Page 62 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
She trailed off with a shrug, and when he glanced over, he saw the curiosity in her eyes.
“No. I have no family in these parts. My entire extended family is back in South Carolina. They’ve been there since this country was founded, and so far as I know, I’m the first to leave.”
The silence filled the truck’s cab. For his part, his heart was pounding. It wasn’t like he’d spilled some deep, dark secret, but…
That was the first time he’d spoken of his family at all since he’d left.
The realization was jarring.
“Why did you leave?”He tensed for the question, but it never came. Instead, she asked, “Do you ever miss the East Coast?”
He felt a smile tug at his lips. “Not really.”
She nodded and sank back in her seat as he turned off for the long, winding road that led to the cabin. She seemed content to let the conversation end there. He should be grateful that she didn’t pry and let it drop.
But to his surprise, he found himself talking as the truck rattled over the dirt road. “I miss my family sometimes,” he murmured. “But…”
She said nothing as he searched for the right words to explain his complex family relationships. He felt her gaze on him, but she kept quiet.
“But I left for a reason,” he said slowly. There was that drawl again. It always became more pronounced when emotions reared up. “I didn’t fit in, I guess. I wasn’t the son or the grandson or the nephew that everyone wanted me to be.” He shot her a rueful smile. “I guess I’ve always been a bit of a loner. Always preferred marching to the beat of my own drum.”
She nodded, and while there wasn’t even a hint of pity in her expression, he saw understanding in her eyes.
“So you struck out on your own?” she said.
He tipped his head from side to side. “It was a little more complicated than all that. But long story short, yes. I made my way west, working odd jobs. I’ve always been good with my hands and never minded physical labor.” He shrugged. “I ended up working for Patrick Donahue.” He glanced over. “You’ve met Nash’s father?”
She nodded.
“Well, when Nash was hired on by Frank O’Sullivan to run his property, he asked me and Kit to come along and help. Cody joined shortly after.”
“And the cabin?” she asked.
He shifted in his seat. Explaining where the money came from to buy the cabin only led to topics he didn’t want to dwell on. “I had some money to my name.” He glanced over. “An inheritance from my grandpa. Once I realized Aspire was the place I wanted to call home, I got an urge to make it official, you know? Put down some roots.”
“And so you bought a cabin,” she said.
And a whole lot of the surrounding land.But he didn’t offer that part up. It was enough that she knew about the cabin.
“It must be nice to have a place that’s all yours.” Her voice seemed wistful. “A place you know will be there for you no matter what.”
He nodded, his chest tight with emotion. That was it exactly. For him, the cabin was home even if he didn’t stay there all the time. It was the one place in this world where he belonged.
“That must be nice,” she murmured. And for once there was no sarcasm in her voice, and no judgment either.
No judgment and no pity. Maybe that was why he found her so easy to talk to. Well, that and the fact that he could count on her to give it to him straight.
He had a feeling she and everyone else in her life took her unbridled honesty for granted.
“Almost there,” he said as the dirt road turned steep and narrow.
She glanced at her phone. “We won’t be late, right?”
“No, ma’am. It shouldn’t take long to make sure all the doors and windows are secured. Plus I want to check the pipes and make sure a little water is dripping into them. Stops them from freezing over. It should be quick, and then we’ll get back on the road and have you at the airport well in time for your flight.”
His insides fell at the reminder of where they were ultimately headed.
He was going to miss her, which was… unexpected. But that was why it was for the best that she left now. The more he got to know her, and the more time they spent together, the more disappointed he’d be when she left.
