Frank’s work boots tromped heavily across the hardwood floor as he trudged into the dining room. He was greeted by a room of smiling faces; the kids were always happy to see him. As far as uncles went, Frank Kilpatrick was a great one to have. He was quick with a joke, always up for a board game and whenever Aunt Bridgette fouled up dinner, he would bring home take-out. Jack tipped his hat to his brother-in-law, and oldest friend.
Frank dropped the pizza boxes on the massive dining room table and he began passing out paper plates, tossing them like Frisbees across the table. As everyone began grabbing slices of pizza, Frank swung the kitchen door open to get a peek at his wife. Leaning over the trash can, Bridgette scraped what appeared to be a completely burnt pot roast and lumpy mashed potatoes into the rubbish that lay below. His young wife looked utterly disgusted.
“Now you’ve done it. Destroyed the pot roast…” Frank said in amusement.
“Just admit it. I’m a horrible cook!” Bridgette said, admitting defeat.
Frank smirked, “I’ll keep the pizza place on speed dial.” Bridgette jabbed her husband playfully as a smile crossed her face, against her will. As he leaned in for a kiss, the kitchen door swung open as Tommy yelled out, “Uncle Frank, play a board game with us!” Still smiling, Frank said he would once he finished his dinner.
After dinner as Bridgette cleared the paper plates and empty pizza boxes from the table and Frank began taking board games down from the closet, Tristan escaped outside with Cole. Capturing the perfect moment, when her brothers were preoccupied and Jack was focused on the evening news, Tristan hoped to catch up with her oldest friend. Living atop Cavegat Pass, there were no other children other than her brothers and cousin, so it wasn't easy to make lasting friendships. When Cole and Tristan were children, Bridgette would babysit many of the children in Elkhart, and Cole and his siblings just happened to be among them. Jack did not approve of Tristan hanging out with Cole alone. Tristan recalls the last time Jack addressed the so-called issue. Jack berated them from the other side of the dining room table as his face turned a putrid shade of red. He was pissed that the pair were found sitting together in her bedroom playing a game of chess on the floor with the door ajar as requested by Aunt Bridgette. Jack often overlooks the fact that the pair have been friends since they were both in diapers, been in every class together since nursery school, and share many of the same friends. Tristan wondered how Jack would react when he found out that Cole has been her boyfriend for the last month. It wasn’t Cole’s fault that Jack was so protective, and Tristan, at age fifteen, understandably had an interest in dating. Jack liked Cole as a person. He thought he was a respectful young man. He just wasn’t savvy on the idea of him dating his daughter.
Now when Cole wants to come over, he has to play it cool; act like Tommy, Shane or Blake invited him. Then when dinner was over, Tristan and Cole would sneak off to the lake to hang out without being watched like a hawk. If Jack could read the contents of Cole's mind, or knew the extent of his feelings for his daughter, Cole was sure that Jack would never allow him within fifty feet of his Tristan.
Tristan ran briskly across the valley, as Cole chased behind her, unable to quite catch her. Her dark brown curls flew behind her, as she ran through the fall breeze, the vivid scenery whipping past her. Cole smiled as he watched her, as her soft hair flowed gracefully down her back, the color of her cheek flushing rose from the autumn chill. Finally, she slowed, finding a tree - her tree, in the apple orchard. An aging wooden ladder sat by the tree. She climbed up to the top step and sat, while she laughed at Cole who was still catching up, clearly out of breath as he clutched his side.
"Come on, old man!" yelled Tristan at Cole, teasing him because of his slower speed.
"You're too damn fast!" retorted Cole, winded but finally at the foot of Tristan's apple tree.
"You better get back in shape before hockey season starts..."
"Totally different experience, skating. I'll be ready."
Tristan settled onto her tree branch, as the smile washed from her face.
"What is it?" asked Cole, with worry clear in his voice. Tristan trying to hide what it was that was bothering her, attempted to play it off like it was nothing. This often happened between the pair; something was bothering Tristan, but she didn't want to trouble Cole with her complaints.
"It's nothing..."
"Can we skip the part where you pretend nothing is wrong and you just tell me?" asked Cole with a charming smirk on his face. Tristan rolled her eyes, and prepared to give up what was irritating her.
"Do you ever go onto Mountain Road with your dad?"
"All the time... Why?"
"Tommy and I went into town with my father today and we had a really weird experience. So we arrive and right away we see Joey Binns getting the snot beat out of him by his father, right in the middle of Elk Road. My father ran over to stop the guy, and Joey's dad, no lie, took one look at my father and looked like he had seen a ghost."
"That guy is a jerk. My father always tells me to stay away from that house,” said Cole.