Page 14 of Crush & Byte
I should have pulled away.Should have given her space to breathe.Instead, I found myself slowing my pace, so she wouldn’t have to let go.The contact sent little sparks up my arm, and I wondered if she felt it too.
Crush found us a semiprivate spot behind a row of produce stands and handed me the envelope.The paper was thick and expensive, sealed with blue wax stamped in the shape of a bird.I broke it with my thumb and shook out the small sheet of paper folded in half, and a brass key.
River leaned over my shoulder, her hair brushing my jaw.“What’s it say?”she asked, practically bouncing again.Either she was genuinely excited, or the caffeine was still doing a number on her.
“It’s the same cipher she used before.”Crush leaned in so that all three of us were staring at the missive.
I nodded, pulling out my notebook and working my way through the message.“Trail marker seven, Mount Pilchuck.Sunset.”I glanced at Crush and grinned.“Looks like we’re going hiking.”I tucked the note away.“We’ve got just enough time to get there if we leave now.”
“Christ,” Crush muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.“It’s been a couple decades since we’ve been to that little cabin.You think that’s where she means for us to go?”
I shrugged.“Whether or not she does is irrelevant.If we’re going out into the fuckin’ wilderness, I ain’t campin’ in a fuckin’ tent if there’s a cabin available.No matter how rustic.”
“Cabin?”River looked from one of us to the other, her eyes sparkling with delight.The girl was all over the place with her feelings, but the one prevailing emotion she showed was nearly overwhelming excitement.
“Yeah, honey.”Crush gave her a gentle smile.I liked that she amused him.It took a lot for Crush to let anyone in enough to feel anything.He might be the one of us who understood social cues and all that bullshit, but he didn’t let people close.Not as a rule.Whatever he felt for River, though, pushed back the curtain he kept between him and the rest of the world.Well, other than me.“There’s a little cabin Maggie owns up in the mountains.She used to rent it out through one of the state parks up here, but stopped letting people up there years ago.”
“Don’t you think she’d be mad if we used it?”She looked from Crush to me and back, practically wringing her hands now.
“Nope.In fact, that’s what the key’s for.”Crush held it up before pocketing it.“We’ve got enough supplies.We should be fine, too.If you need a pit stop, now’s the time.”
River’s eyes widened.“Bathroom!”Then she turned and darted off.I couldn’t help myself.I let loose a full-on belly laugh until tears were rolling down my cheeks.When I finally got myself under control, I found Crush grinning at me, his features relaxed and warm.He looked like the brother I’d had before we’d been dragged into black ops for the CIA.“What is it?”
For long moments I thought Crush might ignore my question.When he spoke, it was with a voice rough with emotion.“I’ve not heard you laugh like that in a long fuckin’ time.”He gripped my shoulder hard.“I’ve missed it.”
“I know this isn’t fair to her, but Goddamn if that girl doesn’t make me feel alive for the first time in a long fuckin’ time.”
“She’s got spunk.You’d think the girl’d never taken a road trip.”He grinned and gave a soft chuckle.
“Seems like I’m not the only one she’s got under her spell.”I smirked at Crush.“How long’s it been since you actually smiled?”
“Too fuckin’ long.”
It wasn’t long before River rushed back to us, her face flushed and a huge smile on her face.“What kind of cabin is it?”
“Little single room cabin.There’s a full bathroom, though, and a small kitchen area.Fireplace.”I reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair off her forehead where it tried to blow into her eyes.“Best of all, it overlooks a mountain lake.”
She practically bounced on her toes again.“That sounds amazing!Is there electricity?”
Crush nodded.“Solar panels and a generator backup.Maggie had it updated about ten years ago, but she kept it simple on purpose.”
“Let’s go!Let’s go!”
I laughed again and Crush joined me this time.I knew what he meant about missing my laugh.I’d missed his as well.Maggie damned sure hit this match on the mark.When this was over, assuming we convinced River this could work among the three of us, Crush and I were going to have to do something special for Maggie.Then again, maybe we were doing exactly what she wanted already.
Chapter Six
River
The cabin materialized before us like something out of a fantasy novel as we rounded the final curve of the mountain road.Nestled against a backdrop of towering pines, the setting was like something out of a romance novel.
I pressed my face against the window, drinking in every detail.A wraparound porch with three rocking chairs waited, beckoning us to sit and relax.The stacked firewood along one wall spoke of chilly nights as summer turned to autumn.After hours of winding mountain roads, it felt like we’d stumbled upon a secret haven meant only for us.
“Whoa…” I gazed around in wonder as the vehicle came to a stop.Opening the door, I slid from the Bronco and turned in a slow circle, trying to take in everything.“This… is… the…tits!”I gave a little girly squeal I was sure I’d be embarrassed about later and ran up the narrow path from the driveway to the small steps leading to the little porch.I plopped down in one of the chairs, rocking back and forth a couple of times before jumping up and running to a nearby tree -- I had no idea what kind it was -- with low-hanging branches and promptly started climbing.
“River, get your ass down from there!”Crush called from below, his voice a mixture of amusement and concern.
“Such a worrywart!”I was already halfway up the tree, straddling a thick branch about twenty feet off the ground.The rough bark bit into my palms, but I didn’t care.The view was worth it.From here, I could see the glittering surface of the lake through the trees off in the distance, the fading sunlight dancing across the water like scattered diamonds.
