"I'm unpacking and checking out the room."
"You mean dappering it up."
Miles chose to ignore the comment and focus on hanging the last of his shirts.
"Hurry up," Derek said impatiently. "Cara wanted to make dinner and be sure you are okay with something as simple as mac and cheese."
Miles realized he was starving; he quickly nodded and put the few socks he was holding in his hand very carefully away in one of the empty drawers. He would finish unpacking the rest of his clothes later. He followed Derek down to the kitchen where they helped Cara finish up the dinner and set the table.
"I hope you like a very cheesy dinner," Cara said with a smile as she brought out a bottle of wine; a Chardonnay, which would be the perfect contrast with a light fruit taste to the thick and buttery taste of the dinner. "It's not one from a box; it's one of my personal recipes made from scratch. It is baked in way too much butter and cheese."
Cara hadn't been lying. When she brought out the dish, it was nearly impossible to scoop out and serve with all the cheese dripping everywhere. But from the first bite Miles was sure he had never tasted anything so great in his entire life, and that wasn't because he was hungry. No, the meal was perfect, reminding him of what it was like to have family meals together again. As they sat at the table enjoying the food Miles realized Derek had to marry this girl; she was perfect for him.
They finished most of the dinner leaving only a few leftovers and quickly cleaned up the dishes before they settled in the living room. Cara and Miles brought their glasses of wine and Derek a glass of scotch. Cara threw a log on the fire and settled in next to Derek on the love seat.
"So where's the TV?" Derek asked.
Cara laughed but stopped when she realized Derek wasn't joking. She shook her head. "There's no TV up here. We have to entertain ourselves." A sly smile came over Derek's face, and Cara slugged him in the arm. "That will only amuse us for about ten minutes."
"Hey, give me a little credit," Derek pouted. "I'm at least good for fifteen."
"TMI," Miles said, rolling his eyes and sipping on the wine doing his best to ignore them while he sat in the large recliner. After a while, he felt like Cara and Derek needed time alone, and the heavy food was making him tired. Miles stood, "Well, I'm off to bed."
"Already?" Derek asked. Miles nodded. "Okay, we'll see you tomorrow. I'll get you up early, so we have time to get up and take a hike around the cabin."
“Hike?”
“Of course,” Cara smiled. “We are in the middle of the best hiking trails. I can’t wait to show you guys around.”
Trying to hide his grown Miles headed up the stairs and to his bed. He had no desire to hike. He was the furthest thing from a nature lover.
But all thoughts of tromping through trees were gone, and he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Chapter 3
"Rise and shine, it's morning time," a small voice said from the other side of the door. Miles forced his head up, not sure at first if it was a dream. He looked around the room, remembering where he was. The voice belonged to Cara.
Miles face-planted his head in the pillow and mumbled, "How did Derek talk me into this?"
Another knock, "Are you moving in there?"
Miles sighed. "Yes, yes, I'm moving."
"Coffee is already being made."
The sun barely lit the sky with a pre-dawn glow. The sun wasn’t even up.
Miles grumbled to himself, wanting for once to sleep in, but their family vacations were never meant for sleeping. They were meant for getting up early and running around trying to get in everything, like sightseeing, hiking, horseback riding and whatever else the family could ponder up before having to go back to the daily schedule of work.
Miles slowly got himself showered, fully dressed and in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and book in hand. Miles hoped he would have plenty of time to read, relax, and stick with his morning ritual before being pushed out the door.
Right as Miles finished his last sip of coffee and closed his book Derek came stumbling out wanting coffee. He was grateful that Derek was even less of a morning person than him.
“Good morning,” Miles chimed.
Derek shot him a look over his cup of coffee and Miles only smiled. But the look softened when Cara came up behind him wrapping her arms around his waist.
“How come we got up so early?”
“The trail I want to take you on is a few miles and I want to get it done before it gets too late.”
“I think it would be better in the sunlight,” Derek smiled. Cara actually got him to smile in the morning.
