Chapter 46

After parking the Jeep in the shell- and sand-covered driveway, Jason and Dillon take in the palms, thick bamboo, dog fennel, rosemary, longleaf pines, and gray nickerbean foliage that decorate the acreage. To the left and right of the manmade beach are black mangroves thick with tangled and twisting cypress fingers, knees, and knobs. Beyond the beach is a pleasant and surreal view of the Gulf, which resembles a picture perfect post card: waving blue water, blistering red-gold-orange sun overhead, two dolphins performing genteel loops, and sail- and fishing boats rolling on the ocean’s rising and falling current. The wind blows to the east, swinging the lush palm leaves towards Fort Meyers and the Atlantic. It’s a smooth and soft wind, tainted with salt and Gulf sprits and spirits, exactly what both men have looked forward to, distancing themselves from their hometown of Redder, Pennsylvania and their everyday travels.