Violet walked around, looking in the cabinets and under them.
Keane and I exchanged a look, but since Violet hadn’t said a word, I couldn’t figure her out. Needing to occupy my brain with something other than worry, I walked to the square window that overlooked the lake. It wasn’t the biggest lake in the region, but it was respectable—with a dozen or so houses that bordered it. Most of the houses were cabins no bigger than this one, so it was likely they were all vacation rentals as this one had been. I picked at the paint around the window trim that had adhered to the glass, thinking that the cabin was small, but completely cozy.
“I love it,” Violet said, surprising me. I turned around, met Keane’s eyes again before looking at Violet. “It’s just so cute.”
“Cute?” Keane said, as if the word was foreign to him. He put his hands on his hips and looked around. I knew the cabin had been a hunting and fishing one for Keane and his grandpa, so he probably saw memories when he studied the worn, seventies-era couch and handmade coffee table that he’d carved his name into. “I mean, I guess.”
“It is cute.” Violet nodded, her blonde hair bobbing around her shoulders. “It’s quiet out here.” She gripped the edge of the kitchen sink and peered out the window that shared the same view as the one I looked out of. “I think it’s wonderful.”
“Oh, good.” Keane nodded as if he was relieved. “The fridge freezes anything on the top shelf, but the plan is to replace that, eventually. And the stove—” he flipped the switches for each burner. “This one, this one, and this one, well, they don’t work.” He half laughed, half coughed at that and switched them back off. “So, you’ve got one burner. But it’s gas, so don’t blow the place up.”
“It’s okay.” Violet patted the top of the microwave shoved on the counter between the coffeemaker and the fridge. “I do a lot of microwaving. Not much of a cook.”
“I’d bring you food anyway. You could just warm it up.”
“See?” Violet said with a small smile. “Perfect.”
“The bathroom all works, but it’s well water here and it might smell a little funky at first.” We walked into the bathroom and he lifted the toilet seat. “It’s stained from the well water, so that’ll get replaced eventually too. But it’s obviously not as necessary as a stove with four working burners.” He flushed the toilet and it gurgled for a moment before going down. “Just be mindful of the septic system—the toilet can’t be treated like a trash can, so no big wads of toilet paper, paper towels, cigarettes, or tampons.”
Violet wrapped her arms around her barely there belly and rocked back on her heels. “Pretty sure those last two won’t be an issue.”
For the first time since he’d seen her, he looked at her stomach. Granted, Violet had been covered up in oversized clothing, but when she turned just right, you could see the slight curve of her stomach. “Right. Sorry, I forgot.”
“How hot does the water get?” she asked, flipping the faucet on the sink on.
“Pretty hot, actually. Gramps had to have a good water heater out there. Nothing like a scalding shower after a day of ice fishing. But it usually takes a minute or two to get hot.”
“Perfect.” She switched it off and moseyed back out to the living area. “You sure you’re okay with me staying here?”
“Yeah. The mattress is new—I bought it in advance of starting the renovations.”
Violet sat down on the couch, bouncing on the cushions for a moment. “I don’t mind the couch. It’s comfy.”
“You’ll take the bed,” Keane said, as if there wasn’t an argument to be had about it. “I spent much of my childhood on this couch, and besides I’ll likely be up early every morning working on the house. You’ll get better sleep in the back bedroom.”
“And if you ever want to come back into town for a night or two, you can.” I’d said it without really thinking it through—figuring out the logistics of hiding her from the twins would make my head ache.
“I’ll be fine up here. It’s like the fancy version of camping.”
We walked back out the front door and across the yard. “Asa’s bringing a generator up while he works on his side of the property over there. So if we ever lose power—which is unlikely going into the summer season—we’ll have a backup if need be. There might be a lot activity over the next couple months as he gets electricians and his architect out here, but that’ll settle come fall.”
“How’s Asa doing?” Violet stretched, bringing the bottom hem of her sweater up to reveal a few inches of her skin—the only skin on her body without bruises.
“Good.” Keane said it automatically, but I knew it wasn’t wholly truthful. It was too much to dig into, and really unnecessary anyway. “I’ll probably be up here most days, but my mom might miss me, so I’ll be in town at least for Sundays.” He glanced at me when he said that, and I knew he was referring to our standing Sunday dates.
“Don’t you have a job?”
“It’s seasonal. Come harvest time, I’ll be busy again. That’s why we decided to start renovating this summer. Like I said, it won’t always be so quiet. And when the kids get off of school for summer, there will be a hundred kids out on this lake.”
“That’s fine.” She made her way toward the rickety dock.
“Be careful,” I said automatically and then regretted the words instantly when Violet turned around and looked at me.
“I’m not a little kid, Navy.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re treating me like I’m fragile. Plenty of women have been pregnant and haven’t fallen apart. Our mom did, three times. I’m a big girl now. Keane even said so.” She flashed a teasing smile at him. “I don’t need either of you to babysit me. I’m okay being alone. And, besides, I’m not really alone.”
“Sorry.” I rubbed the toe of my shoe over a rock that was slightly protruding from the ground. “I just don’t really know what to do. I don’t know what you need.”
“I’ve got everything I need.”
“For now,” I hedged. “Eventually—”
“Eventually isn’t now. I don’t want to worry about what’s got to happen eventually. I have you,” she said gesturing toward me. “And I’ve got this place, thanks to Keane. I just want to get through the summer and figure things out.”
I couldn’t disagree with having her basic needs—family and shelter—met. But she didn’t have an income or money to spare. Which meant I would need to cover for her, at least until she had made those decisions. With my aunt being gone, I would definitely get plenty of hours to cover whatever other needs Violet had. But after? “Okay,” I said, wanting to avoid an argument. We’d get it figured out. If I held onto that belief—even short-sighted as it was—we’d be okay.
“Perfect. Let’s unpack then.”
“You sure you’re okay staying out here tonight?”