Page 4 of Not Looking
The feed store was next, and Russy got the same attention from the employees as I grabbed a bag of chicken feed and some mealworms. Then we drove into the outskirts of Mount Sable to pick up groceries from the nearest store.
Thank goodness for online ordering and pickup. I didn’t have to decide whether to make multiple trips or leave Russy at home. He could go into the places he was welcome, and neither of us had to leave the truck at the stops where only service dogs were allowed.
“Wanna go see Dale?” I asked as I headed back toward Sable Lake.
Russy whined from his spot on the seat and let out a happy bark.
I laughed. “I thought you’d say that.”
The lake glittered on my right as I passed the turnoff for my cabin and continued to Heartspring Resort. As I got closer, I could make out people playing on the inflatables and walking the trails that led to the springs.
I found a parking spot halfway between the entrance and the maintenance slash storage barn. I’d look for Dale—or his sonSimon—in the barn first. They both loved Russy and would let my dog tag along for any chores while I went inside to chat with the guest services manager, Tammy.
I knocked on the open barn door before poking my head inside.
“Hey!” Simon said with a grin as he strode over, clasped my hand, then pulled me into a hug. “How ya been, Randy?”
I smiled and hugged him back. “Good. You?”
He released me and shrugged. “Stayin’ busy.”
“That’s good.” I looked around. “Where’s your dad?”
He sighed. “In the office, wrangling paperwork.”
I cringed. “Again?”
He looked around, then lowered his voice. “It’s tearing him apart, but he doesn’t want to admit it.”
“The paperwork?”
He nodded.
“I know he’s not an indoors type of man, but is it that hard on him?”
“Yeah.”
“Why doesn’t he hire somebody?”
He ran a hand through his black hair. “I think… he thinks he’d be dishonoring Papa’s memory if he doesn’t run things himself. But…”
“Even after all this time?”
“Yeah…”
“What’s Ellie think?” I asked, referring to his sister.
“She’s with me. We want Dad to hire a resort manager.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”
“Not yet. We want to give him a little more time.”
“It’s already been what… four years?”
He nodded. “Almost five.”
I shook my head. “Time flies.”
