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“Did you tell them to stop?”
Hunter shook his head. “I figured the pain would eventually go away. And it did. I didn’t feel anything anymore…didn’t hear anything, didn’t see anything.”
Tears continued to dampen Hunter’s skin but Roman was at a loss as to what to do or say so he just reached his hand out and closed it over one of Hunter’s where it was resting on his trembling thigh. Hunter shifted his hand but it wasn’t to release Roman’s – it was to link their fingers together. The move had something loosening and breaking free deep inside of Roman’s chest.
“It was a mistake – I knew it as soon as the first guy...but I kept hoping maybe it worked,” Hunter admitted as he began wiping at his face with the sleeve of his free arm. His voice kept cracking as he spoke and it was hard for Roman to understand his next words but when he did, he felt his heart clench.
“And then you kissed me.”
* * *
Hunter missed the warmth of Roman’s fingers even though he knew he shouldn’t. Roman hadn’t said a word after Hunter’s admission – he’d just pulled his hand free of Hunter’s so he could put the car in gear. Forcing his eyes from where Roman’s thick, strong fingers were wrapped around the steering wheel, Hunter clenched his hands together in his lap.
“Take the next right,” he murmured.
“Your dad said you’re familiar with the property,” Roman finally said after he’d taken the turn.
“I practically grew up on it,” he answered and a warmth spread through him as the memories started to slowly come back one by one. “It belonged to my grandparents.”
Roman seemed surprised by that. “Do they still own it?”
“Gran does. Pops died a few years back.”
“You know why your grandmother is selling it?”
“I didn’t know she was,” Hunter admitted. He’d only found out the news himself this morning and while he’d been stunned to hear that his grandmother was letting go of the land where she and his grandfather had planned to someday live out their golden years, he’d known better than to question his father about it.
“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 dayhe’dchanged 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.”
