need without pressuring you says a lot.”Mia released Sammy’s hand and picked up her tea where she’d set it down next to her chair.“I’m liking him more and more,” she quipped right before taking a drink.
It grew quiet between them for a minute.Mia thought about the people she might run into at the cookout later that day.She was good at recognizing faces, but not at remembering names so much.But she’d grown up and gone to school in Coldwater.She was certain that once she saw the people she’d known growing up, their names would come to her.She was looking forward to going and mingling with old acquaintances.She only hoped that Sheila and King weren’t going to be there, but she wasn’t going to ask.
Without warning, the silence was abruptly and rudely shattered by the sound of a single chainsaw starting up.It came from the direction where King and his crew had been cutting all week.
“I’m surprised they’re working today.”
Mia chuckled.“Loggers don’t work on the weekends?”Movement drew her gaze downward.Precious didn’t care for the sound of the chainsaws either and got up from her spot next to Mia’s chair and went to the door and looked back expectantly.Before she could get to her feet, Sammy got up and opened the door so Precious could go inside.
“Well, around here, weekends are spent doing family stuff.Ball games, racing, fishing—you remember, right?”
That was just the tip of the iceberg.There were church activities, dances, things going on at the legion hall, and parades.The town of Coldwater managed to turn any little holiday into a celebration.There was sailboat racing on the lake, festivals, baking contests.
Mia gave a nod.“Of course.Growing up in a small town was the best.”She thought for a minute.“Maybe King’s crew is on a deadline.”
“You’re probably right, because King and the men that work for him are mostly retired.They’re clearing the land for a big house that’s going up.A retired dentist from Bangor bought enough acres to plant a Christmas tree farm behind his house.”
A confused frown appeared between Mia’s brows as she considered what Sammy had just told her.“How can they be retired?They’re not old enough to be retired.”She’d seen the men who worked with King and had gauged their ages to be somewhere between their late forties to mid-fifties.
“Honey, those men are all retired from the Navy.From what I understand, they put in like twenty years, were even Navy Seals at one time.King’s family owns the logging company, although he’s the only one who runs it.He bought the others out.He, Cody, Max, Lincoln, and Cramer left the navy at the same time, and he convinced them to relocate here on the idea that they’d spend their days hunting and fishing but that didn’t last long before they got bored.”She laughed.“So they do a little tree-cutting, a little construction, just to keep busy, but they don’t have to work.King has the logging company, but he’s basically a silent owner.”
Wow,Mia thought to herself.It sounded like they were living the life.And they were all handsome men, too.From what little she’d seen of them; they took care of themselves.“They must be tight to have followed King here.”
Sammy nodded in agreement.“You know how it is with life-long friends.And can you imagine what they went through together in the Navy?What kind of bonding?They’re closer than blood brothers.The only one who had to move his family here is Cramer.The others are divorced, their children grown.”
Mia didn’t bother asking Sammy how she knew all this, because Sammy had lived in Coldwater all her life and she knew everyone.As the chainsaw continued, Mia wondered who was working.Was King?She was tempted to go over and find out, because until she apologized to him for her behavior the other day, it was going to bother her.And what if he didn’t forgive her?Was she ready to face that possibility?
“We should think about getting ready,” Sammy said, finishing her tea and getting to her feet again.“Wear a bathing suit under your clothes in case you want to go swimming.”She turned away from Mia and went inside.
Good idea,Mia thought.
Chapter 16