Cara rolled her eyes, “It’s not that early.”
Once Derek was done with his coffee, the three of them headed out into the woods, which were surprisingly very quiet. No morning traffic, only the sounds of nature, wind, birds and their tromping feet through the forest floor.
The woods were beautiful, and the trail winded around following a river with waterfalls that eventually was supposed to lead to a lake.
When they found a small area with a small circle of rocks, they all sat and downed the water Cara had packed for each of them.
“You okay in those shoes?” Derek teased.
Miles only shrugged. He looked down at his feet; they hurt, and his dress shoes were now covered in mud. Was a large puddle of water really worth this walk?
“I think there is a pair of hiking boots at the cabin that might fit you,” Cara said.
“Sure,” Miles agreed. He should have packed more comfortable shoes and clothes, especially for hiking. But his wardrobe was limited to suits and ties, which to a normal city was perfectly comfortable to him.
They started out on their hike again after checking in with Miles several times to make sure he was still up for it. He wasn’t about to ruin the end of the hike.
Miles realized he should have probably brought more rugged clothes, as he had probably ruined a perfectly good shirt and tie being out in the wilderness. They had teased him about that all day about his attire, but he didn't care, he was the most comfortable in a suit. He wouldn't take back a moment. He was sore from head to toe from walking and climbing, and so grateful when the water hit him in the shower relaxing his muscles. He probably stayed under the warm water longer than he should have, but it felt too good on his aching muscles. He hadn't walked so much in his entire life and hiking in the wilderness wasn't easy.
The pain had been worth it. At the top of the trail, there was a beautiful lake that took Miles' breath away. It was bright blue and so clear you could see the rocks and fish at the bottom. No one else was on the trail, and Miles' felt like this place was meant for only them to find. How could so many be missing out on such beauty?
Miles realized that the muddy shoes and muscle aches were worth every moment on this hike. It was amazing to see how the water fell from the lake into a waterfall over the cliff. Who would have thought that water could be, life changing?
Once the sun started beating down on them from above, it was too warm to enjoy the trail any longer. Besides Miles was now starving. They headed back to the cabin and made lunch.
"Are you glad you came?" Derek asked as Cara's phone beeped letting her know she had received a voicemail.
Miles nodded since his mouth was filled with a huge bite of sandwich. Cara raised the phone to her ear, and she looked happy for a moment before her expression dropped. Both Derek and Miles looked at her.
When she hung up her phone, Derek asked, "Is everything, okay?"
"That was my brother; he won't be getting up here until tomorrow. I guess there was some trouble at the shop."
"I'm sorry, babe," Derek said rubbing Cara's back.
Cara shrugged, but Miles could tell she was upset. "It's okay, he's just starting up the business, and so I know how hard that can be."
"I'm sure he’ll be here tomorrow."
Cara nodded but pushed back from the table barely touching the lunch that had been in front
of her. Derek followed her to the living room trying to talk to her. When she only slid further into the recliner, he put on some music. He pulled her off the recliner and started to dance with her. Cara eventually smiled and started dancing too. They were adorable together. Miles headed back to his room giving them some privacy.
***
Miles got in a nap and read some of his books. It seemed later than it actually was in the mountains, the trees cast shadows in all directions as the sun moved down toward sunset.
Cara knocked on the door in her hand she held a box of hiking shoes. “I found these in one of the closets. They are new and hopefully close to your size. If not, maybe we can run into town and grab you some shoes that fit.”
“That’s okay,” Miles smiled taking the shoes from her. “I’m sure these will be fine.”
“Dinner will be ready in about an hour.”
Miles nodded and stared at the box he took from her. He opened the box to find plain brown boots. Not exactly Miles' style but he was grateful for the offer. Cara had thought of him.
