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“Don’t worry about it, Lars will call his brother for me. He owns the only gas station, tow truck, and auto shop in town.”
We walk back to our cabin and West stops abruptly by the Range Rover. I follow his gaze and see it, too. Our tires are slashed in the same exact way that hers were.
“What the fuck?”
* * *
After Violet makes her calls and Blake gets done talking to the rental company, I convince her to take me out to see the boundaries of the property. It’s the first day since we’ve been here that the sky is bright blue and cloudless. The temperatures have climbed into the low sixties so we’re both in t-shirts and jeans as we ride on a pair of four wheelers around the property.
She points out game trails, roads that the forest service uses, and mentions some hot springs that are a short drive or hike away. We stop in a pretty meadow, the mountains soar to our east, and the aspens that dot the area are already a bright yellow.
“This almost feels like Colorado.” I say as I take it all in.
“I think that’s why I feel so at home here. I come up here a lot in the off season. It’s especially pretty in the winter, too. Just taking a snowmobile up here and drinking a thermos of coffee in the midday dawn.”
“What’s that like? The long periods of darkness in the winter?”
“Not too bad. You get used to it. The view of the aurora from here is unmatched in the winter. I’ve been trying to convince Lars to build a glass cabin up here. We could make a killing off it.”
“He said that he’s basically been hands off for the past couple years and given you total control.”
“Yeah.” She tilts her head back, enjoying the sun. Her pale skin is already turning the slightest bit pink, bringing out the faint freckles on her nose. Strands of hair have fallen loose from our ride up here and they dance around her face in the gentle breeze. Marks from West’s teeth and lips mar the left side of her neck, a not so subtle claim.
“Gorgeous,” I say quietly as I drink her in, tucking one of the wayward tendrils behind her ear.
Her eyes open and she looks around the clearing. “It really is.”
She has no idea I wasn’t talking about the view. But as I scan the area, an idea takes hold in my mind. This meadow is big. Big enough for a house and a barn. I keep my thoughts close to my chest for now.
My thoughts are big and Cherry is always a flight risk.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
Ihave a few hours of daylight left when I get back with Cody and a huge pile of wood left to chop for the winter. Since I hate chopping wood in the cold, I know I need to take advantage of the day. The guys disappeared together, so I strip down to my sports bra and a pair of stretchy leggings.
Blue flies overhead as we walk to the sunny side yard I cleared out for wood chopping. Lars always uses a shady area, but I like feeling the sun on my skin while I’m out here. Storm and Ghost run off into the forest, playing and barking at each other.
I grab the first piece and drop it onto the old poplar tree trunk I use as a platform. I never thought this would be my life, spending hours chopping wood in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness and working at a bakery in a small fishing village.
Then again, I never really had a plan. I just left and kept moving until it felt right. Now I can’t imagine any other life. My stomach flips as my mind once again drifts down a dark path. I don’t know what to expect. Cody seems set on purchasing the property, but redirects the conversation anytime I ask questions.
There were a few times today that it felt like he was close to kissing me. The way he’d move my hair back and the hungry look in his hazel eyes as they would dip to my lips. It was beyond wild to me when they all admitted their feelings for me and said they wanted to be with me. I know that polyamory is a thing, more and more accepted actually, but I’ve never understood why.
West, I get. He and I have history, the type that ties you together forever, regardless of distance. And Blake was the closest thing to a boyfriend I ever had, but it was fake. And it hurt. But Cody was the untouchable one. Smart, funny, athletic, and so far out of my league I never even looked at him as someone I stood the slimmest chance with. Now he’s the one who makes me feel like I’m capable of finding joy again.
My muscles strain as I bring the ax down over and over, splitting wood in a steady and relentless rhythm. The effort it takes causes sweat to bead on my skin, rolling in rivulets down my body as I lose myself in the physical labor. Thoughts and feelings about the guys mix with daydreams I have no business indulging in.
I don’t stop until the sun disappears below the tree tops, casting long shadows. Blake had mentioned making dinner for all of us and I look down at myself, deciding I’m not trying to impress anyone, so why bother showering before I know for sure what they want to do. I can always run home and clean up.
As I walk toward their cabin, I hear voices down the path that leads to the pond, so I cut that way, figuring they decided to soak up this nice weather, too. The path opens up and I nearly trip at what I see.
Standing on the shore are Blake and Cody, engaging in a kiss that appears deeply passionate. Blake’s fingers are digging into Cody’s lower back, hard enough that the tips are white from the pressure. And Cody is fisting Blake’s jet black hair as golden rays of light shine down on them through the trees.
I’m frozen to the spot. Warring emotions swirl chaotically through me as I watch what is very much a private moment. I think back to earlier this afternoon and how Cody looked at me, and feel so foolish. Heat rushes through my body, lighting it with shame that radiates from my chest outward.
I take a step back and a twig snaps, pulling their attention from each other to me. They immediately let go of one another, putting space between themselves as I stutter an apology, turn and start running.
“Cherry, wait!” Cody yells after me.
