Page 33 of The Grumpy Side of Paradise

She nods again, and I hitch the backpack I brought onto my shoulder. If we happen to find antlers, we’ll need something to pack them out in. Plus, I thought we might need some snacks. A little homemade granola. Gourmet crackers and goat cheese from Nick’s. Chocolate from the chocolatier on the other side of the mountain. Just the basics.

There’s no actual trail for the first half mile, just a lot of scrub brush and rocks, but Evie keeps up. Zach does too. With his mouth. The higher we climb, the better view we have of the surrounding communities, and Zach points them all out to Evie.

“That’s Fish Haven over there to the left. Only about two hundred people live there year round. And a few miles past it, you get to Mormon Junction. Fewer than a hundred people there, all Mormon.” He wheels to the right and turns Evie by the shoulders. “Back this way, you’ve got Paradise, and beyond that Eden.” To his credit, Zach keeps his voice down, but he’s still too loud. And even if he doesn’t voice them, I know his thoughts when he looks at this valley. Develop, develop, develop.

“ParadiseandEden?” Evie says. “People in this valley like to stick to a theme, don’t they? I mean, I get it. It is beautiful.”

“Enjoy the view while you can,” I say to her. “If Zach has his way, all these hills will be covered in mini mansions.”

“That’s not true,” Zach protests, but I don’t wait for him to explain. I’ve heard it all before.

I spot a deer trail snaking through a thicket of trees and head in that direction. Evie and Zach follow close behind. Within ten seconds, I regret opening my big mouth. I’ve set off Zach’s justification button, and he lists all the reasons new development will help revive Paradise.

“The projects I’ve got planned would create construction jobs for the next ten years or more. We’ll have more tax revenue to fix the roads and schools. Kids won’t have to leave the valley to find jobs after high school.” His breathing grows more labored as I pick up speed.

I’ve heard all of this before. Zach and I will never see eye-to-eye about what’s best for Paradise.

“Yeah? And where do you think those kids are going to live when outsiders drive up house prices? Will they be able to buy one of your high-end condos working minimum wage to build them?” I duck under a tree branch, then hold it up for Evie to duck under. I let it go before Zach can and it cracks him on the side of the head.

“Ouch! Are you trying to kill me here?” Zach rubs his head under his beanie.

“Not yet.”

He had a lot of cushion with the beanie. There’s no brain damage. At least not any that I’ve caused.

“Shouldn’t we be quiet?” Evie whispers, and I nod. Because, yes, my brother should definitely be quiet.

“We’re not done talking about this, Adam,” Zach says, but then goes silent.

For five glorious minutes, the only sounds are leaves crunching under our feet and animals scurrying through the thick brush. I keep my eyes open for the bedding spots I’ve found when Dad and I used to scout this area before hunting season. I’d hoped once I moved back, we could hunt again. But when it came down to it, with Mom’s health declining and Dakota leaving, neither one of us was up for it this year.

Signs of deer are everywhere in the trees. I point to a spot under a tree with low-hanging branches. “See the flattened grass?” I whisper to Evie. “Deer have bedded there.”

She nods, then surprises me by tiptoeing to the spot. She ducks under the branches and crouches next to the bed. I glance at Zach. He frowns. He’s never understood the appeal of treading in the steps of a wild animal.

But Evie gets it. I can tell by the way she runs her fingers over the grass, barely touching it. As though she wants to absorb the essence of the animal that made its bed there.

“The ground is still soft. It hasn’t had time to get cold. Do you think the deer is nearby?” She stays in her crouched position, inspecting everything around her. “She picked a good spot. She’s hidden, but she can see any predators that get close. And there’s an escape.” Evie points to an opening in between the trees.

I follow the direction she points in, then beyond it to a pile of dead leaves. There’s something pointy peeking out from under them. I scramble to the spot, then toe the leaves away and pick up what I’d seen. “He. Not she.” I hold up half a set of antlers, and Evie’s face breaks into a smile.

“Good job, bro!” Zach says from his spot on the deer trail. “The other half is probably nearby.” He scans the ground with his eyes without moving to help.

Evie clambers to the tight space and squeezes into it next to me. Her feet are on either side of mine, her chest pressed closed to me. She holds my arm to keep her balance, and the only place for me to put my hand is around her waist. Her cinnamon-y scent mingles with the musky sweet smell of earth and rotting leaves. My pulse picks up speed, and there’s no way she can’t hear my heart pounding.

With her free hand, she touches the antlers I’m holding with my other hand. “So cool!”

Her eyes drop to our feet, but mine stay on her. The only woman I can ever remember holding this close is Dakota. For a second, I wonder if I’m doing something wrong. My eyes dart to Zach, whose eyebrow pulls up, followed by the right side of his mouth. I let my smile slip out, then I breathe in the happiness that comes from having someone in your arms. Even if it’s by accident.

“There they are!” Evie points to another leaf-covered spot a few feet away. The tips of antlers stick out between the leaves.

It will take some crawling to get there, but before I can bend down to do it, Evie is on the ground. She doesn’t care about getting wet or muddy as she makes her way on hands and knees to the antlers.

I look back at Zach to see if he’s as shocked as I am. His smile grows and both eyebrows go up. Then down. Then up and down a lot more, and I have to look away to keep from laughing. I’m not ready to let him make me laugh. He hasn’t earned that yet.

But his eyebrows aren’t wrong. Seeing Evie crawl through the mud is doing things to me I haven’t felt in a while.

Dakota never did anything like this. She didn’t love the outdoors like I do. Her fear of bugs and mice meant no camping for the two of us unless there was a luxury cabin included. Which was fine. I loved her more than camping, which is a lot. But I missed having her with me when I went by myself.

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