Ch. 25 - Charlie

Charlie took a sip of his coffee and set the cup down then slipped the last button of his camouflage jacket through the hole. With a sigh, he looked out past the trees toward the inky-black water in the distance. The morning was unusually chilly and he could just make out steam rising up from the marsh, swirling around like apparitions from a life long forgotten.

He leaned back in the patio chair, his hand falling to the side to stroke Winston's soft fur, and enjoyed the silence as a new day was born. A sense of contentment stirred inside his chest and he smiled to himself.

God's in His heaven and all is right with the world...

It was a line from a poem his mother used to recite when he was just a little boy. On nights after his father left home when he had trouble sleeping, his mother would come into his room, dry his tears and share bits and pieces of literature as a way to distract him. At the time he hadn't realized that's what she was doing, but it was clear as day now that he had a child of his own. When Carter had difficulty falling asleep, he would sit and rock her in the chair he'd built and retell the stories and poems his mother passed on so long ago.

Charlie swallowed down the last of his coffee then stood up, stretched, and make his way toward the garage, Winston following close behind. Pulling a ring of keys from his pocket, he picked through them until he found the one he was searching for. He slipped the golden metal into the keyhole and opened a closet door, then he leafed through the ring again looking for a smaller silver key, one that was meant to open the gun safe inside. Carefully, his eyes moved over the weapons until two were selected. He pulled them from the rack then closed the safe, his ears straining to hear the click of the latch. With his knee, he pushed the closet door shut, concealing what was hidden inside. With care, he set the guns down on a work bench.

"Good morning."

Charlie looked up and found Jackson standing at the door watching him. "Good morning to you." He smiled as he watched Jackson rub his hands together for warmth. "How do you like this chilly weather we're having?"

Winston stood at attention as Jackson walked in and emitted a low growl, never once taking his eyes off him.

"Winston!" Charlie exclaimed. He pat the top of the dog's head until he relaxed. "I'm sorry, he's not normally like that.

Jackson laughed lightly. "It's alright, I'm not offended. I'm a stranger and he has a family to protect. That's his job. And as far as the weather goes, well let's just say I wasn't expecting it. I'm afraid I'm not prepared for anything other than heat."

"Don't worry," Charlie said, his eyes moving over the pale yellow polo shirt Jackson wore. "I have an extra camouflage jacket you can borrow. It'll keep you warm and help you blend into the woods a little better."

"Shouldn't we be wearing bright orange so we stand out?"

"Not when we're hunting on my property. There'll be no risk of shooting another hunter because there won't be anyone out there but us." Charlie walked across the garage and grabbed a jacket hanging from a hook on the wall. "Here you go," he said, handing it over. "It looks like it should fit, I think we're about the same size."

Jackson slid his arms through the sleeves and hoisted the jacket into place. "It's a perfect fit." He smiled. "Thank you, Charlie. I appreciate you letting me use it."

"No problem." Charlie walked back to the work bench and picked up a rifle. "Have you ever used one of these?"

Jackson followed him, his gaze sweeping over the long metal weapon. He nodded his head. "Yes, I've used one before, but it's been a long time. I'm sure I'll be rusty."

"Well, let me give you a quick lesson then." Charlie held the gun up and removed the magazine to look into the firing chamber. "Right now the gun's empty. Once it's loaded make sure you keep it pointed in a safe direction at all times. That means the gun should be pointed in a way that if it accidentally fires it'll not cause any harm." He glanced up at Jackson, making sure he was paying close attention. "And make sure your finger stays outside the trigger guard until you're ready to shoot."

Jackson nodded, a serious expression fixed on his face.

"We'll load the ammunition once we're out there, in the meantime, make sure the safety is on. Never switch it off unless you're aiming at a target." Charlie rotated the rifle to show Jackson what he meant. "When you're ready to shoot, stand with your feet shoulder-width length apart, your weaker shoulder facing the target. This is the easiest stance for a beginner." Charlie demonstrated the move. "Would you like to get a feel for it?" He handed Jackson the weapon.

Jackson repeated every move Charlie showed him with almost expert-like precision.

Charlie was impressed. "You're a quick learn."

Jackson smiled as he aimed the rifle at an imaginary target. "You have to be adaptable in my line of work." He secured the butt into the pocket of his shoulder. Letting his head fall to the side, Jackson placed his cheek against the rifle and aligned his eye to the scope.

"Nice." Charlie nodded his approval and shifted the weapon slightly so it sat better in his grasp. "Just like riding a bike," he teased.

"Yeah, a bike with the ability to blow someone's head off." Jackson relaxed his position and smiled at Charlie. "Thanks again for inviting me along. You and Talia have gone out of your way to make me feel welcome."

"You're welcome. I'll admit, we were both a bit nervous once we decided to rent out the house. We weren't sure who was going to end up next door. Even though someone's references check out, it really means little until you get a feel for them in person. And with Carter around we can't be too careful." Charlie ran a hand through his hair and let out a small laugh. "Consider this part of the interview process. I'm still making sure you're worthy of living next door to my family."

Jackson chuckled along. "I assure you, I'm as boring as they come. I wouldn't hurt a fly." He adjusted the rifle, taking care to keep the barrel pointed in a safe direction. "Never mind the gun in my arms."

"Good morning." Charlie and Jackson looked up to find Talia in the doorway. "I was hoping you'd still be here. Someone wanted to see you before you took off." Carter sat in Talia's arms, her face lighting up into a smile when she caught sight of her father. "Is it safe to come out? The guns aren't loaded yet, are they?"

Charlie grinned and walked over to meet them. "It's safe. Good morning, baby girl." He reached and took Carter into this arms then planted a kiss on Talia's lips. "She slept in a little this morning. That's a good sign."

Talia hugged her arms to herself. "She slept in an hour later than normal. I'll take whatever I can get." She smiled and glanced at Jackson. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Talia," he said with a slight southern drawl. "I hope we didn't wake you."

Talia shook her head. "No, not at all. We didn't hear a thing. So, have you been hunting before, or will this be your first time."

"I've been deer hunting before but it's been a long while. I'm sure it's nothing like hunting wild boar." An apprehensive expression made its way across his face. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous."

"Charlie's an excellent teacher and a very responsible huntsman. You're in good hands."

"Speaking of which, we should probably get going." Charlie nuzzled the baby's cheek. once more before handing her back. "Are you ready?" he asked, his gaze settling on Jackson.

"As ready as I'm going to be."

Charlie laughed and clapped the back of his shoulder. "Come on. Let's go have fun."

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