Chapter 3
Dave and Jack were soundly sleeping by nine. Dave had made Jack's favorite tortellini recipe with prosciutto ham for their "before hunt" dinner, with Aaron and Dave moving up when they ate to get Jack ready for his early morning wake-up. With their big breakfast, the work out they all got splitting logs, and a little wrestling match in the heated pool, Jack was sleeping two seconds after he said "Amen" with his nightly prayers. Max curled up around his legs, yawning as well. Dave was snoring ten minutes later.
Aaron was too keyed up to sleep. After doing some prep work for the "great hunters" breakfast in the hunting boat, Aaron smiled being the king of the remote and settled into a documentary on the History Channel, enjoying a small tumbler of scotch.
Just as he was shutting the TV off, Max came into the living room. Aaron smiled. "You need your usual one last whiz run, don't you Max?" His reply was a soft bark and wagging his tail. Aaron sent him out the back door of the cabin and got the coffee maker ready for the morning. He got the hot water running in the kitchen sink and let Max in. He scampered through the kitchen and up the stairs to climb back in with Jack.
Aaron pulled two thermos jugs from the cupboard in the laundry room, smiling at Dave and Jack's hunting clothes and boots laid out on the machines. He took the thermoses and filled them with the hot water getting the liner warm for the morning. Tightly securing the tops, he set the alarm and shut the lights out of the lower level of the cabin and ascended the stairs. After a quick check on Jack and Max, he went into the master bedroom.
-00CM00-
Dave woke to his alarm going off at five the next morning. Shutting the alarm off to not wake Aaron, he rose out of bed and headed for the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and quickly shaved. Going back in the bedroom to dress, he noticed Aaron wasn't in bed. Shrugging, he got dressed for the morning hunt, pulling on his wool lined camo pants as well as wool socks.
Going down the stairs he walked into the kitchen with the light already on. Aaron was pouring the contents of the coffee pot into one of the thermoses. Dave noticed a cooking pan on the stove. He furthered entered eyeing Aaron in his white t-shirt, cotton lounge pants and flip flops like Jack. "What's cooking," he asked, kissing Aaron.
"Hot chocolate for Jack," he smiled, pointing at the second thermos.
"You don't have Jack up?"
Aaron kissed him. "That's all on you Papa," Aaron fiendishly smiled, stirring. "Send Max down; I'll handle that."
"Gee thanks," Dave said, walking out.
Forty minutes later, Dave and Jack were in the laundry room, finally dressed. Aaron put Jack's backpack on his shoulders. "What you got in there dad," Jack asked, adjusting the straps, yawning a bit. "It's heavy."
Aaron smiled, kissing his head. "Just some good things for you, Papa and Max."
Jack looked him in the eye. "I keep my promises dad."
Aaron pulled him into a hug. "I know you do Jack. You and Papa have an awesome morning." Aaron yawned. "I'm going back to bed."
"Love ya dad!"
"Love you too buddy," Aaron smiled. He looked at Dave. "Love you too," he smiled. "Have a good time," he said kissing Dave.
"We will," Dave smiled, moving to the kitchen table where he had his shotgun in its case and shells laid out.
Jack opened the back door and Max sped out. Jack followed him, letting his parents have some time together. He noticed Max sniffing out a spot to take his morning constitutional.
Dave tucked the box of shotgun shells in his hunting jacket and picked up his gun case. He looked at Aaron. "Promises?"
Aaron shook his head. "Enjoy your time with Jack. I'm going back to bed. Get the hell out the door so I can reset the alarm and sleep."
Dave smiled. "Thanks Aaron; I know this isn't easy for you."
Aaron kissed him. "Dave, I love you; and I love Jack. I'm going back to bed and sleeping until you text me that you two are heading back in. Does that tell you something?"
Dave smiled. "Yes it does; I'm a very lucky man."
Jack stuck his head back in the door. "Papa, we going or not?"
Aaron laughed as Dave headed to the door. "Love ya both guys."
Jack beamed. "Back at ya dad. You sleep; you work too hard."
Dave shot Aaron a look with a smile of he's right as he headed out the door.
Jack laughed walking down the hill in front of Dave at Max standing on the dock, barking at them. Good thing we don't have neighbors close Dave thought with a smile. He'd wake them up. He looked at pride at his son, dressed for hunting.
The morning was chilly; Dave had checked the thermometer on the garage as he walked off the deck. It read 45°. I hope it's not too cold for Jack. Just then a slight warm breeze blew across his face. Dave looked up into the still dark skies. Thank you Caroline and Haley; the bundle of energy will be fine he smiled. And I'll take care of him; I promise he added as an afterthought.
Dave walked on the dock to see Jack prancing a bit. "Jack?"
"Papa, all of a sudden, I've got to go."
Dave smiled. "That's a bit of nerves my boy; give me your backpack and go whiz on the beach." Jack rushed off and Dave got the backpack and his shotgun on the boat. Max jumped on the boat. Jack scampered back and got on as well. "First things first," Dave smiled at him, pulling out his camo life jacket. "You put this on."
Jack looked at him, pulling it on. "What about you Papa?"
