“Oh hell, I really love that,” I said, groaning.
“So, we can do it right now,” she said.
“What?”
“On my phone. We can do it right now. Let me pull up the website.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” I said. “Right now? We’re gonna book something right now? I mean, have we talked about your business yet?”
“We have. I’m gonna start my search next month online and with a realtor. Once I have it narrowed down to two places, you’re gonna get all the pictures and you’re gonna tell me which one to go with because I can never make decisions like that on my own. Then, when I sign the rental agreement, you’re gonna help me decorate the damn thing because I’m shit at that. Okay?”
“You really are shit at that. I’m no interior designer but I know I can do a better job than you,” I said.
“Very funny, smart ass. Now, ready to book?” she asked.
She turned her phone around and I saw the most picturesque, snow-covered mountain I’d ever seen in my life. I took her phone and started scrolling through the pictures, looking at the cabins available to me. There were massive cabins that could house two families and small studio cabins that were made for only one or two people and, all of a sudden, things started falling into place. I looked through pictures of fires roaring in the fireplace and pictures of the jet tub every cabin boasted. I thought about cooking my small little dinners for one and enjoying cups of coffee while the sun set over the beautiful view where one of the studio cabins was located.
I clicked on it and searched for its available dates and found that it was open for three solid weeks.
I saw Gwen smile out of my peripheral vision while I continued to type away on her phone. I dipped into my purse and pulled out my credit card, booking the small cabin for the next three weeks. I had four days to pack up and get out there and, by the time I hit the confirmation button, I’d resolved myself to another task.
I was getting rid of that shitty apartment of mine.
“So?” Gwen asked. “How does it feel?”
“For the first time in a month, I feel excited about something,” I said.
“Good,” she said. “You should. It’s a beautiful place, and you’re gonna love it. And who knows? Maybe you’ll meet yourself a sexy rugged manly man.”
“Oh, no. I’ve got the cabin and it’s lit a fire under my ass to ditch the apartment. I’m not taking on a man.”
“Girl, you really need to get laid. When was the last time you got laid?”
“I have sex!” I exclaimed. “Just… not… often?”
Gwen started laughing before she tossed a grape into her mouth.
“You should find yourself a nice, local mountain man who’s got a thing for city girls. He’d dick ya right before he sent ya home. And if he’s real good to you, he’ll feed you sweet tea shirtless, too.”
“Are you serious right now?” I asked.
“Hell yes! Go to the mountains, relax, and get laid. Those are your three tasks.”
“I’m not focused on finding a man right now,” I said. “I’m focused on finding a future.”
“Well, two out of three is still the majority,” she said. “I can’t be pissed at that. And did I hear you say something about actually getting rid of that apartment?”
“I’m riding the high of doing something I wanna do, so I’m gonna ride it as far as it takes me,” I said.
“Wanna call the landlord now?” she asked.
That grin on Gwen’s face was something I was never able to say “no” to. The moment that grin crawled across her face, it meant she had a plan in motion, so I handed her phone back to her before I pulled out mine.
“Stay quiet,” I said as I dialed the number.
“When have you known me to be anything but?” she asked.
I shook my head at her while she continued to eat lunch. I talked with my landlord and told him I would be moving out in the next four days and that whatever I needed to pay was all right with me. He wasn’t happy and tried hard to negotiate me into staying but I stayed firm. I knew it was going to be hard for him to rent that apartment back out, especially since he didn’t take care of it in the first place. But I didn’t care. For the first time in a month, I felt like I was finally taking control of my life again and, now that I had a wonderful trip planned, I felt like I knew what I deserved.
And that apartment was not what I deserved.
“Sir,” I said. “I will be moving out in four days. I’ll leave a check at your office on Friday. Thank you for your time.”
I hung up before he could get another word in edgewise and, suddenly, I felt another boulder being lifted off my shoulders.
“How do you feel?” Gwen asked, grinning.
“Really good,” I said.
“Good, because you’re my next client.”
“What?” I asked.
“I got a text message from one of my clients. He canceled and he was my next two hours. So, you’re sitting in the chair and I’m doing something with that rat’s nest.”
“You’re not cutting my hair,” I said. “I like it long.”
“Yes, but your color needs refreshing and you’ve got split ends for days. Let me touch you up before your fun little man-hunting trip.”
“I’m not man-hunting,” I said.
“Whatever, and it’s no charge,” she said.
“Nope. I’m paying you if you’re gonna do my hair.”
“No, you’re not. That’s what you can give me as a ‘hurray, you saved up all that money!’ present.”
“Nope. I’m taking you out to dinner tonight.”
“Which means you’ll need awesome hair,” she said, grinning. “That you’re not paying for.”
“Fine. But I’m paying for dinner.”
“Then I expect a nice restaurant.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of nice barbecue,” I said.
“Now you’re talkin’ my language. Come on. Let’s get you in that chair and ready for tonight.”
CHAPTER 5
LIAM
I woke up alone in my bed and I sighed. It was better that way. No one to wake up in the middle of the night with my nightmares. No one to protect from my anger. No one poking and prodding about my days in the military and no one to feed or look after. I’d done enough of that shit in the Navy and I was leaving those days behind me.
I wasn’t a doctor, I wasn’t a defender, and I wasn’t a protector.
I was just a man, trying hard to forget about the bullshit.
I dragged myself out of bed and took a shower. I was ready for winter to set in. I was ready for the snow to cover my cabin. I was ready to make a fire, sit by it, and simply reflect. I enjoyed the quiet, the eerie silence that came with being so far out into the woods. Back here, there was no one screaming. Back here, there was no one firing off guns. Back here, there was no one crying until they fell into an endless slumber.
I opened up the fridge and started taking stock of things. The snow hadn’t fallen nearly as hard last night as I thought it would and I was suddenly glad for that. Out of all the things I’d forgotten, I didn’t grab milk at the store.
That meant I’d have to go back into town and get some.
It was a tip I’d learned from a local who was chatting my ear off. You could buy gallons of milk and freeze them for the winter. All you had to do was take about half a cup out of the gallon, screw the lid on tight and then store it away. I didn’t use a great deal of milk for things but I would need it if I wanted to bake and cook up some of the things I’d bought the other day. I sighed, knowing Moose would try to talk my ear off again, but I didn’t really have a choice.
I wrapped a scarf around my neck and pulled on a hat. The temperature was dropping, which meant I’d need to store my truck away. The last thing I needed was the snow and ice damaging this thing. Every time I got into it, my truck reminded me of a lighter time. A time where I could still smile without feeling guilty and take a breath without feeling like my lungs were trying to collapse in on themselves.