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This girl is in way deeper than she could ever imagine.
But I can’t tell her that. I don’t want to give her a heart attack. If I’m lucky, I might never have to break it to her at all.
So, I go back to something easy.
‘Your sister and I got on well for the month she stayed with me. She was mostly out of the cabin during the days, anyway, looking at her plants, and I was up in my tower, but we shared dinner and conversations in the cabin in the evenings, and she was good company. When she left, she told me that if I ever needed a place to stay over in the city, I was always welcome.’
‘No offense,’ says Addison, leaning forward, ‘but I don’t think you’remy sister’stype, either. You knew she wasn’t inviting you for some kind of romantic liaison, right?’
‘Course I did,’ I respond bluntly. ‘There was no chemistry between us. It was strictly biology — plant biology.’ I allow myself a smirk.
Addison chooses to ignore my pathetic joke. ‘So you stayed with her in Denver?’
‘Just for a couple nights. I had some business to attend to.’ Nowthatbusiness is something I won’t be talking about to Addison. Not now. Not ever. ‘And while I was there, I met your father.’
‘You met Pops?’ Addison’s eyes widen.
It’s obvious how much she cared for her old man. That’s endearing to see. And so different to my own reaction when I hear about my old man. When I hearhisname, I want to punch holes through brick walls.
‘Yeah. He came over to Violet’s one evening for dinner, and we got talking. I mentioned that I used to be in the military, and he took an interest in me, you know? Asked how I was acclimating to life back on peaceful soil.’
‘Dad did a lot of work with war vets. His father, my grandfather, was a veteran, and that’s part of the reason my dad went into psychiatry. To try and help people once they returned from war.’ Addison’s cheeks redden. Maybe she feels like she’s said too much. Like she’s offended me by implying I need a doctor.
Fuck if I care. Ididneed a doctor. And that doctor was her father. ‘I told your old man I’d just built my own place in the woods. I think he liked that about me.’
‘Yeah,’ Addison smiles dreamily. ‘He loved going on trips to the woods when we were young. And he always admired a man who could build his own home. Said manual labor was good, honest work.’
‘Yeah. Well, it turned out he was looking for someone to remodel his apartment. Asked if I wanted to give it a go.’
‘Oh my gosh, that wasyou? Hedidhave his whole place remodeled after he became ill. When he needed the wheelchair. Did you put in that kitchen? And the bathroom? The place looked amazing.’
I feel like a Cheshire cat, because my face damn near aches from smiling so much. ‘Yup. That was yours truly. Used to work on the cabinets and building out here, then drive the furniture into the city in my truck every couple weeks or so.’
‘Gosh, I’m surprised he never mentioned you.’
I’mnot surprised. Gerald, her father, was kinda acting as my unofficial head doctor, in return for the remodeling. He paid me too, of course, but I spent a whole lotta hours in that man’s apartment, banging in nails and getting everything just right. He used to sit there in his chair, talking to me, engaging me in conversation, while I worked. Helped me get a lot of stuff in my head straight, truth be told. I owe that man everything.
He probably didn’t talk to anyone else about me because of some unofficial doctor-patient confidentiality rules.
Of course, my head’s still far from perfect. There’s no shame in that. Most guys come back at least a bit messed up. It’s only natural. Seeing the things I’ve seen. That stuff stays with you.
It’s part of the reason I’ve chosen to live out here. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Back in Denver, other people see civilization, progress, opportunity. I see bright colors, loud noises, explosions. That’s part of the reason I was so messed up at the party. I’m still no good at being in the city. Takes all the energy I’ve got just to keep it together. At least Violet’s place has a balcony, so I could stand in the fresh air and look out at the mountains. No doubt Miss Judgy over here considered my behavior rude, though.
Addison looks down at her hands, fiddling with them uncomfortably in her lap, then out at the forest. ‘So… why am I here, then? I get that you and my sister knew each other, but why send me out here to stay with you?’
I scratch my stubble thoughtfully. How am I going to approach this? I don’t want to deceive her. But I can’t tell her the truth.
‘It’s beautiful out here,’ I say. ‘Your sister thought you could use a change of scenery.’
‘My sister thinks the solution to every problem is surrounding yourself with nature.’ Addison pierces me with her green eyes, a look so sharp it could pin me to the wall of the cabin. ‘What about you?’ she asks. ‘What do you get out of this?’
The question catches me off-guard.
The truthful answer is thatit's about time I saved a life rather than ended one. And when her father asked me to do this for him, before he died, I couldn’t refuse.
The fact that he’s provided a little money for me to get the job done is just a bonus. And that’s the god honest truth. I’d have done it for nothing.
Before I can answer, Addison gets to her feet and slaps her bare forearm. ‘Ow. There reallyaremosquitoes out here. That one had fangs.’