After dinner, they sat again by the fireplace with a good drink. It was fun not having anyone but each other for company. They found different ways to amuse themselves, like card and board games to get each other laughing and talking. It was strange talking to each other rather than watching TV or playing on computers and phones. With little to no service, it was a nice change to be around people. Miles was starting to enjoy himself when Cara asked, "So, when do you plan on settling down?"
Miles felt himself tense up; he didn’t like the subject of his love life. "I...I don't have any plans of settling down really."
"Derek tells me you never go out on dates, and the few he's set you up on only lasted a date or two." Miles shrugged. He really didn't want to talk about his terrible dating life or the fact he was gay, and Derek only set him up with women on dates. "Well, what's your type? Maybe I have a friend or two I could set you up with."
"I don't understand why everyone is so obsessed with setting me up with someone. Maybe I like being alone?" Miles realized he said it as a question, probably because it wasn't true: he didn't like being alone. Some people did, but Miles wanted a relationship, just not one that would uproot his life.
"Well, do you?" Cara asked. "Do you like being alone, I mean?"
Miles looked at Derek, who was pointedly looking at the fireplace. His brother was useless to get him out of this. Miles shook his head and stood up. "I think I should get to bed, it was a long hike."
"I didn't mean to make you upset..."
Miles said, "You didn't, I'm only tired."
"Okay," Cara said with a small frown. "I'm getting you up bright and early again tomorrow, we have horseback riding."
Miles smiled. Horseback riding. Something else he had never done. Maybe the cowboy who took care of the horses would sweep him off his feet if anything hopefully the cowboy would be cute. Miles would at least have something to look at for a day.
Chapter 4
Cute was an understatement. The cowboy who ran the ranch was gorgeous with a half smile that could melt winter.
Unfortunately, the cowboy was married and as she was also inhumanly pretty. She helped the cowboy bring out the horses and prepare them for the ride. Mr. and Mrs. Cowboy made a good-looking couple, but that didn't stop Miles from admiring the view as the cowboy placed saddles on the horses.
Well, until another attractive man walked onto the ranch with dark brown hair that fell around his face and down to his shoulders. Dressed in a flannel shirt and tight jeans, he looked like a man in a rustic Colorado fashion magazine. There was something familiar about his eyes. Maybe he was the ranch help. Miles found his mind wandering to fun places they could explore on the ranch together. He would bet the cute rustic model would enjoy showing him those hidden places.
When Cara flew at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, Miles suddenly realized he had been drooling over her brother.
Oops.
He turned away quickly to try and hide the fact he had been staring and fantasizing about Cara’s brother.
Miles closed his eyes and groaned. He also realized he would have to spend the rest of his vacation with Mr. Rustic Model, and wasn't sure he would be able to handle that either.
"Miles," Cara said from somewhere behind him. "Miles," she called again. Miles finally had the nerve to turn around and do his best to compose himself. "Come over here."
The ground was a safe place to look, and Miles did his best to act normal, which of course meant he probably looked ridiculous especially looking at the floor. Curses, he couldn't get anything right.
"Miles, this is my brother, Lawrence," Cara said. "Lawrence, this is Derek's brother, Miles."
A hand came into Miles' view, and Miles hastily took the hand for a rapid shake and looked up. He shouldn't have done that. Lawrence was even more handsome up close, dark green eyes that had small gold flecks, a jawline that could chisel stone, and curved kissable lips. Just Miles' type.
"Nice..." Miles realized how high his voice had gone and cleared his throat. "Nice to meet you."
“The horses are ready,” the cowgirl said. Miles was suddenly grateful for the wife of the cute cowboy.
Although he should apologize to Lawrence or maybe later try to act more normal, at the moment Lawrence was too much to handle. Miles was sure he would have to buy a ticket home by the end of the day. There was no way he could do last a whole two weeks with Cara's breathtakingly gorgeous brother.
After a few minutes on the riding trail, Miles was more worried about staying on the horse than thinking about how handsome Lawrence was riding on a horse. Never having been horseback riding before, he was surprised to get so little instruction. The cowboy shoved him up on the saddle and said to follow him around the grounds. He was also starting to realize how high he was off the ground.
