CHAPTER THREE
Simon
The following weekendsaw Patrick and Simon speeding along the highway. God, it was good to get out of town, away from the house and away from all their troubles. It was impossible to worry when gorgeous scenery was on display outside the windows and the sun was shining high in the sky. Simon glanced at Patrick. He looked relaxed as he leaned back in the seat with his foot up on the dash. There was no sign of the stress that had been plaguing him over the past week, and a sense of relief flooded through Simon. Getting away for the weekend outside of town was an inspired idea.Thanks, Josh.
It only took an hour and a half to reach their destination—a small house nestled halfway up a mountain. Simon pulled the car to the side of the drive, stepped from the Honda, and wandered across the grass. He looked around and took a large breath of the pine-scented air.
The driveway of compacted gravel curved gently around the front of the property. Tangled masses of garden beds lined the edges. Nothing formal or cultivated, more a riot of shrubs and wildflowers. Small peeks of yellow and pink dotted among the soft gray-green of the leaves reminded Simon of the garden at his family home. His gram and mom hadn't been much into gardening so the flowerbeds had been overlooked, but somehow delicate flowers had found a way to thrive in a wild and tangled mess of color.
The car door slammed, drawing Simon's attention back to Patrick. Patrick had gotten out of the car and was stretching the kinks out of his back. They'd dressed comfortably for the drive—no need to dress up when they were coming to the middle of nowhere—and the sweats clung to his lean body. A surge of lust flashed through Simon as Patrick leaned backward, the fabric of the pants pulling tight across his groin, highlighting the bulge beneath the clothing. Simon couldn't even look at his friend without getting half-hard. Definitely an indication he needed to talk to Patrick about his feelings. This couldn't go on much longer; Patrick was sure to notice something.
“Nice place,” Patrick said as he strode over to Simon.
“Yeah,” Simon agreed. “The scenery is great, and do you hear that?”
Patrick tilted his head and listened for a moment. He drew his eyebrows together. “No. What?”
“That’s the sound of peace and quiet. Great, isn’t it?” Simon laughed.
“Idiot.” But Patrick laughed, too, the welcome sound filling the quiet.
They turned and faced the house. It was a low timber cabin, surrounded by trees. It looked small and nothing special. No grand building, just quaint and rustic.
“Let’s get inside and check it out,” Patrick said.
They stopped by the car and retrieved their duffels from the trunk. They also had a cooler and a couple of bags of supplies with enough food to see them through the weekend. The key was hidden where the landlord had advised, and in no time they were inside their temporary home.
“Wow,” Patrick said as he stepped into the living room, his smile wide.
“I did good then?” Simon joked.
“Oh, yeah,” Patrick said, his gaze never leaving the window. “You did awesome.”
Simon placed a bag at the doorway and continued across the room to the kitchen. His footsteps on the wooden floorboards were muffled by the vintage rag rugs on the floor. The cabin was open-plan, one large area with a couch and comfy armchairs arranged in front of a stone fireplace, and a rustic-style kitchen overlooking a small dining table. But it was the windows, or rather what was beyond them, that held Patrick captivated, and Simon could understand why.
The rear wall of the cabin was floor-to-ceiling windows, the great expanse of glass overlooking a verdant view of the great outdoors. A short area of rough grass blended quickly into a forest of green, with giant evergreen trees reaching up into the bright blue sky. Across to the left, the mountain range crossed the horizon. They might have been less than two hours from Halls Ridge but it felt a million miles from home.
Simon followed Patrick to the sliding door, which Patrick unlocked. They stepped out onto the timber deck and Patrick walked to the railing. A bird soared overhead and the only sound was its call, combined with the sound of the wind rustling the branches of the nearby trees.
“It’s amazing,” Patrick said, turning to Simon with a look of delight on his face. The dimple Simon hadn’t seen a lot of this past week flashed, giving Simon a glimpse of the carefree Patrick he’d missed so much recently. “How’d you come across this place?”
“You want me to give away all my secrets?” Simon teased. Patrick raised his eyebrows. “Okay. Okay. Josh told me about it. I think his dad used to bring him and Andrew up here when they were kids. Josh hasn’t been here since he was a teenager, but I think it held good memories.”
Patrick spread his arms, indicating the glorious surroundings. “How could it not? Fresh air. Hiking. Peace and quiet.” He gestured back toward the house. “And that fireplace. Awesome.”
Simon wandered over and leaned his forearms on the railing next to where Patrick stood. “There’s a lake, too. About a fifteen-minute walk. And the owner said there’s fishing gear in the shed and we’re welcome to help ourselves.”
Patrick’s grin grew even wider if that were possible. “It’s been ages since I’ve been fishing. I’m talking years. I’m so glad you suggested we get away for the weekend. Fishing, hiking, beers. I can’t think of anything better.”
“How about a Jacuzzi?”
Patrick’s eyes grew wide. “You’re kidding!”
“Nuh-uh. The deck wraps around the corner of the building, and if the old guy was right—and given he owns the house, he should be—there’s a Jacuzzi and a barbecue.” Simon chuckled at Patrick’s excitement. He bounced on the balls of his feet, obviously itching to get exploring.
“Oh, man. I could stay here for a month. There’s no way a weekend will be long enough.”
Simon thought the same thing. He could stay here forever. Just he and Patrick, tucked away from the rest of the world.
