Page 66 of Worthy

″Whatever you’re having.”

Chuck hands me and Cade a beer, then Cade leads me over to the couch where we all sit, his fingers loosely intertwined with mine. I know our joined hands don’t go unnoticed, but I convince myself if Cade’s comfortable with it then I should be too.

″How are you enjoying your stay so far?” Chuck asks.

″Oh, it’s great.” I smile, hoping I don’t sound overly enthusiastic. “The weather’s been cooperating, and the scenery is unbelievable. Even better than I remembered.”

″You’ve been here before?” Jessie seems surprised, although I can’t imagine why. Maybe Cade implied it’s my first time here since he’s been showing me around his favorite trails.

″Years ago.” I twist the cap off my beer and set it on the coffee table. “That’s what led me to believe it would be the perfect spot to get some work done.”

″Cade mentioned you’re working on a PhD?” Chuck asks.

″Yes, in environmental science,” I say proudly. I don’t miss Cade’s reassuring wink, and I have to admit it feels good to own that instead of dwelling on how it sets me apart from the rest of my family.

″What’s your thesis on?” Jessie leans forward.

″Mom’s a teacher at school.” Cade’s silky voice draws my gaze to his. “Science.”

“Oh,” I exclaim, turning back to his mom. “I’m focusing on alternative energies. Specifically, water, and how we can harness its power without negatively impacting the ecosystems it supports.”

I notice Cade picking at a spot on his shorts as I talk, like he’s uncomfortable. We rarely talk about my work, and not in explicit detail. He’s attentive and asks questions when we do, which I appreciate, but I think that’s more to be polite than because he’s really interested. I get it, the subject isn’t for everyone so I haven’t tried to force it, but I can’t help but wonder if it bothers him to be learning some of thisat the same time his parents are. If anyone else notices they don’t say anything.

″That would make Katah Vista a good resource as well as a good spot to work I imagine,” Chuck wonders aloud as Cade inexplicably seems to perk up a bit.

″It would.” I’m easily drawn back to the water conversation. “Observing how water acts as it melts helps us understand the impact it could have if we alter that behavior or try to harness it, although much of the work currently being done in this area is on the coast.”

After a few follow-up questions, the conversation drifts towards lighter subjects like favorite movies, foods and places to travel seeing as how his parents just returned from Belize. One thing that doesn’t come up is Cade’s sexuality, which I wasn’t convinced his parents were so willing to accept when he’d never skewed toward men before. It’s almost like sexuality doesn’t exist, which makes it even easier to feel comfortable in this new environment.

Over burgers, Cade and his dad debate the pros and cons of a former ski racer buying the resort. Apparently, everyone's a little apprehensive about the son of a wealthy man getting handed the reins, even if his background is in the sport. Since that topic doesn’t apply to me, Jessie and I chat about her work at the school, what lessons she teaches her students, and even the history of the area.

″Did you know the mountain runoff follows the same path today that it has for centuries?” she asks me.

″I knew the path had never been deliberately altered, but I didn’t know it’s the same as it's always been.” I shake my head.

″There’s less of it now. The stream over there used to be several feet wider and higher—” she points to the edge of their yard “—and some years it’s little more than a trickle, but it’s the same riverbed that existed when the Native Americans first settled here. That’s how the area got its name.”

″From the riverbed?”

″No, from the mountain. Katah is short for Katahdin, the Native American term for ‘Great Mountain.’”

″Mom, no history lessons tonight,” Cade groans. “Maddox has enough school during the day.”

″Then no business talk for you two,” she admonishes the men with a grin in my direction.

We cap off dinner by roasting marshmallows over the fire pit, with Cade teasing me that the light brown shade I prefer isn’t melty enough just before he takes a bite of his crisp marshmallow and dribbles the sticky mess all over his face. I help him wipe it off before realizing his parents are watching us with contented smiles. I feel myself blushing under their gaze and am grateful for the stubble on my face that hopefully hides it.

Cade’s parents refuse my offer to clean up, so he takes me to his old room while they put the leftovers away. It looks exactly like you would expect a teen boy’s room to look, a double bed with a plaid comforter in the center of the room, sports and band posters all over the walls, samples of what I assume are his earliest attempts at welding on a bookshelf.

″When was the last time you stayed in this room?” I run my finger along the edge of the dresser.

″I usually stay on Christmas Eve so I’m here when I wake up, but I haven’t lived here since I was twenty.”

″You’re really close with your parents.” It’s more of an observation than a question.

″Yeah. Hard not to be when I work for my dad. Plus, I bump into them around town a lot. You’re not close with your parents?” He sits on the bed to watch me wander around his room.

″Yes and no.” I pick up a little figurine that resembles a bike. “I don’t bump into them around town so the only contact we have is when we schedule it. And even though they support what I want to do, the fact I didn’t go into the family business puts some distance between us. Not bad, but it’s there. Your parents are nice.” I change the subject.

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