It wasn’t a sure thing that Lenny had not taken a wrong turn because the white van was now going down a set of switchbacks that had what must have been at least a six percent grade.
In spite of this, Bede was distracted by the thickness of the green pine trees and the way the temperature dropped as they went down into the valley. He could see the there was a blue lake, and an enormous, gray ridge to the west that flickered in and out of sight.
Bede wanted to ask Lenny to roll down the window so he could smell the fresh air, but then that would mean Lenny's hands would not be on the wheel, and they very much needed to be, just then.
Steadily, the van trundled down the switchbacks before pulling into an opening in the trees and stopping at a round, gravel parking lot.
Two silver trucks were parked along one side of the gravel. Beyond that, between the thick forest of trees, Bede glimpsed what looked like a long sage-green tent, and a few small white-painted buildings. Beyond that were even more trees and maybe even a few more tents.
It looked pretty sparsely built up for a place that would, come the following summer, be charging four hundred dollars a night. Who would want to pay that much to sleep in a tent was beyond Bede, though Kell had assured him that the food was amazing, the showers swank as hell, the beds soft as clouds.
All of this was beautiful in theory, but it was just another landscape for him to traverse. Besides, the work he was going to be required to do would be, he was quite sure, backbreaking and never-ending under a blazing Wyoming sun.
Never mind. He could always leave. In fact, he planned on leaving just as soon as he could get himself situated and figure out where he wanted to head next. Except—did he want to go back to Denver to pick up his old life? Or maybe he would head out to the coast and the ocean. Or to Vegas and the never-ending party there?
Lenny parked the van, jumped out, and pulled open the sliding door. All of them, Bede, Toby, and Owen, blinked at the sun amidst the trees.
Bede shivered as he got out, not yet used to seeing the blue, tree-shaded sky that wasn’t framed by a scrim of razor-edged barbed wire. After five years behind bars, he didn’t know how long it would take him to accept freedom as a reality.
He didn’t have two seconds to take a breath before a slender body barreled into him, wiry arms wrapping around him without even so much as a how-do-you-do.
Laughter rang in his ears, accompanied by a hug of such intensity that he was on the verge of shoving back, of using his brawn to fell his assailant to the ground.
But it was Kell who hugged him, dark hair spilling across his face, those old-soul eyes full of laughter. Up close. Holding onto Bede like there was no tomorrow. As though Bede was the one person in the world that Kell had most wanted to see. Had waited for. Would have waited for a good long time.
Bede didn’t deserve such a warm welcome. When he’d befriended Kell in prison, it had been more for himself than for Kell’s benefit. Anything Kell had gotten out of it had been a bonus.
As Kell pulled back, Bede could see that Kell was rested, well-fed, well-cared for. Sleek. He’d gained weight, all of it good muscle. Those green eyes of his were bright as emeralds.
For all the doubts Bede had about the Fresh Start Program, it certainly had done well by Kell.
“You’re here,” said Kell, breathing the words out like a song of joy.
He took his arms from around Bede’s neck, though his hand trailed on Bede’s t-shirt, fingers tightening for a quick second before letting go.
“Sorry,” Kell said to the gathering at large. “I know you got protocols and stuff. I just couldn’t resist.” But before Lenny could pick up his clipboard and have someone sign for them, Kell pointed. “That’s Marston. Marston, this is Bede. I told you about Bede, how he protected me. Remember?”
Marston, the man of whom Bede had heard so much from Kell, was a blond-haired, steely-eyed, hard-jawed giant standing guard.
Marston did not come forward to shake Bede’s hand, but only scowled. Like he knew all about Bede and didn’t care for the kind of man Bede was.
Well, Bede didn’t blame him. In spite of Kell’s glowing comments about Marston, Bede had his doubts, and was now pretty sure, by the size of him, that Marston had taken advantage of Kell.
Kell reached out, like he wanted Marston and Bede to shake hands and bond right then and there. Kell even went as far as to go up to Marston and tug on the sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt, like he’d tugged on Bede’s shirt.
In that moment, as Marston looked down at Kell, his face softened, just like butter in a hot pan. His eyes were half-lidded, a tender glint there, and his mouth curled into a smile along one corner.
Bede’s people-reading skills kicked in. Soppy in love, that’s what Marston was.
None of this completely changed Bede’s mind about Marston, but it was easy to see that Marston would kill or die trying to protect Kell. Move heaven and earth. Whatever was called for. With Marston looking out for him, along with his own sensible self, Kell would be fine.
The only thing standing in the way of Kell’s continued safety and happiness was, of course, Bede himself, at least according to Marston’s glare, sent Bede’s way. Which meant that one thing Bede needed to do was convince Marston that he was harmless.
Whether or not he could manage that Herculean feat was another question, but he had the rest of the summer to do it. It was either that or he could challenge Marston, and the two of them could get into a beat-down with the watching crowd declaring the winner. Which would be Bede, of course. All of which would upset Kell.
Bede sighed and shrugged his shoulders. A sure sign in the prison yard that while a fight was not out of the question, he personally was backing off. For now.
Maybe Marston knew prison-speak, or maybe he’d been affected by Kell’s bubble of joy as he’d greeted Bede, but he seemed to back off, as well.
