A truck pulled into the parking lot and Noah climbed out. “Well, if it isn’t Colt Reed.”
Colt crossed the distance between them and pulled his old friend into a hug. “It’s been too long, brother.”
“You’re not wrong.” Noah stepped back. “How have you been?”
“Better now that I’m home.”
Noah nodded slowly. He knew exactly how hard this year had been for Colt without Indie. “Good. Hopefully it keeps getting better.” He looked at the cabin. “We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“Nothing we can’t handle.”
Noah chuckled, his gaze going to the truck beside Colt’s Audi. “Randy’s already here?”
“His truck is. Haven’t seen him. I just got here.”
A rustling noise sounded in the trees a second before an older man stepped out, his hair whitening and his gut hanging over his trousers. “Colt, Noah, you made it.”
Colt stepped forward and shook his hand. “It’s good to see you, Randy.”
“You too.”
Noah did the same. “What do you think?”
Randy blew out a long breath. “Trails are completely overgrown. Cabins look like knockdowns. The zip line course needs a complete rebuild.”
“Can you do it?” Colt asked.
One side of Randy’s mouth lifted. “Son, my team can do anything. Just depends how much time and money you got.”
“We’re in no rush,” Noah said. “And we’ll put in some labor, too.”
“That will help.” Randy frowned at him. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but this land would have been expensive. Add in the renovations…”
He was asking how they were paying for it, without asking how they were paying for it.
“We got it cheap,” Colt said. “And we can afford it.”
He’d barely touched the money in his trust fund. He’d never had reason to touch it…until now.
Randy nodded, looking like he had more questions. Instead, he turned to study the old office. “Come on. I’ll walk you through it all. We’ll start at this pile of firewood.”
Over the next few hours, they assessed the old adventure park, and Randy was right—the paths were so overgrown, the three of them could barely move from one area to the next. There was graffiti all over the granite cliffs that were used for rock climbing and bouldering. The equipment sheds were falling apart.
It was going to take a lot of work. But it would be worth it. Because he wanted this. He wanted to see a new round of kids speeding down the zip lines and riding their mountain bikes down the trails.
The sun was just starting to set as they approached the cabins. Four in total, built around a communal firepit. As Noah and Randy talked, Colt stepped onto one of the old porches. The wood creaked beneath his feet.
He tried the door, and it opened. Then he frowned. It looked cleaner than it should. There was a living area to the left, with a small kitchen to the right and doors at the back of the cabin, which led to a bathroom and bedroom.
He stepped into the kitchen and ran his finger along the countertop.
No dust.
Someone had been in here recently.
A creak sounded behind the closed bedroom door. Colt quickly crossed the space and pulled it open to see a bed with an old mattress…but that wasn’t what had him pausing.
It was the open window.