Everyone else seemed to be excited and followed the cowboy easily while Miles did his best not to feel terrified. The cowboy led, and Miles' horse followed right behind him.
As Miles concentrated on not falling a voice came from next to him "I would give my last dime to be that saddle right now."
Miles looked over to see Lawrence staring at the cowboy in front of them. The cowboy's body rose and fell with the rhythm of the horses pace. Miles suddenly realized how sexual the movement looked. He felt the blood rush to his face. Not only did Lawrence just admit to staring at another guy but also seemed to enjoy the view genuinely. Did something stir inside of Miles that he almost wanted to call jealousy but was that even possible?
"You should probably keep comments like that to yourself," Miles said, trying to maintain the disturbed feeling inside him down. Lawrence wasn’t only gay but clearly didn’t worry about being overheard.
"Well," Lawrence said, leaning in. "I would much prefer to pay my last dime to be your saddle."
Miles couldn't hide the blood that rushed to his face.
“That blush is unbelievably cute.”
Miles frowned. “I don’t think I have ever been called ‘cute’ in my entire life.”
“Well, it’s true.” Lawrence shrugged.
Miles had no idea what to say or do. He was out of touch on how to flirt; honestly he hadn't ever flirted with another guy before. He had no idea what to say or what to do especially to someone so gorgeous. The worst part was Derek and Cara were only a short distance away and Miles had no intention of coming out while riding horses.
Miles did his best to try and avoid Lawrence, which was nearly impossible on a horse. Besides Lawrence was clearly more comfortable on a horse and had no problem sticking to Miles’ side.
Thankfully for the rest of the ride Lawrence talked about his new shop, which gave Miles mixed feelings, he liked the attention but the last thing he needed was to be outed by Cara's brother.
As a part of the horseback ride tour, they had to help out in the stables, and all of the group was happy to help. Miles couldn't help but smile and blush as he thought
of Lawrence. At first he'd been embarrassed and self-conscious but as he helped move hay from the storage stalls, he found himself feeling more and more confident. An actual man and a cute one at that had admired him, if only for a moment. Even though nothing would come from the flirting Miles found he couldn't stop thinking about Lawrence and what it would be like to...well, kiss him.
"What did Lawrence say to you?" Cara asked. Miles nearly dropped the hay he was carrying, not having seen her approach.
"Nothing, really, mostly he talked about his new shop," Miles said, quickly gathering himself up.
"Oh," Cara said. "It's just you seem to be smiling a lot, ever since the ride. I thought maybe Lawrence said something to you. He can be a little...honest sometimes." That was an understatement.
"I like being in the mountains," Miles said. "That's all."
Cara shrugged and went into the stables at the other end of the barn. Miles suddenly became worried that he had been caught, his head in the clouds he forgot who he had to pretend to be. Even if Cara knew about Lawrence and accepted him, that didn't mean Derek would be as forgiving.
Maybe he should talk to Cara, see what she knew, or if she suspected something, but asking questions might make his secret even more obvious. He would have to keep an eye on her. Miles rested the bale on the floor.
"Are you checking out my sister?" Lawrence's voice came from behind him.
Miles swung around to see if Lawrence was joking. He looked serious. Miles turned back to the hay, "She’s with my brother."
"That doesn't stop people from looking."
"I'm not like that," Miles said taking the hay and adding it to nets hanging in the stalls.
"What are you like?" Lawrence asked, helping move hay to the nets.
Miles wasn't sure how to answer the question. What was he like? He couldn't be honest, but he found himself not wanting to lie to Lawrence. "I'm not like anything." Simple, uncommitted, honest.
Lawrence tsked, "I think there's a lot more to you than you're letting on, and I want to figure you out."
The Cabin Getaway: Contemporary Sweet Romance (Short Story) Page 2