"My life vest is built into my hunting vest," he smiled, as Jack snapped the buckles of his vest together.
"What about Max?"
"We'll put his on when we get to our hunting spot." Dave unloosened the back tie of the boat to the dock. "Jack, can you reach the front one?"
"Yup Papa," he said reaching over the side. The boat, free from the dock drifted a bit as Dave started the motor. They headed for Dave's hunting spot in the cove below Cory and Tina's cabin. Dave had the front light on to guide the boat in the darkness. Noticing that Jack was huddled with Max on the floor, he cut the engine a bit. The cool morning air, along with the moving boat was chilly even for him, putting one hand in his vest pocket and then another to keep them warm.
As they rounded the finger of land that extended into the lake where their dear friends lived, Dave slowed the boat even more. Jack looked at him. "Don't want to wake the ducks until were ready," he softly said. Jack nodded with a smile and stood up. "Jack, open up the decoy compartments." When they were out on the boat three weeks ago, Dave had familiarized Jack with all the workings of the duck boat.
Slowly gliding to a halt before the cattail bed, Dave moved to the front of the boat and set the trolling motor in the water. Jack handed him the decoys as Dave slowly moved the boat to place them. "This is a lot easier with you helping me Champino," he smiled. Jack just beamed, handing him another one.
Satisfied at the spread of the decoys, Dave moved the boat to the other side of the cattails and cut the engine. He dropped the front anchor and moved quickly to the back to set the back one as well so the boat wouldn't turn in the soft morning breeze.
Jack helped him get the rest of boat's camouflage over the sides of the boat. When they finished, he looked at Dave. "Now what Papa," he whispered. A small sliver of sun appeared on the east horizon.
"We wait for sun up son," he smiled. "Where's your backpack?" Jack pointed. Dave sat down on the seat of the boat and unzipped it. Max plopped down in the front of the boat for his morning snooze. Dave pulled out the first thermos, unscrewing off the cup and then opening the lid. He smelt the contents. He handed the cup to Jack. "This is yours," he smiled, pouring some hot chocolate.
"That smells good," Jack said. "You make this Papa?"
Dave shook his head, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "No, dad did," he smiled. "Be careful; it might be a little hot," he added as Jack started to take a sip.
"Whoa, it is." Jack blew into the cup a bit. Dave put his coffee cup on the metal housing that held the boat's steering assembly. He reached into Jack's backpack and pulled out a box of Emma Lawton's homemade doughnuts. Jack smiled. "Don't tell me Papa; dad's secret run into town yesterday afternoon."
"Yupppp," Dave smiled, mimicking his son, holding out the box to him. There were a dozen doughnuts of different varieties; glazed and powder sugared; and he and Jack's favorites. Crushed nuts topping for Dave; chocolate covered for Jack. They both quickly pulled out their favorites.
Jack powered down two bites and took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Thanks Papa for bringing me along," he said, swallowing the another bite. "This is special. You and me need some one on one time."
Dave looked at him, sipping his coffee. "And when did you grow up on me," he softly laughed.
"You too?"
"Jack?"
"Dad and me…" Jack started.
"Dad and I," Dave softly corrected.
"Whatever Papa," Jack said, rolling his eyes a bit. "We had a chat yesterday while you took the log splitter back to town. He misses me being a little guy."
Dave smiled. "Did he tell you why?"
Jack smiled. "Yeah Papa, he did. We had a great chat; especially about mom."
"Your mom was a wonderful woman Jack and dad and I don't want you to forget that."
"Got that Papa," Jack said. He turned to look at Dave. "I know she died to protect me and give dad time to get to the house while I was working the case."
Dave marveled at how their nine year old son basically broke down what had happened exactly on point. "Yes she did," was all that Dave could muster out of his mouth at the moment.
"And that's mom's final memory of me; me being a little boy." He paused. "But Papa, he told me about what happened while he had his surgery." Dave could hear the wheels in Jack's head turning; trying to put his thought process together. "Do you believe that Papa?"
"Yes son; very much," Dave said, pulling him to his side. Jack looked at him, taking another bite of his doughnut and a sip from his cup. "Sometimes, we all get little voices in our head that tell us a situation isn't right; or maybe it is and run with it. I like to think that it's our loved ones in heaven pointing the way."
"Really Papa?"
Dave laughed. "Walking down to the dock, I worried about you being warm enough. Caroline, with a little help from your mom," he nudged Jack, "sent me a message I'm a worry wart."
Jack laughed. "You and dad both are Papa."
"That's our job Jack. We're supposed to worry about you; that's part of being a parent. And what can cause the gray hair," he smiled at Jack.
"Ms. Kellmer said your gray in goatee makes you look disti…" Jack struggled to remember the word.
"Distinguished," Dave smiled. "I like that." He looked to the eastern horizon. "Finish that cup of hot chocolate Jack. It's just about hunting time."
The morning had cooled Jack's cup for him to down it in two gulps. "Let's do it Papa," he smiled.
###
A/N: hehehehehe I'm gonna make you wait one more day.
Morning constitutional is a uniquely Yank term for morning "dump". Ms. Kellmer is Jack's current teacher; the name is a solely of my making.