“Even though this is the smaller of the two rooms, Mom and Dad always used this bedroom because it had a door that locked.”
“It’s nice,” I tell him as he takes my hand and leads me back out to the great room.
With the bags in hand, we make our way up the simple wooden staircase with a rustic log handrailing. At the top, we step into the open loft with a slanted ceiling. The room is perfect. There’s another queen-sized bed, more aged furniture, and even a small closet. But what has my attention is the small sitting area. The benches look homemade, and the television is the smallest and probably the oldest I’ve ever seen, with rabbit-ear antennas sticking out of the top.
“Back when I was about nine, we begged our parents to get a TV out here for at night. Dad insisted we come down and sit by the fire, but Chase and I were too cool for that. So, they found that tiny piece of hardware at a yard sale, and when they brought it out on one of our trips, we were so excited to watch it. Little did we know, there was no cable or anything. For two years, that television sat right there on that shelf and mocked us.”
A bubble of laughter spills from my lips. “That’s funny.”
Colton shrugs. “We made do without one, honestly. We had bunk beds at the time, and usually, we’d sit around and tell ghost stories or build a blanket fort. When I was eleven, we brought an old Atari gaming system out here. I think that bad boy is still in the closet,” he says with a fond smile.
With a smirk, I look his way. “I had one too when I was little. I was kickass at Donkey Kong.”
Colton pulls me into his arms once more. “Really? I was the Tetris king.”
I slip my arms around his waist and press my chest against him. “Maybe someday we can play. Together.” Oh, there’s definitely a little innuendo in my comment.
He just smiles. “No one else I’d rather play with. Come on, there’s dinner in the oven. We can sit in front of the fire.”
Dinner ended up being grilled salmon with vegetables and twice-baked potatoes. Apparently, Chase wasn’t the only one in on this little night away. Their mom also left a bottle of sweet white wine chilled in the refrigerator. Together, we dish up two plates on older mismatched plates and head into the living room. When he returns to pour us each a glass of wine, I take the opportunity to look out the sliding glass door to the lake.
“My dad, Chase, and I spent an entire summer remodeling this place when we were in high school,” Colton says as he sets two glasses of wine down on the coffee table. “I remember not being very happy about being stuck inside all damn day. There was this girl a few properties down who was a freshman in college. She used to sunbathe beside the water, and if I was stuck inside, I couldn’t casually stroll by and check her out,” he adds with a chuckle.
“Pervy,” I tease.
“I was sixteen. Hell yes, I was pervy. I was just learning what that thing between my legs was for,” he states as he waits for me to take my seat and then joins me. We’re sitting across from each other, legs crisscrossed under the aged coffee table.
“So, tell me about the remodeling,” I encourage as I cut off a piece of flakey salmon.
“Well, the cabin was solid but was in desperate need of some updating. We installed new windows and doors, which helped a lot in the winter. We reinsulated and then added the paneling to the ceiling upstairs and then shingled the roof. Did you know Chase is afraid of heights?” he asks with a chuckle.
“Really?”
“Terrified. He pretended to be big and bad, but every time he was asked to run something up the ladder, he practically pissed his pants,” he tells me. Even though he’s poking fun at his brother, I can see the love clearly in his eyes.
“Well, I’m not really a fan, either,” I confess. “So, if you plan any roofing projects, you’ll have to find another helper.”
We eat in silence for several minutes, both of us enjoying our food. “This place is great,” I finally tell him. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
As he stabs an asparagus spear, he says, “I’m hoping to bring you here a lot, Hollis. And Milo. My parents don’t use this place as much as they used to. They’ve taken to sightseeing around the US. Chase used it every once in a while when I was in the Army, but for the most part, this place sits empty a lot.”
I give him a smile. “Well, let’s use it. You can teach me how to fish.”