Chandler had had his fair share of meals at that table. The couch and chair—basic and brown leather—faced a small TV on an equally small console table because when Paul was home, he was outdoors.

His property was probably more than five acres of heavily wooded forests, and the entire square footage of his cabin couldn't have been more than five hundred. The soaring ceilings of the main room is what made it feel bigger than it was. The old-fashioned wood-burning stove set into the back ...