“She and Pops started building a little cabin out here but he died before they could finish it.” Hunter didn’t add that he’d spent more nights than he could count in the small shell of a structure just so he wouldn’t have to go home. His parents had always believed his lie that he was hanging out with friends and fortunately they’d never thought to check up on him – probably because it had been the only time in his life he’d ever been brave enough to lie to his father’s face.
“This is it,” Hunter murmured once Roman’s car cleared the small hill. He glanced at Roman to see his reaction to the breathtaking view but other than a slight narrowing of the eyes, Roman didn’t react at all. Hunter turned his attention back to the wide swath of rolling land in front of him and drew in a deep breath. Unlike much of the dry, dusty, perpetually brown grassy areas that surrounded Dare, Gran and Pops’ meadow was a lush green ocean of grass and was dotted with a rainbow of wildflowers as far as the eye could see. The breeze blowing through the valley made the long grass look like it was dancing and Hunter could almost feel the cool, slightly rough texture of the blades stroking his fingers.
Within minutes, the paved road turned into a dirt one and Roman slowed the car considerably. Hunter lowered his window and drew in the scent of cool air and damp earth and then folded his arms on the window frame and dropped his head down and closed his eyes. He could still remember the first time his grandfather had shown him this place. The memory was almost as clear as the last time he’d been here with Pops.
Hunter didn’t notice that the car had stopped at first and when he finally did, he turned and saw that Roman was studying him intently.
“What?” Hunter asked curiously.
Roman just shook his head.
“The lake’s still about a mile up,” Hunter murmured as he felt that familiar, aching feeling deep in his gut that he was quickly coming to expect around this man.
“When was the last time you were here?” Roman asked softly.
“It’s been a while.”
“How long?”
“Eighteen months. The day of my graduation.”
The day everything had changed…the day he’d changed everything by uttering one lie to protect another.
“This place means a lot to you,” Roman said softly.
Hunter couldn’t help but smile. “You remember that feeling you always got on the last day of school…that excitement knowing that there was just that last single bell standing between you and a whole summer of freedom?” Hunter looked back out the window. “Coming here was like that. Every time.”
“But not this time,” Roman observed.
Hunter let out a little laugh. Did nothing get past the man? “I guess there are some things not even this place can fix,” he whispered. Swallowing hard, Hunter forced himself to say, “We should get going. My dad will be expecting us and there’s still a lot left to see.”
Roman must’ve decided to take pity on him because the car started moving again. “What do you plan on doing with the land?” Hunter asked.
“Building a resort.”
A sick feeling went through Hunter as he realized what that meant. “So you’d put up a hotel or something?”
“More likely a combination of individual residences and a lodge of some kind.”
“Individual residences? Like cabins?”
Roman actually chuckled. “No, actual houses.”
“A lot of the property is too rugged for houses,” Hunter murmured.
“They’d be constructed down here in the valley. The lake would be the central focus but we’d offer a wide range of amenities and activities.”
Disappointment tore through Hunter. “What kind?”
“Cross country and downhill skiing and snowmobile trails in the winter, off-roading, hiking, horseback riding and water sports in the summer.”
Everything he loved about this place would be gone – buried underground by a back hoe or driven away by the hustle and bustle of tourists who didn’t give a shit about what this land had meant to him.
“You can’t-” Hunter heard himself saying but he managed to cut the words off mid-sentence.
“Can’t what?” Roman asked as he pulled the car to a stop near the trail head that led to the lake.
“Nothing,” Hunter whispered. He felt fingers brushing against his arm but he managed to escape the touch by climbing out of the car. Because he knew that if Roman touched him even once, Hunter would end up begging him not to take this last reminder of who he’d once been away too.
***
Roman watched Hunter stride up the small incline towards the trail that disappeared into a line of huge trees. God, he felt like he’d just told the kid he was going to skin his puppy or something. He had no doubt Hunter was horrified by the prospect of what would happen to his grandparents’ land in order to turn it into a world class luxury hideaway. To his own surprise, Roman had actually felt a niggle of doubt when they’d crested the small rise and the lush valley in all its glory had come into view. With the mountains as a backdrop, the sight was truly breathtaking and if Roman hadn’t been preoccupied with Hunter, he would have stopped the car just to take in the view himself. But he’d still been reeling from Hunter’s simple admission about their kiss. And then he’d seen the brief moment of pure bliss on Hunter’s face when he’d seen the valley and it had nearly stolen Roman’s breath.