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“Right this way,” I say, directing her inside.

Once she’s feeling cleaner, she comes back outside where I’m ready to put the burgers down on the hot grill. I’ve got the buns and condiments ready and a pot of baked beans I’m warming on the side burner of the grill.

I feel her watching me, but say nothing. It’s quiet except for the sounds of the burgers sizzling and the chirping of katydids and crickets. Tessa nurses a bottle of root beer, watching meflip patties.

“So, does your family live here with you?” she asks.

“No, that’s kind of a long story. One I’m willing to talk about, but let me make sure I don’t burn these first.”

I glance back at her and she’s dreamy eyed, probably mesmerized by the last of the sunlight playing off the lake.

Two more minutes and the burgers look ready. “Hey, Montgomery, can you hand me that plate of cheese just inside on the counter?”

“Sure thing,” she replies.

She quickly returns and I thank her, placing the cheese on each patty, allowing a minute for it to melt. In the meantime, I grab plates, forks and knives for us, along with napkins.

“You hungry?”

“It smells so good. Yes, pretty hungry.”

“Okay, I’m taking these off the grill along with the beans. Do you want to eat here or inside?”

“Here, looking out at the lake would be perfect.”

“You got it. My favorite spot too,” I reply, smiling at her.

We sit on the deck, facing the lake. The light’s mellowed out, warm and honeyed, catching in her hair. I hand her a plate and set the baked beans between us.

She picks up her burger, then hesitates. “This might be the best-smelling thing I’ve encountered all day.”

“Low bar,” I say. “You’ve been up to your elbows in fallout.”

She grins. “True. And I didn’t even cry. Almost, but I sucked it in and forged ahead.”

“I’m impressed. Most people would’ve called it quits. Or a biohazard team.”

We eat for a few quiet minutes. She takes a sip of her root beer and leans back.

“So, you live out here full-time? No roommates or wild animalcompanions?”

“Just me,” I say. “I teach PE and health over at the high school. Coach the football team, too.”

She tilts her head. “From axe-wielding mountain man to high school coach. Unexpected.”

“You’d be surprised how similar the two gigs are. Both involve wrangling chaos into form.”

She laughs. It’s a nice sound. “I just finished my nursing degree. Took the boards a few weeks ago. Got my BSN.”

“Freshly minted nurse, huh? You don’t seem old enough to have accomplished all that.”

“I fake it well,” she says, popping a fry in her mouth. “I’ve been working in a downtown ER during my clinicals. Thought if I could survive that, I could handle a lake cabin. Turns out, it’s a toss-up.”

I glance over at her, thoughtful. “So what compels your family to sell the cabin?”

She pauses, chewing slowly. “My parents haven’t been able to come for thepast couple years. My dad’s health isn’t great. Lots of heart issues. And my mom’s dealing with her own mess of things. They finally said if I could fix the place up and sell it, I could keep half the profit.”

She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.