Page 41 of Pity Parade

Owning a hundred and fifty acres. Pro: I could always do something with it later. Con: ???

Even on paper, it’s clear I’m more motivated to buy this property than to walk away from it. I continue to weigh the good against the bad while I eat nearly everything I’ve ordered. As I’m winding down, I look up and see Paige and Missy walk into the diner.

Raising my hand, I wave to them. I figure this way they won’t feel like they have to come over to say hello. Of course, I’m not surprised when they do.

“Heath!” Paige greets excitedly. “How are you?”

“Paige, Missy.” I gesture for them to join me if they’d like. They take me up on the invitation and sit side by side across the table. “I’m doing well. Just fueling up for the day,” I tell them.

Missy looks at my collection of plates and jokes, “Are you going to be playing professional football?”

“I don’t know what it is about Elk Lake, but I’m eating way more than normal here,” I tell her.

“It’s the fresh air,” Paige says. “At least that’s the excuse I use.”

“I have been spending a lot of time outdoors,” I tell them. While they order their lunch, I try to figure out the best way of bringing up my new neighbor. I decide to jump right in. “Trina has a friend visiting.”

The women stare at me like a pair of deer trapped in oncoming traffic. Oh yeah, they know something. “His name is Daniel. He seems like a nice guy.”

“Oh …” Paige finally manages.

“Fun,” Missy interjects.

I’m not going to find out anything this way, so I ask, “Is he her boyfriend or something?” The ladies exchange a side eye but neither of them answers. “I ask because he’s a nice-looking fella.” I sound like my grandfather talking about his dog.

“We don’t really know Trina all that well,” Missy says.

Paige interjects, “She just told us she had friends visiting. She didn’t say who they were.”

“Interesting,” I mutter under my breath.

Missy changes the subject. “What are you planning on doing today, Heath?”

“I’m going to go across the street and talk to Anna about buying a property in the woods.”

“Really?” Paige sounds nearly as surprised as I am. “What property and what are you going to do with it?”

“There’s a hundred and fifty acres a short way down the road. I have no idea what I’ll do with it. Right now, all I’m going to do is buy it.”

“Is there any water on it?” Missy asks.

“That’s a good question,” I tell her. “I don’t know.”

“Jamie loves to fish, so I was thinking if there was, you might do a little fishing. Maybe put up an ice fishing shack for the winter.”

“I’ve never ice fished,” I tell her honestly.

“I haven’t done it yet, either. Jamie says it’s more about hot chocolate and camaraderie than actual fishing. He and Sammy love it.”

I stack my plates and push them off to the side before standing up. “I’ll have to consider that. Please say hello to Jamie and Tim for me. Sammy, too,” I add.

“Tim says you should stop by the club sometime for lunch,” Paige tells me. “I’ll have him call you to set something up.”

“That’s very nice of him.” While I have many business associates in Chicago who I spend a good amount of time with, I don’t have people that I simply hang out with for the fun of it. That must be why I’m enjoying Trina’s friends so much. Not only have they been very welcoming, but they’re an interesting group.

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