by Leddy Harper
“Maybe there’s some truth to that Indian belief, huh?” His smile, though small and unintentional, sent waves of warmth rippling through my stomach. It nearly had me leaning into him, begging for another taste of his lips, and I might’ve done that had he not continued our conversation. “You said he has money, though. I assume he would need a lot of care, so at least the financial burden doesn’t fall squarely on your mom.”
I felt like I did nothing but pop his positivity balloon. “He had money in the bank when he first came to live with us, when he was still pretty much with it. And then there was also the sale of his house. All of that went toward hospital bills, with enough to last until he got really bad. The problem is, most of his money is in trusts or something like that. And I guess there’s a clause somewhere that keeps him from gaining access to the funds in the event he’s not of sound mind. So for the last couple of years, it’s all been tied up in legal crap.”
“But your mom is his daughter, and the money will be going toward his care, won’t it?”
“Yeah, but none of that matters, apparently. My mom’s lawyer says she should have access to it because she’s not only taking care of him, but she’s technically the beneficiary of his will. The other lawyer says that the will doesn’t matter because he’s not dead, so until that time comes, the money will just sit there.” For the first time all night, what I’d told him got to me. The anger I’d felt since this all started began to bubble up inside.
Drew must’ve noticed the change in my demeanor. As far as I was aware, neither my expression nor my voice had changed, so I wasn’t sure how he’d picked up on it, but he did. And I couldn’t have been more thankful for the distraction he offered.
Without warning, he laced his fingers through my hair and aggressively cradled the side of my head. I didn’t have enough time to think about what he did or why, because half a second later, he pulled me toward him until his mouth was on mine. It was harsh, yet his lips softened the blow. However, he didn’t give me enough time to enjoy the kiss before the wet heat of his tongue stole my attention.
The way he kissed me caused my heart to race, my stomach to knot, and my mind to rid itself of every thought that didn’t involve Drew, his lips, his hands, or his tongue. While he was aggressive in his movements, there was nothing brutal about any of it, and all I wanted was for this moment to last forever.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It had to end at some point, and that time came far too soon for my liking. Nevertheless, what came next was equally as satisfying. His eyes twinkled as he held my stare, a slow-forming grin creating creases that extended out from the two black sequins that captivated me. Satisfaction sang in his smile and danced in his gaze. It was like he was proud of himself, and before I found my voice to point it out, he said, “Looks like the ghosts of Chogan haunt the hills, too.”
“At least now we know that I’m not the only one susceptible to their curses.”
“I guess this means we should stay away from each other.”
Even though he was only teasing, the thought of staying away from him still stung. “No, that’d only make it worse.”
“How so?” He practically vibrated with amusement.
“Who knows the lengths they’ll go to get us together. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to risk sleepwalking through the woods in the middle of the night or being involved in some freak accident just to avoid a random kiss here and there,” I said, doing my best to bite back my grin.
“You’re absolutely right, Kenny. We should definitely continue hanging out, and if that means we have to keep kissing, then so be it. It seems that’s what the spirits want anyway.”
That made me so giddy, my soul smiled.
Chapter Eight
Drew
Loneliness didn’t exist when Kenny was around.
In fact, the constant ache of loneliness I’d felt for years had disappeared the day we’d first met. I had to keep reminding myself that all of this would eventually end. Don’t get too attached, because she will leave. And the loneliness would most certainly creep back in.
Like most idiots, I’d pretty much convinced myself that the excitement Kenny brought with her would continue long after her time here ended. Delusional, that’s what I had become. But if that was what I had to tell myself to enjoy her company without bringing her down, too, then so be it. And really, if I kept telling myself this, then there was a good chance I would actually believe it.
Okay, not a good chance.
A decent chance.
Maybe a small chance.
More like a snowball’s chance in hell.
Nevertheless, I hoped my time with Kenny would at least teach me something, help me in some way, regardless of how small. What I hadn’t expected was to get the lesson halfway through her week.
“Are you sure we’re allowed to do this?” Kenny asked, glancing around the empty office.
“Of course. The truck is mine, too; we just keep the key here so we don’t have to ask each other for it when we need to leave the property. Not to mention, sometimes one of the guys has to go into town to pick up supplies, so it’s more of a communal vehicle.” I grabbed the key and held it up, dangling it in the air in front of her.
“Yeah, but…don’t you need to tell your dad you’re taking it? Or at least that we’re leaving the resort? I thought you said this was your busiest week. You sure are taking a lot of time off. Do you swear you’re not going to get in trouble?”
Her concern warmed me—it even made me smile without realizing it. I’d caught myself grinning around her too many times to count. And the only reason I even knew I was doing it was because my cheeks would ache, alerting me to my unintentional expression. I started to worry it’d creep her out, but so far, she hadn’t shown any sign of apprehension over it.
I moved around the desk and stood in front of the main door. “No, I don’t need to tell my dad, because I’m not a child who needs his permission to do things. And yes, this is our busiest week, but there isn’t much to be done during the day other than a bit of maintenance and paperwork, which I’ve already done. I’m mostly needed at night at The Feeder, which is why we need to get going now so I can be back in time for my shift.”
I held open the door and followed her through it.
