I glanced at her. “My family’s cabin in the Blue Ridge mountains.”
The broad smile that graced her lips was one I would never forget.
Once we took the ferry into Charleston, we stopped for gas and some snacks for the ride before hitting the road. I told her stories about the cabin from when I was younger, about the weekends and summers we’d spend up there—she remembered Wes coming along with us quite a few times growing up.
Maverick sat happily in the backseat, poking his head up front now and then, hoping Haley would slip him a pretzel from her bag.
“I don’t know what the state of the cabin is, though,” I said, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel.
Haley arched her brow with a chuckle. “Thestateof it?”
“I mean, it has a roof and doors,” I quipped. “No, my dadsaid he was doing some renovations and hadn’t gotten around to ‘putting the place back together yet’. So, I have no idea how messy it’s going to be when we get there.”
“Oh.” She waved her hand dismissively, like she couldn’t care less about some mess.
“I offered to do some work for him while I was up there, but he told me I didn’t have to.”
“You?” She chuckled. “Doingrenovations?”
“Yeah,” I scoffed, feigning offense. “I’m actually very good with my hands.”
Haley tucked her lips between her teeth, trying and failing to hide her smile. “Mhmm,” she nodded with a hum.
I couldn’t help but laugh at what she meant. “Subtle, baby girl. Real subtle.”
Chapter 28
While the drivewas four hours, it felt like no time passed at all when we finally hit the town where Blake’s family’s cabin was located.
We stopped at a grocery store. I stayed in the car with Maverick while Blake ran in, stocking up on food and drinks for the weekend. He’d brought some stuff from his house but said he needed to grab a few other things.
The topic, unsurprisingly, hadn’t been brought up during the car ride, but as I waited for him, I couldn’t help but wonder if this impromptu weekend getaway had anything to do with his nightmare last week. He hadn’t mentioned it at all.
That night, I spent an hour awake with him after he’d woken up. I fell back asleep eventually, unsure how long it took him to do the same—if he did at all. The next morning, he acted as if it hadn’t happened. I wanted to ask, but at the same time, I was worried about upsetting him by bringing it up. He didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it. But something in my gut told me this trip was brought on by it.
Once Blake returned to the car, he loaded the groceries into the back, and we drove another fifteen minutes before we turned onto a winding road leading up into the mountain. We passed by several secluded cabins along the mountain’s edge, and I could feel my anticipation growing the further up we went.
We finally turned into the driveway of a one-story cabin situated near the top of the mountain. From the outside, it was quaint and perfect.
“Stop, it’s so cute!” I said excitedly as we got out of the car.
I let Maverick out of the back, and he started running around as Blake and I walked to the front door. He slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open a moment later, and we stepped inside just after Maverick zipped between us.
To the right was the kitchen and a small dining area. To the left was the living room, complete with a rock fireplace and a television that hung above it. And down a small hallway, straight ahead was where I assumed the bedrooms and bathroom were.
Blake walked to the living room and removed the white sheets covering the sofa and the chairs. As he looked around, I noticed a smile spread across his face, so wide his dimples popped. Nostalgia and comfort radiated from him. He’d told me he hadn’t been up here in years, not having been home long enough between school, residency, and the military to enjoy it.
Now, seeing his expression, I could tell this place was a solace for him. He already looked more relaxed.
“Here,” he said, “I want to show you the best part.”
He walked to a sliding door off the kitchen, unlocked it, and pulled it open. Maverick ran out first, sniffing around the large deck, and then I stepped out to see the view.
It was late February, so the trees were still bare and on theverge of change, but that didn’t detract from the beauty of the view, especially the mountains in the distance.
“This is amazing,” I said as I stepped up to the railing.
I felt him slip behind me, his chest brushing my back. “Thank you…for coming up here with me.”
