Page 15 of Their Secret Hideaway

“What?”

“I mean this in the most polite way possible, but you’re a bit of a weird one,” Savvy says. “Most girls don’t make their own clothes and jewelry and think that the perfect date for them is a long walk in the deep, dark woods.”

I cross my arms. “And I say most girls don’t know what they are missing.”

She chuckles. “Maybe they don’t, but someone posh like Fox might see you as a bit too common for his tastes.”

“That’s silly,” Char interrupts. “He grew up with Bear and the boys. They probably don’t even know the definition of the word posh.”

“Yeah, but his family came into money. And people who have sudden status changes like that are the ones most worried about it. He could think that unless the girl is a model or actress or something, she’s not good enough to actually marry and prove himself to his new financial class. To fool around and have fun with? Sure. But you keep them at arm's reach, and no closer. Well, uh, metaphorically. Tabitha has been clear she has been incredibly close to him in the most literal of fashions.”

I glare at her. “Fox isn’t like that. I know him. It’s not like that at all.”

Savvy shrugs. “It’s just a theory I thought up. I don’t know him as well as you do, Tabitha. And I agree he’s acting weird. But at the end of the day? You gotta figure this out on your own. You gotta confront him.”

That’s always what it was going to come down to, wasn’t it? As much as I held out for an easy answer, some universally clear understanding explained by my girlfriends, it’s gotta be something settled by Fox and I.

Damn me for ever wanting anything to be easy, I guess.

EIGHT

fox

“This is our weirdest hike yet,” she declares as we walk along. “Right along a dirt road.”

“What’s wrong with a dirt road?” I say as we stroll along.

“Nothing. It’s just weird to call it a hike to walk down one.”

“I like the aesthetic of the dirt road, really. Means it matters to someone, but it’s mainly for them. Not for the entire world.”

She laughs. “Waxing poetic about a road now, huh?”

“This road means a lot to me. I assure you.”

More giggles, but we kept going.

“I guess it's the quickest way to get us to this super special spot you’re talking about. No point in making the trip rough for no reason.”

I’d been planning on this trip for a while. Everything had to come together to make it happen, and I had to make a bunch of calls. Fortunately I guess my job had been preparing me for this, which is the first time I used it to do something I actually liked.

We kept heading up the hill. The spot was a bit far off from the paved road, but it had to be perfect.

As we approach the destination, Tabitha catches sight of it first. “Wow, that’s a nice looking cabin.”

“It is. I like it.”

“Looks like whoever lives there actually cares too. Check out all those solar panels. And those rainwater barrels.”

“It’s just economical in this day and age.”

We keep walking, getting closer to the cabin. “That’s one heck of a porch too. It overlooks the valley and creek. I can’t help but imagine drinking my morning tea and watching as the water runs by.”

I decide it’s time to stop playing games. “Good news. I think you’ll be able to do just that.”

Tabitha stops in her tracks and looks at me surprised. “You rented this cabin for us?”

“I’ve done one better than that. I built this cabin for us.”

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