Rekindled (26 page)

“I’m good,” I say, turning my attention back to the fallen tree, slicing it into logs.

It’s early afternoon by the time we corral the fire into containment, and small patches of sunlight break through the hazy smoke, revealing blackened soil from the ruins of where we’ve been working. That is one of the things I love about my job, knowing that even after spending hours beneath columns of smoke so thick, and heat so oppressive not even the devil would step foot here, by the time we finish, strands of sunlight pierce through the smoke, ready to breathe new life into the ground. In time, new trees will sprout, rising from the debris like a Phoenix from ashes. A simple reminder that even in death, nothing is final.

“You want to grab a drink when we get done here?” Matt asks.

“Can’t. Tonight’s my date with Callie.”

“Right. So then, you guys are officially dating?”

I frown with his tone. “Yes. Is that a problem?”

“No, I just... be careful, Tate. I like Callie, but I’m worried you guys are rushing into things. You guys both just got out of serious relationships.”

“We’re just going out on a date. We’re not running off to Vegas to elope.”

He sighs and runs the back of his hand over his forehead. “I know, and don’t get me wrong, I really like Callie, but has she even said why she’s back in town? Or when her divorce is going to be finalized? I just don’t want to see you get hurt if she decides to move back to California and fix things with Zach.”

I bristle with the mention of Zach. I know Matt’s just looking out for me, like he’s always done, but I’m not going to let anything spoil my first date with her. “I appreciate the concern, but you have nothing to worry about. If she says her marriage is over, then I believe her. And I trust she’ll tell me everything when she’s ready. I’m not going to push her on it.”

“If you say so.”

Over at the camp I can see the guys milling around. A few are lying on top of their sleeping bags trying to sneak in a quick nap, while others are fixing their gear or drinking instant coffee. Chris and Justin are off to the side playing cards and I feel a twinge of guilt rise up in my chest.

The night that I kissed Callie, I went back to base and found Justin so that I could talk to him. I knew after the gala that he had hoped for another date with her, but when I told him about my history with her, he said he now understands why she kept turning him down. He’s been a great friend and immediately said he wouldn’t try to get in the way, and I know I owe him for being so understanding.

“Alright man, let’s get this shit wrapped up so we can go home,” I say. It’s been three days since I’ve seen Callie, and I’ve never missed her more.

I pull up outside of Callie’s house a little bit before six and grin when I see Caleb and Jonah playing outside on the lawn. Jonah’s wearing a Spider-Man costume as he runs around kicking and chopping at Caleb’s body. I step out of the car and watch from the sidelines, remembering what it was like to be that age and so full of imagination and life. Where becoming a superhero was a real occupation to aspire to, and where slaying dragons and saving damsels in distress were a daily occurrence. All I wanted back in those days was to grow up, but now that I’m fully grown, all I want is to go back to a time where my biggest problems were the pieces of broccoli my dad would put on my plate, and whether to eat Fruit Loops or Cookie Crisp for breakfast.

“I told you before Green Goblin, you have no business around here!” Jonah shouts as he leaps towards Caleb who is cowering on the grass. “And now I’ll make sure you never escape because I’m trapping you with my super strong webs!” Jonah throws his hands forward and wiggles his fingers.

“No, not the webs! Anything but the webs!” Caleb yells in a Wicked-Witch-Of-The-West cackle as he lowers himself until he’s lying curled in a ball on the grass. “Aarrgghhhh! I’ve been defeated by the great Spider-Man!”

Jonah takes off running making
thwip-thwip
noises while pointing his fingers at various trees lining the lawn, pretending to “swing” his way from each one. It isn’t until he’s made a full round that he notices me approaching.

“Tate!” he calls out as he
thwips
his way over to me, landing with his hands on his hips. “Want to come play with me and Uncle Caleb? We’re playing Spider-Man.”

“Who is this Tate person? My name is Doctor Octopus and I’ve come for
you,
Spidey.” I outstretch my arms and begin lumbering around chasing after Jonah who’s back-peddling away from me.

“You’ll never catch me,” he says as his little feet shuffle on the grass.
Thwip. Thwip.
“I’ve got webs to slow you down.”
Thwip. Thwip.

I pretend to momentarily become grounded before bending down and picking away at the invisible threads. “Ah, you may have slowed me down, Spider-Man, but I have eight arms and can get out of anything you throw at me!”

I begin moving again, quickly gaining on him which sends him into a fit of giggles as he rushes towards a large oak tree with a tire swing attached to a long branch. He launches himself onto the swing, using his left hand to grip the rope as he aims his right hand at me.
Thwip.

“You might have eight arms, but I can swing from buildings!”

“I will find a way to catch you,” I say in the most menacing voice I can muster up. I make my way to the swing and reach out with exaggerated motions, purposely missing grabbing him.

“You can’t catch me, I’m too fast.”

I extend my hands again and miss again. “Nooooo, I’ve been foiled by the great Spider-Man.”

