Free Eagle River by Isabelle Kane

registered what his son had said was a brief raise of his eyebrows. His chin moved slowly down as he scanned the Classifieds. Not that he would ever take a job. No, Pa can sit around the house all day moping while we work like dogs. He always said he’d “earned the right.” Sure.
    “Your Mom always did like that girl... Haven’t seen much of her around here lately.” He turned another page.
    “I guess so.”
    “Where’s she going to school?”
    “Milwaukee University.”
    The two men, one old, one young, sat in silence, sipping coffee. It should have been a peaceful moment, but it wasn’t. It was electric with unspoken words and tension. After a moment, Galen got up and put some water on for oatmeal.
    “You want something to eat, Pop?”
    Finally, Jim looked up from his paper. “I ate that crap almost every day for the twenty some years your mother and I were together ‘cause she said it was good for me. Now she’s dead, and there ain’t any point in worrying about what’s good for me and what ain’t.”
    Galen glanced at his father in surprise. The old man was being downright talkative. “Can I have the Sports Page?”
    “Go ahead.” Jim pushed the remaining sections of newspaper over.
    Galen located the section he wanted and began to read.
    “You and that Solheim girl used to go together, right?”
    “Yeah.” Galen listened unsure of where this was going.
    “Didn’t work out for you, did it?”
    “Nope.” Just hearing the words spoken out loud made him angry and hurt at the same time.
    “That’s what I thought,” Jim smirked. “Don’t waste your time on women. They just let you down.”
    Galen wasn’t one to stand by and hear his mother insulted, especially by his worthless father. “You’re the one who let Mom down. Ever since the accident.”
    “Jessica left me before the accident. You think you’re so smart. Did you know that? The only reason we didn’t get divorced was because I was in such bad shape.”
    “Mom took care of you for years.”
    “She didn’t treat me like a husband ever after that.”
    “Maybe ‘cause you didn’t act like one.”
    “Don’t you disrespect me! That’s somethin’ else she taught you.”
    I am so done with this conversation. Without another word, the younger Odgers finished his breakfast, made some futile efforts at straightening the kitchen, and then headed out to the milking parlor to give Kyle a hand.
    The two brothers finished up about two hours later. Then, Galen showered, changed, and drove into town, to the Solheims.
    As he pulled into the long driveway, George Strait’s “Famous Last Words of a Fool” was playing on the radio. He clicked the radio off. He didn’t need a poignant, tear jerker of a song to make things worse. Just driving the familiar driveway was enough to bring back the memories of the countless times that he’d biked up this same driveway to this same house. I wish I could make it right. I gotta make it right.
    He paused for a moment and stared up at the house. Are they still asleep? He took a deep breath, opened his truck door, jogged up the steps leading to the front door and rang the bell.
    No one came to the door.
    He listened for a sound from within. Nothing. He rang the bell a second time. Glancing nervously at his watch, he shifted his feet. Still, no one came. He’d turned to go back down the steps when the front door swung open. Mr. Solheim stepped out. Nick Solheim remained the tall, slender, elegant man he’d been since he’d come to town years before. But this morning, he looked tired and care worn. He reached up and smoothed the still thick, white hair back from his brow. He didn’t look happy to see Galen, but he didn’t look upset either.
    “Mr. Solheim, good morning.” Galen held out his hand.
    “Galen,” Solheim said and took the proffered hand. “I’ve been reading about your exploits a lot these days in the Eagle Eye. You’ve become the pride of Eagle River.”
    “Thanks, sir,”