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Iwoke up before my alarm clock and pulled on a T-shirt and some sleep pants before wandering out to the kitchen. Edith had told me about a little town a few miles down the road and I’d gone there after work to pick up some groceries and a couple of items I would need for my stay at the cabin. At the top of that list was a coffee pot. I would need some of the strong brew if I was going to make it through another grueling day of hard work.

Not that I minded. I’d always been a very physically active person. I loved to feel my lungs burning and my muscles being stretched to their limits. When I was traveling, I usually took advantage of the fitness centers in the hotels where I stayed. If one wasn’t available, I’d go for a run.

None of that compared to the hard labor I’d done the day before. Not only had we removed the dead tree and done the weed-eating, but later we had also sanded down and stained the dock near the bait shop. It had worked a completely different set of muscles and I’d loved every minute of it.

I moved around the small kitchen space, making myself some scrambled egg whites and a piece of whole grain toast. Once I had my food plated up, I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed out to the front porch to enjoy my breakfast while watching the sun rise.

The porch wasn’t very big, but there were two chairs with a small table between them and I sat in one and leaned back, propping my bare feet up on the railing. I ate to the sound of frogs chirping and the occasional rustling of something in the woods behind me. When I was finished, I set my empty plate aside and rested the warm cup on my lap as I stared up at the stars. They lulled me into a peaceful state and I let my mind wander to the reason I was there.

Working with Zach had been interesting, to say the least. He’d spent the morning withdrawn, sticking to business and making it clear that he wasn’t interested in getting to know me. I’d tried relentlessly to get him to open up to me, but he’d refused, answering my questions with short, clipped answers.

Therefore, I’d been shocked when he’d invited me to have lunch with him in his cabin. He became even more guarded when we got inside, and I wondered if he regretted his decision. But after some gentle coaxing from me, eventually he relaxed, and I’d found myself caught up in the sound of his laughter and the sparkle in his eyes as he shared funny stories about our boss.

After lunch, he’d retreated back into himself, and not wanting to push too hard, I’d decided to give him some space. We’d worked quietly beside each other the rest of the afternoon as we’d sanded and stained the dock and then he’d dropped me off at my cabin and driven away.

As the sun began to make its appearance, a movement down at the water caught my attention and pulled me from my thoughts. I dropped my legs to the floor and leaned forward in my chair when I realized it was Zach. He swam out to the middle of the lake then stopped, and I watched as he leaned back and began floating on the surface of the water. His arms were stretched out at his sides and he looked completely at peace, not at all like the guarded man I’d worked with the day before.

I watched him for several minutes and then went back inside, feeling strangely guilty for invading his privacy. The irony wasn’t lost on me, given the fact that I was there to learn all I could about him and determine his true identity. But I’d read his file. I knew the injuries that had put him in the hospital, not to mention all the ones that came before. For someone to go through so much at such a young age and still be able to find peace seemed a miracle of sorts, and I refused to violate that peace any more than I had to.

After taking a shower, I pulled on some clothes and brushed my teeth then I went to the kitchen to clean up my mess. I was staring out the window and drying the last dish when I saw Zach walk out his door and climb in his truck. I hurried to put the dishes away and then left my cabin for another day of work.

“Good morning!” Edith called out as I walked into the bait shop a few minutes later. This time her hands were in a bucket of worms and she looked up at me with a grin. “I see you survived your first day.”

“Yes, ma’am, I did. And I even came back for more,” I answered her with a chuckle.

“Just can’t help yourself, can you?” she asked. It hit me then that I’d called her ma’am again. I opened my mouth to apologize, but she held her hand up to stop me.

“I know you didn’t mean any disrespect, I was just messing with you,” she laughed. “My husband was a military man too. He called everyone sir and ma’am, so believe me, I get it.”

“I’m trying not to, I swear. Some things are just so strongly ingrained, you know?” I shrugged my shoulders. She regarded me for several seconds and then nodded her head with a smile.

“I know,” she responded, turning back to the wriggling mass of worms in front of her. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re still here. Zach told me you’re a really hard worker, so I’d hate to lose you,” she informed me, closing the lid on the bucket.

“He did?” I asked. Edith glanced up when she heard the surprise in my voice.

“Yes. Does that surprise you?” she asked.

“Actually, it kind of does,” I answered honestly.

“Well, I trust his opinion, so if he says you’re doing a good job, then you are,” she said matter-of-factly.

I was shocked that Zach had said anything about me at all, but I felt myself smiling as I looked around for the man. “Speaking of Zach, where is he? I saw his truck outside.”

“He’s seeing what paint supplies we still have,” Edith answered. “I need you boys to go to the hardware store and get whatever we don’t have so you can start painting all the picnic tables. We’ve gotta get this place looking good for Memorial Day.”

“Okay. I’ll go out and see if he needs any help,” I offered.

The door opened just then, and two fishermen walked in. Edith waved me off and I headed out the door in search of Zach. I saw him coming out of the shed as I approached.

“Morning!” I called out to him, not wanting to startle him for the second day in a row. His head popped up at the sound of my voice. For just a second, he looked almost happy to see me, but then, I watched as the mask went firmly back in place.

“Hey,” he mumbled.

“I hear we’re painting today,” I said, hoping my cheerfulness would pull him out of his shell a bit.

“Yeah. Got to head to the hardware store first for some supplies. You can just wait here if you want. I won’t be gone long,” Zach suggested.

I wasn’t going to be dismissed that easily though. I needed to spend more time with him if I was going to determine his true identity. At least that’s the reason I gave myself. In truth, I’d enjoyed being around him the day before. He was a nice guy, intelligent with a good sense of humor. Even when we were quietly working side by side, it had been nice to have someone near.

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