Page 51 of Two Times the Mountain Men
Giving Tyler my keys I hopped into the passenger’s side of Brock’s truck and we made our way back to the place I’d called home for the past two weeks.
“You know what’s funny?” I asked, smiling at Brock.
“What’s that?”
“Last time we were driving from my rental cabin it was with me being a prisoner, now it’s by choice.”
A roar of laughter erupted from him. “You were never a prisoner. You just didn’t know what was good for you, so we had to take things into our own hands.”
“Are you saying you know better than I what’s good for me?”
“I’d never presume to know that.”
~*~ TT ~*~
Tyler
So here we were, at the airport seeing Genevieve off. I’d lost count of the amount of times that Brock and I started to bring up the idea of her staying with us and didn’t. The timing wasn’t right or she’d say something that would make us back off. The plan was to tell her how we felt before she left, but time was seriously running out. Once she went through those gates she’d be gone—perhaps forever.
“Well, looks like this is it,” Genevieve said, rocking back on her heels as she looked from me to Brock. There was something in her eyes, like she was waiting for something. Though I think we were all waiting for one of us to say what needed to be said before it was too late.
Just who?
Looking over at Brock, I gave him a nod. It was shit or get off the pot time. “Genevieve,” I took her delicate hands in mine. “I think there is something that has to be said before you get on that plane.”
“Yes. We both have something to say to you.”
“All right.” Her smile was timid, but I noticed something that I would describe as a glimmer of hope in her pretty blue eyes. “What is it?”
Flight 2749 to New York will be boarding soon, all passengers please make your way to the gate. A voice cut in, coming from the above speakers.
Fuck! Gotta make this fast!
“Look, we don’t want you to go,” Brock blurted out.
She looked to Brock. “You want me to move here?”
“Yes. Yes, that’s what we want Genevieve.” I gave her hands a squeeze. “Stay with us. We can make this work.”
“I—Wow…” Her mouth dropped open, momentarily speechless.
“Just think about it.”
Last call for flight 2749. Flight is now boarding.
“I don’t...” she looked nervously over her shoulder. “I have to get on that plane.” Despite her words her eyes told me something different. She didn’t want to go.
Hope surged through me. “Then stay.”
“Yes, love. Stay,” Brock chimed in. “You said yourself you work better when you’re with us. Work here. Stay…”
Tears began to rim her eyes. “Guys, I can’t. I – They’re waiting for me in New York. I’m sorry.” Snatching her hands from mine she spun and dashed for the gate, leaving us to watch her run from our lives.
“Dammit,” Brock snarled. “We should have talked to her last night. Fuck.”
“Yeah, but she knows we want her to stay, dude. If this was meant to be then she’ll be in touch. She’ll come back.”
“Do you think so?”
“I hope.”
She took one last look over her shoulder at us before turning a corner and disappearing from our view.
“She looked at us one last time,” I said. “She loves us. That’s what it means, doesn’t it?”
Brock huffed. “You’ve watched too many romantic comedies. Life doesn’t play out like that. She’s a New Yorker. It may have been fun being with us for a while, but there’s a big difference between living in the mountains for a little getaway and living here permanently. She may feel differently about here and us when she gets back to the big city.
“We’ll see. All we can do is hope.”
