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“We’ve still got a ways to go. Let’s see if your hunch is correct.”
After consulting the map, we took off again, eager for the surprises the wilderness held for us. We edged around the wildflower field, up a steep hill, and back through the dense forest. It was darker beneath the canopy, and there was a chill in the air.
The terrain was even more rugged out here, so I buried my face in Remy’s shirt once again and held on tight. When he slowed, I craned my neck to see around his helmet. Before us was another clearing, this one decorated with moss-covered rocks, a scattering of tree stumps, and a small log cabin.
Remy cut the engine and jumped up. “Holy shit.”
I followed, then scrambled to open my backpack.
“This is it!” I held up the photos, which I had stashed in plastic bags for the trip, comparing the scene in front of me to the one in print I’d studied so thoroughly.
It was ramshackle at best. A tiny box with a big stone chimney and a small porch.
Several tree stumps were arranged around an overgrown stone fire pit that obviously hadn’t been used in a long time. But this was it.
Remy threw his arms around my waist and lifted me off my feet. “You are kind of amazing. I can’t believe you sleuthed your way into finding this place.”
He caught my mouth in a kiss, and I sank into him, grateful to be off that ungodly ATV.
And then we heard it.
A massive crack of thunder.
Above us, the formerly sunny sky was now blocked out by dark, thick clouds.
“Oh shit,” Remy said, grabbing our bags off the back of the ATV. “Let’s see if we can get inside.”
The door stuck but wasn’t locked. Remy pushed his way in just as the drops began to fall, and I scurried after him. He pulled a tarp out of his backpack and ran back out to cover the ATV, anchoring it with a few large stones we rolled from near the porch.
“This is nuts. How long do you think this has been here?” I asked, taking in every detail. The faded plaid curtains, the large fieldstone fireplace, and the dusty shelves filled with chipped blue plates.
Remy walked the perimeter of the room, admiring the ancient wood stove and pine slab table. “A long time. I can’t believe my dad never told us about this place.”
As I spun, taking in the rough-hewn walls, my eye caught something above the door. “Look up here,” I called to Remy, striding over to it. Above the door frame was a thick slab of wood with dozens of names and dates carved into it.
Remy shone his flashlight on it. “This was my grandfather.” He pointed to a carving that saidLouis Gagnon, 1957.
I turned on my phone, which had been completely useless since we’d left Lovewell, and snapped a few photos before turning it off to avoid draining the battery. “Your siblings will love to see this.”
He ran his hands through his hair, which was mussed from wearing the helmet. “They’re not gonna believe we found this place.”
“I wonder how it survived the fire.”
He pointed out the window at the skinny trees on the west side of the clearing. “See the difference in the tree growth over there? It doesn’t look like it traveled this far over. The pines on this side of the ridge are hundreds of years old. We’ve thought this was no-man’s-land for years.”
“And you’ve got a sea of wildflowers and a very old cabin.”
He stalked over and dipped his head to give me a delicious kiss. “And a wife who surprises me every single day.”
Spinning me to face the window again, he looped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. And there we stood, looking through the grimy window as rain poured down.
“We should check in,” Remy said, heading for the pack just inside the door.
I wandered around, scanning every inch of the space more closely as he radioed the team at camp to update them on where we were and get a weather update from Richard. The vibe of this place was strange. It looked as though it had been forgotten about. Remote. But not totally untouched.
“Looks like we may be stuck here for a bit. The weather isn’t supposed to clear until after midnight.”
“Shit.”
