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Maddy had insisted on driving, too, leaving Clint no way to escape the trip to their destination. There was a butterfly that was nestling on a nearby flower and a high-pitched sandpiper sounding the alarm as it zoomed down a dusty section of the path. He knows me too well.
If it had been Clint’s choice, he would have turned for the city as soon as the lane had come into view. Of course, he loved the new home in the middle of the woods, but it still wasn’t the same as the thrum of the city and the lights that could guide him, no matter what the time of night.
It wasn’t that far from the club—maybe fifteen minutes tops. But it was off the beaten path, for sure.
“I’ve heard so much about this place,” said Maddy, shielding his eyes before looking at the cabin. “It has five stars on all its ratings, and a few members have been out here, too. Apparently, the owner is a great guy, but I doubt you’ll see him much.”
Clint was doing his best not to look toward his future stay, his gaze firmly affixed on the suitcase that was now coated with dust. He hadn’t even owned the bags before the move.
“Uh-huh.” Clint crossed his arms and leaned against Maddy’s car. Derreck must’ve buffed the exterior, because it was slippery to the touch and shiny except for the few bugs they’d hit along the way.
He’d never thought he’d be caught dead in a bed and breakfast, especially not a privately owned cabin that was somehow up for rent on a few popular websites. The concept was ridiculous.
The main house they’d passed hadn’t looked half bad—for a hundred-year-old farmhouse—and the fenced paddock he caught sight of had almost caught his interest. The cabin, though? Um, does it even have heat?
He took a quick glance and wasn’t impressed.
It wasn’t that cold yet, but the nights were starting to get chilly. He hadn’t thought to pack any extra blankets or mouse traps, for that matter.
“Do you like it?” asked Maddy, a smile touching his lips as he looked around. “I can’t believe it’s so quiet. I can hardly even hear the road.”
“What road?” Clint chuckled at Maddy’s glare. “That path was not a road, kid. But, yeah, I like it.” Even after everything Clint had said, Maddy had still tried his best to find something when Clint had agreed to a vacation. The kid was gold, and he wasn’t going to hurt him again. That’s a promise.
Biting his lip, he looked back to the cabin. The exterior was made of wood logs that were slightly pleasing to the eye with a burnished stain that was nearly red. The deep green door with white trim seemed to suit, as well, and a few windows were spotted along the small exterior.
It was the inside he was worried about. “Don’t places like this usually have mice?”
He’d had rat problems a few times in the old club, which seemed to come with the territory. The last one had taken him three sleepless nights to catch, and the thing had almost been as big as a house cat. He hadn’t meant to kill it, either, but when it had run right by him while he’d been carrying the baseball bat while on the prowl, he’d struck out automatically.
“I think so?” said Maddy, scrunching up his nose. “If you have any problems, just contact the owner. I printed everything off for you.” Maddy rushed over to the car, grabbing a piece of paper from the front seat before folding it and zipping it into Clint’s bag.
“And what am I supposed to do out here?” Listen to crickets, that was for sure. There must’ve been a thousand of the things. The new Unkinked had its fair share, but not nearly so bad. There was always music there, though, and people. Even when the club was closed, the regulars were sometimes in the few rooms meant for overnight stays. He was never alone.
Maddy scratched the back of his head, squinting at the sun. “Relax, put your feet up, read a book. Those kinds of things.”
He snorted, shaking his head. “Kid, I haven’t read a book in twenty years. I live in a kink palace. No book could be better than that.”
“Then the other stuff.” Maddy pulled at the collar of his T-shirt before hiking the bag up again and heading to the door of the cabin. “I honestly didn’t check to see if there was a television.”
Wait…no kink and no television? Clint glanced at the car. The keys were still in the ignition.
“And how long do I have to stay in this place?” Clint rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away from the car. “I’m not trying to sound like an ass. I appreciate you planning this trip and all, but the whole cabin in the woods thing is pretty boring when you aren’t starring in a horror movie.”
“You’ll be fine,” said Maddy, pointing to the keypad at the door. “The code is 3-4-5-6 to get inside. The door locks automatically, so make sure you remember the code.” He typed the code on the small keypad, twisting the door handle as soon as there was a click. “Wow, this is really nice.”
Kill me now. Clint looked back at the car. If he made a run for it, he could probably make it before Maddy. But then Derreck would kill him for real for leaving Maddy here and for possibly breaking the car during his rush out of the lane.
Letting out a sigh of resignation, he stepped inside, squinting in the lower light.
“Wow,” said Clint, letting his heavy bag slide to the floor as he blinked and looked around.
“I know,” said Maddy, making a slow turn before grinning. “And it’s all yours. You are going to have so much fun!”
It didn’t look like fun, exactly, but modern appliances and one hell of a stylish interior certainly helped. The floors were spotless hardwood, and the kitchen countertops looked like granite, from what he could tell. The couch was a plush, leather-looking thing that appeared to recline, but it was only a two-seater.
That’s going to be a trick to sleep on.
“It’s nice,” said Clint, slipping off his shoes and taking another step inside. He spied something along the far wall. “Oh, and thank God there is a television.” It wasn’t huge, but it was there, nestled between two bookshelves that were surprisingly full.