“I did it, I defeated all the villains! I—“

“Jonah!” At the sound of Callie’s voice, all of us turn toward the house to see her standing in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest and her eyebrows furrowed. “What did I tell you about keeping both hands on the rope when you’re on that swing?”

“My name’s not Jonah, it’s Spider-Man.”

Her left eyebrow rises as she takes quick strides towards him. Reaching out, she gently brushes his bangs aside and places a kiss on his temple. “Well,
Spider-Man
, I know you’ve got a big important job to do, saving the world, but do you remember what we agreed on if I let you have this tire swing?”

Jonah nods and lets out a small sigh. “Yes. Never use the swing without an adult around, always keep both hands on the rope and never stand on top of the tire.”

“Good. Now, why don’t you go wash up and get ready for dinner, okay? I’ll be home in time to tuck you into bed.”

“Okay.” He lets Callie help him climb down off the swing.

“I love you, bud,” she says, kneeling beside him and wrapping him in her arms.

“Jesus, Lee, let the boy breathe.” Caleb shakes his head. “You’re going to dinner, not to Timbuktu.”

I let out a chuckle that quickly turns into an attempt to clear my throat when I see Callie narrow her eyes at me. She gingerly releases Jonah and stands up, moving to my side and I reach out and give her hand a reassuring squeeze. I’d have absolutely no problem just spending the night being around her and her son, but I don’t want to cause Jonah any confusion, so I know it’s only right to wait before asking to spend time with him.

After Caleb and Jonah go inside, Callie turns towards me and tilts her head back so that she’s looking at me. “Am I dressed okay? You didn’t say where we’re going.”

“You look beautiful,” I respond while placing my hand on the small of her back and leading her to my truck. Normally I would have picked her up in the Nova, but where we’re going tonight requires something that can handle a bit better off the main drags of the town, so I decided that the Chevy would have to do.

“I can’t believe you still have this thing,” she says running her hand over the hood of my truck. “I thought for sure you’d have traded it in by now.”

I shrug and open the door for her. “I guess I’m not as good of letting things go as I’d like to believe.”

I know she understands the deeper meaning of my words when I see her swallow, but she doesn’t say anything. I hold her hand as she hoists herself into the passenger’s seat, and smiles at me as she reaches over and pulls the seatbelt across her chest. Looking at her sitting in my truck, I wonder how I got so damn lucky. I feel like the past seven years of my life have been spent holed up in the underbelly of the earth, but being in Callie’s presence, I’m feeling the warmth of the sun’s glow for the first time, and it’s fucking phenomenal.

She’s wearing a pair of navy blue shorts that cut off mid-thigh and a white V-neck lace tank top with matching white sandals. Her hair is pulled into a loose braid that hangs over her shoulder and as I jog around to the driver’s side and hop in, I see her tuck a stray strand into it. I don’t know how it’s possible, but she grows more beautiful each time I see her.

“You ready?” I ask, as I start up the truck and look over at her one more time.

“As I’ll ever be.”

Tonight’s going to be a really good fucking night.

I can’t remember the last time I came to this part of town. In fact, I’m pretty certain I’ve only been to this area once before, and that was when I was twelve and my mom’s “Herve Leger” dress strap broke the day before a gala event. She didn’t have time to send it out to be repaired, and rather than go into town to buy a new one, she took me down to the historical district, where a tiny Asian woman named Kimmy Lee owned a tailor shop, to have it fixed. Other than that day, I never really had a need to come down here, which is a shame now that I see it again.

Most of McCall is carefully crafted around tourists. The restaurants are ritzy on the outside and feature fancy food names like braised pork jowls and lemon confit, which people order because it makes them feel classy. Kitschy souvenir shops filled with shot glasses and t-shirts that say things like:
Idaho? No, Udaho!
are dotted in between hipster cafes and outfitter stores, creating the perfect blend of a rugged, but modern vacation.

Unlike its counterpart, the historical district is a reminder that beneath all the glitz and glamor of lakeside vacation living, is the real heartbeat of the town.

This is the part of town where year-rounders live and spend their time. This where the old sawmill that shut down back in the early seventies lies abandoned for teenagers to use as drinking grounds, and while you probably won’t find any Vegan Charcuterie on the menus here, for eight bucks you can get a greasy burger with all the toppings and an ice cold beer after a long day’s work. It’s also where men can slink off into the night and throw back a shot of Jack Daniels while having a half-naked woman grind on their lap, and where tucked into the shadows you’ll find the blonde soccer mom here for a two-week stint of family vacation handing over a wad of cash in exchange for Oxycodone pills that she can’t get from her normal doctor while out of town. It’s seedier than the picture captured on postcards that people send to their friends and family saying,
wish you were here
. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns. It’s real life and I wish I had come here more often. Maybe if I had, I wouldn’t have been so shell-shocked when real life smacked me in the face seven years ago.