Page 89 of Shared By the Mountain Men

I reached out and took his hand. “Oh my God. She justleft?”That was maybe worse than cheating.

“Vanished in the night. Left town and never looked back.”

“What did she mean, she couldn’t do it?”

“I’m honestly not sure. I haven’t spoken to her since. She never returned my texts or phone calls. But I suspect…” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, chest shuddering with emotion. “An idea is perfect, you know? When you’re daydreaming, you don’t see the imperfections or the hard work. You just picture the good parts. But when that idea becomes reality, or as it getscloserto becoming real, it turns into something different. It’s no longer a flawless hypothetical scenario; it’s real, and hard, and terrifying.

“Sam was always a daydreamer. She loved to imagine all the different lives she could live. And although she did want to start her own business with me, I think she got scared when it became a real thing. Wood and stone and living, breathing customers to please. I realize it now, but she couldn’t handle being tied down like that. Because that’s what a business like this is: something that ties you down to a place forever. Or maybe not forever, but for a long time. That scared me, but it was agoodkind of scared. Sam… it terrified her. And rather than face it, she ran.”

Everything he said made sense, like puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly and revealed the image as a whole. It explained why he was bitter about a lot of things here at the campsite, and why he was barely friendly to all the customers. It showed me why he was afraid of opening up, why he continuously pushed me away from the moment we had met, even as he wanted to help me.

I didn’t know what to say, so I threw myself into his arms and hugged him. “I’m so sorry, Jack.”

He laughed. “That was over a year ago. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Okay,” he admitted. “It still hurts. But less than before. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if wehadn’tfilled up our reservations immediately. If we struggled at first, would that have been less intimidating than immediate success? Would Sam have run, or would we still be together?”

“Fuck her,” I said. “I’m not a violent person, but if I ever meet her, I’ll punch her in the face for you.”

Jack grinned up at me. “You’re fiercely loyal after sleeping with someone once.”

“Your pain reminds me of my own recent breakup. It’s totally different since I was cheated on and your girlfriend just left abruptly, but still.”

He leaned over to kiss me. “Well, I appreciate it. But you don’t have to punch her for me. She actually lives in Orlando. She got married this year, and they’re expecting their first child.”

I blinked at him. “How do you know that?”

“She blocked me on Facebook, but her personal account still follows the campsite page. I don’t stalk her or anything, but every so often, after too much whiskey, I log in and check up on her.”

“Does it upset you?” I asked. “The fact that she was afraid of settling down with you, but now she’s married and having a kid?”

He shrugged. “Itshouldpiss me off, but honestly? I don’t really care. I’m all out of emotional energy to give that woman. Besides, I can’t be too mad. She put all her money into this place and left it behind. Most people get nothing out of a breakup, but I basically got a hundred grand.”

I gave a start. “A hundred grand? Like, a hundred thousanddollars?”

“Like I said, I made out better than most breakups.”

I rested my head in his lap, and he began stroking my hair. “It’s funny, the way you phrased it. How an idea is perfect when you imagine it, but only when it stays in your head. People are that way too. Theideaof someone, the way you imagine them, is always perfect… until you start dating them and discover all the imperfections.”

Jack started laughing, slowly at first, but growing to the point that his whole body shook.

“What’s so funny?”

“What you said,” he replied. “I was thinking the same thing earlier. The hypothetical relationship is always flawless… until you make it real.”

“Yeah, but that’s the beauty of life,” I said. “The flaws are just as much a part of someone as their virtues. The Tower of Pisa would just be another boring building, but it’s extraordinary because it’s all fucked up.”

Jack’s fingers paused in my hair. “That’s… that’s something I never thought about.”

“I am very wise, yes.”

“And that wisdom is balanced out by your flaws, like the way you bit my shoulder when you came earlier.”

I bolted upright. “I thought you liked that!”

“A little nibble is nice, but you left a mark.” He leaned forward and pointed at a prominent bite mark. “At least it’s not a hickey on my neck.”

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