Page 38 of The Sky in Summer
“Because Dad, she told me. I wouldn’t have been opposed, but I didn’t press it. We are friends.”
“Tyler and David said you guys had a date,” Sam says.
“Yeah. Don’t bullshit the bullshitters,” Teddy says, imitating my father.
Now the eyes are on me. Questioning what snake oil I am trying to sell.
“Oh! Interesting! What’s that about, Van?” Nobel asks and chuckles his obvious joy that my lie is being uncovered.
I gather the possibilities that could work. But I am under the gun to make it sound believable. I relax into the half-truth. It’s just an omission really.
“She had me for dinner. A barbecue. It was very nice.”
Think I got away with that one.
Now the smiles break out, and one elbow poke from Scarlett to Sam’s ribs. They can barely contain themselves.
“Ow!”
“I believes someone mentioned tequila if I’m not mistaken.”
Sam and Teddy consistently stir the pot.
“And?” I say.
“Nothing. That’s just the talk on the streets.”
“Honest to God, you all are like old biddys taking about something you know nothing about.”
Think I overdid that one. Ahe doth protest too muchkind of response. I dial it back.
“But you’re right. We did have a sip or two of Patron.”
“Like I said!”
What happened between sixteen and seventeen for these boys? Oh yeah, I remember.
10
Layla
My jaw drops when the view comes into sight. “This is extraordinary!”
“The whole property is,” David adds, walking ahead of us.
“You two never said it was like this!”
“Wait till you see the path through the trees.” Tyler’s face is lit with the memory.
It isn’t just the view. It’s nature’s soundtrack too. The caw of a bird and the symphony of the Yellowstone River flowing over boulders and around trees. It carries all the way up here. I guess it is because there is absolutely nothing blocking the view. The view is a three-sixty wonder, with the Absaroka Mountain Range acting as backdrop. Glorious. This is luxury, Montana style.
Walking toward the two-story copper roofed house is a religious experience. Any moment I expect Gabriel to blow his horn. This may be the most beautiful home I have ever seen. Technically it is a log house I suppose. But that description is too lacking in drama. Where do I look first?
It sits on a clearing, bordering an open field. Summer flowers wave in the breeze, and majestic trees stand as if placed and angled in the ideal spots to best showcase their beauty. I don’t know if the holiday is making me think this, but the place is so American. Today multiple flags fly announcing what we are celebrating. But it’s the nod to log cabins, the porch, and the wide-open space. Oh! I see cowboy hats on the porch’s hat rack. All wonderfully American.
A wide wrap-around porch with colored Adirondack chairs blends beautifully with Mother Nature. Thick cushions in earth tones compliment the shades of greenery surrounding the clearing. I spot a beautiful moss colored one next to a russet shade of an autumn leaf. Wherever someone sits, is front and center to an unequaled vista. Aurora, Parish, and Nobel sit having a drink and talking. The front door is wide open.
“There’s Teddy! Come on,” David says to Tyler.
