Page 44 of My Forbidden Boss

The scene passing by outside not so much changed my mind as caught me completely by surprise. “It’s beautiful!”

Hollis sighed contentedly. “It is, isn’t it? I don’t get out here as much as I used to, but this place really is special once you know where to look.”

I couldn’t take my eyes away from the view, finding some new glade or stream with every turn worthy of more attention.

“I thought it would be drier, almost like Texas or something. I mean, it looked that way by the airport, but this… this is just sublime.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it’s all like that to the west. Even to the east, it gets that way again, the farther you get away from the mountains. They’re the reason it’s like this. The Gulf Stream hits them, and it pushes all the precipitation back down, pooling it over the Tetons and dropping it down into the foothills. The farther you go that way, the drier it becomes again… all the way until you start hitting the bigger river valleys of Ohio and on down the Mississippi.”

The car rolled around a curving switchback, dropping us into the shade of a winding canyon of lush pines and mossy stones.

“Oh, wow!”

The small streams collided into a brilliant waterfall, cascading over one of the guardrails at the roadside and out of sight down the cliff face. Below, the rushing water only became more boisterous, flowing into boulder after boulder of crashing, splashing rapids.

“Well, this is it. I hope you like it.”

I didn’t want to tear my eyes away, even for a second, but Hollis’ words struggled to make sense in my distant mind. Finally, I turned, feeling the car slowing to a crawl. My gasp became a sharp chirp as the wheels dropped from the pavement onto a soft drift of earthly soil and matted pine needles.

Hollis laughed. “Is that a yes?”

I covered my mouth, then nodded vigorously.

Near the riverbank, the water of the frothy whitecaps calmed into a mirror of rippling glass. The building on its shore was somehow both modern and rustic, seeming to fit the scene as naturally as if it had sprouted among the riverside’s grassy flowers and tall, towering trees.

The car rolled to a gentle stop, and Hollis shut off the engine. The silence was sudden and serene, interrupted only by the muffled echo of the water’s burbling and distant songbirds.

“Well… What do you think?”

My mouth hung open, taking it all in despite my mind’s inherent filter of disbelief.

“What do I think?! It’s amazing! You’re kidding, right? You are. You have to be? Surely you aren’t that cruel, that you would show me this place and then be like, ‘Pshaw, yeah this is for me, I think there’s a motel a way back that supposedly has hot showers and cable. Feel free to start walking.’”

He chuckled, and slowly my neck craned his way.

His eyes were gentle, bright, but subdued like someone gifting a card they’d made by hand.

My voice stalled, then poured out in a rush.

“Why? Wh-How? Why, though? This is too much! I… Wh…?”

He smiled sweetly and shrugged, cutting me off with a calm finger forward.

“Well, do you want to check it out or not? I mean, that motel does sound pretty nice. If this is too much, we could always…”

I was already out of the car, half running, half skipping up to the porch.

“Yeah, I came up here a lot when I was just getting started. That’s actually how I found the offices back there, which was the first ‘branch’ or whatever, that I added to the company. I’ve never been here before, but I’ve probably driven by this place a dozen times or more over the years. I asked around, and a guy from the office recommended at least asking about it… and, well, here we are.”

We were on the back deck, leaning on the railing that overlooked the whole magnificent scene, soaking up the last rays of warm sunshine before it disappeared behind the gorge beyond.

Hollis continued while I quietly listened, still scarcely to believe the dream I’d somehow stepped into.

“It’s just magical, you know? There’s just something about it… It’s raw, untouched. I guess that’s why I’ve always stuck around back home. The hills there are the same way. Here, there’s no bison, of course, but there are bald eagles, bear, elk, moose… and you can see all of them from right here, sipping your morning coffee. Or tea, or whatever you prefer. I guess we haven’t gotten that far yet.”

He laughed nervously, and I glanced sideways, too enthralled with the whole situation… and him… to even muster a playfully accusing glare.

“You’re thinking about what you’re going to make me for breakfast already? Jeez, mister, you do like to get the work out of the way early.”

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