“Hey, I’d like that. Thanks.” Aaron rounded the cart to climb into the passenger seat.
The family compound, as Steven had referred to it, was tidy and inviting. The three main houses were similar, redbrick ranch-style homes with white trim and shutters and covered front porches. The grounds were immaculate, flower beds blooming, lawns shaded by tall trees. The road ended in a turnaround with two mobile homes positioned on either side.
“We call this the trailer park,” Steven said with a chuckle, waving toward those manufactured homes. “That’s where my generation lives for now, though there’s room for two or three more traditional houses in line with the folks’ places.”
Aaron noted that the mobile homes were quality structures with brick underpinning and redwood decking. All were in variations of tan and cream, which gave them a consistent appearance. Shrubs and flowers in beds around each home softened the angular lines and added to the welcoming atmosphere. The trees here were smaller, having been planted after the units were hauled in, but would provide nice shade in a couple more years.
A big, lazy-looking yellow lab ambled up to the vehicle. Steven stopped to rub the dog’s ears. “This is Pax. I’ve had him for almost seven years.”
“Hey, Pax, how’s it going?”
The lab wagged his tail.
“I bought the first trailer,” Steven said, pointing to the first house on the left. “Took me a while to convince Pop that bringing in a mobile home wouldn’t ruin the family compound. Then Maggie decided she’d like her own quarters, and she put in the one opposite mine on your right. Hannah moved in next to Maggie after her divorce, and Shelby bought the one next to me when she finished college.”
“Sounds like you started a trend.”
“Much to Pop’s annoyance. He’d still rather we’d build houses. But I just turned twenty-seven last month, you know? I’m not ready to pore over blueprints and choose countertops and paint colors. Hannah might think about building in a year or two, but the rest of us are okay with what we’ve got for now.”
Aaron wasn’t at all sure Steven was satisfied, in any way. Maybe he was projecting, but he thought he recognized a fellow restless soul. Shelby had hinted that her brother felt somewhat stifled here. Which wouldn’t be at all surprising. Experimenter that he’d been, Aaron couldn’t imagine spending his entire life living within sight of his parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins, his whole future mapped out for him. “Shelby said you assist Bryan in groundskeeping.”
“Yeah.” The lack of enthusiasm in the other man’s voice only confirmed Aaron’s suspicion.
Maybe Steven sensed his answer had lacked something. Sending Pax back to his napping place, he turned the ATV around in the cul-de-sac, then drove past the houses again. “I was the envy of a lot of my friends, growing up in a fishing and camping resort. Some of them still think I fish and ski all day. They have no idea how much work goes into a place like this. We’ve been fortunate that the bad economy hasn’t taken too hard a hit on us, though it helps that there’s enough family to keep it running with a minimum of outside help.”
And there, Aaron thought, was the key to why Steven didn’t feel free to leave. Just as Shelby had implied, Steven took his obligation to the family business seriously enough to feel shackled by it, whether or not he actually enjoyed the work. Aaron would have felt the same way had his dad roped him into working for the agency his entire life. Fortunately, D’Alessandro-Walker was not dependent solely on family to keep the company running. The long-established security and investigation business was profitable and stable, and had more than enough job applicants from a pool of computer whizzes and law-enforcement types.
Steven stopped the cart at a wood-sided utility building behind his parents’ house. The building blended so well into the landscaping that it didn’t detract from the view, even though it was large and designed for function. When Steven opened one of the heavily padlocked doors, Aaron could see mowing and other maintenance equipment along with an assortment of pow
er tools and supplies. Steven threw a four-foot stepladder and a gas-powered pole saw into the open bed of the utility vehicle, then climbed back behind the wheel. “Want a ride back to your cabin? You’re in Cabin Eight, aren’t you?”
“I am, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to ride along and watch you take down the limb. I can help, if you need me. I find the behind-the-scenes operations of a resort interesting.”
Steven chuckled. “Most of our guests prefer enjoying the lake or other amenities we offer, but sure, you’re welcome to watch me cut a limb.”
Aaron grinned. “I guess there’s no accounting for what some people find fun.”
Steven could have figured out a way to accomplish the task alone, but Aaron believed his help made the job easier. The sizable limb dangled more than twelve feet up in a tree near a currently unoccupied tent pad. While it was unlikely that it would have fallen on a hapless camper protected by no more than a canvas roof, Aaron agreed that it was best to make sure. Maybe Steven was fighting restlessness, but he was still conscientious about his work.
Standing on top of the ladder with the pole saw extended to its full reach, Steven cut through the narrow part of the limb still attached to the trunk while Aaron steadied him and kept an eye on the limb’s trajectory when it came down. It caught on several other limbs on the way, but Steven was able to guide it with the tip of the saw until Aaron could grab hold of the branch and tug it down to the ground, jumping out of the way when it landed with a cloud of dirt and dried leaves.
“Thanks, Aaron,” Steven said, climbing down from the ladder and wiping his forehead with the back of one hand. “I appreciate the help.”
“No problem. Nice-sized limb for firewood.”
Steven nodded and started the saw again to cut the limb into manageable lengths. Aaron stacked the fire-pit-sized results in the bed of the utility vehicle. They chatted about fishing and hiking while they cleared away the debris. It turned out they shared a fondness for mountain hiking when they were able to get away from work. Steven had friends in Colorado whom he joined a couple times a year, while Aaron was more likely to head for the Smoky Mountains in east Tennessee, where his cousins Casey and Molly had settled with their spouses.
“I’ve never been to the Gatlinburg area,” Steven admitted.
“Some of the prettiest countryside I’ve seen, and I’ve been all over the States. There’s something like eight hundred miles of hiking trails in the national park alone. My cousin Molly married a guy who co-owns and manages vacation rental cabins around Gatlinburg. Sort of like your line of work, except his rentals are scattered through the area rather than located on a resort like this.”
“You’ve traveled a lot, huh?” A note of what might have been envy underscored Steven’s question.
Aaron shrugged. “Some. Mostly in the lower forty-eight.”
“I’m lucky to have a week off every few months to visit my friends in Colorado. This place is pretty much twenty-four-seven, year-round.”
Brushing bits of bark from his hands, Aaron asked casually, “So if you didn’t work here, what do you think you’d be doing?”