“Are you going to tell me now where you’re taking me?” she asked, pulling the seatbelt around her and clicking it into place.
I held her stare while cranking the engine, enjoying the excitement in her eyes. “The lagoon—also known as The Birdbath. It’s a few miles up the road, but you have to leave the resort to get there. It doesn’t belong to us, but we run scheduled tours there, so it’s pretty much ours.”
“Again…” Her brows pinched and her nostrils flared, but there was a hint of teasing in her Caribbean eyes and a coy shadow in the corners of her plump lips. God, she has the most kissable lips. “Don’t we need to let someone know we will be there? What if there’s a tour?”
“No, and there’s not.” I pulled out of the makeshift garage attached to the side of the main office and followed the widened dirt road to the entrance of the resort. It sat off a main road with nothing more than a wooden sign reading Black Bird Resort and an arrow pointing into the wall of trees. “The tour only runs once a week, so we’re all good.”
Kenny sat back and stared out her window, watching the scenery pass by.
After several seconds of silence, she whipped her head in my direction and said, “You really should think about doing something to get this place more attention. It’s so beautiful, Drew. I bet you could have every cabin booked at least three hundred and sixty days a year.”
I dropped my head back against the headrest and puffed out my cheeks with a heavy exhale. “If you haven’t already, I think you should look into becoming a promoter or something. Maybe a career in advertising or marketing.”
“Listen, I know you don’t want to hear it, but maybe you need to.”
It wasn�
�t that her constant interest in the resort annoyed me. In fact, I actually liked a lot of her ideas and suggestions. But what she didn’t—or couldn’t—understand was how impossible it would be to implement even one of them.
“It’s not up to me, Kenny.” I pulled off the main road into an open, pebbly parking lot, hoping this would signal the end of our conversation. “I appreciate your interest or concern—or whatever it is—but you’re barking up the wrong tree. My hands are tied.”
“Why can’t you talk to your dad about it? Doesn’t he want more business?”
“We can’t do anything like that because we can’t afford it.” There, the truth was out. I’d hinted at it before, and now it seemed like spelling it out was the only way for her to get it.
Kenny opened and closed her mouth several times, words obviously evading her.
“We make just enough to stay open and pay the few employees we have. Spending more money to advertise is a gamble my dad isn’t interested in making. Trust me, I get what you’re saying. And I agree with you. But the opportunity just isn’t there.”
The light in her eyes dimmed a bit, which bothered me on a level I couldn’t possibly comprehend. She almost appeared let down, as though the idea of the resort slowly dying out upset her more than it should. But that couldn’t be it. She had no connection to this place. If anyone should be upset by it, it’d be me, and it didn’t bother me.
“Okay, message received.” She managed a smile and then unfastened her seatbelt.
I hopped out of the truck and met her on the other side. “Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” But as soon as I began to lead the way, she stopped me, confusion lining her brow. “What about the towels?”
“We’ll use them when we get back. You’ll see.”
She took one quick glance back at the truck, shrugged, and then quickly caught up to me. I loved how trusting she was, because it meant I could surprise her with things like this. Normally, I would’ve condemned her blind trust—I was a stranger to her, a male she didn’t know anything about. That was the beginning of at least ninety percent of horror films. But I couldn’t be upset with her for it…as long as she wasn’t like this with every guy she met.
“I don’t think we’re allowed over here.” She kept her voice at a whisper, even though she had no reason to. We were the only two people out here, surrounded by trees and drowned out by the rushing water. Yet she still felt the need to be quiet.
I laughed at her and took her hand in mine. “Yes, we are. It’s not private property.”
After winding between trees and branches and climbing a few rocks, we made it to the clearing I was so familiar with. Taking her hand in mine, I slowly pulled her toward the ledge of the rounded, smooth boulder we stood on, so close to the waterfall I could almost feel the errant spray on my face.
“Most people aren’t aware this alcove exists.” And if they were, they didn’t know how to get up here. It was my secret place. My safe place. It was also one of the biggest reasons I didn’t want to leave the resort. Leaving Black Bird would mean leaving this, and I couldn’t comprehend that.
Kenny peered over the side and quickly righted herself. “I don’t know, Drew. It’s pretty far down. What if I fall? What if I die? What if—”
“Stop freaking out; you’re not going to die. And you won’t fall; you’ll jump, but not right now. I have something amazing to show you first. Then we’ll jump.” I started to wonder if she’d blinked at all since she peered over the edge. To calm her down, I took both of her hands and stood in front of her, confidently holding her stare. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Trust me, I’ve been coming here since I learned how to climb.”
“I don’t know how to climb rocks, so this is a horrible idea. Worst idea ever.”
I couldn’t stave off the laughter. Regardless of how hard I tried, it roared out anyway, echoing around us as if hundreds of people were laughing along. It wasn’t meant to be at her, and thankfully, she didn’t seem to take offense. “Kenny…you just climbed rocks. In fact, you’re standing on one as we speak. We’re not climbing Everest. Plus, we’re basically there already.”
She nodded but quickly asked, “Can we just sit for a moment so I can calm down?”
I followed her lead and sat next to her on the cold stone, her hand still in mine.
“How many girls have you brought here?” She regarded me out of the corner of her eye, as if moving even her head would launch her over the edge. “I honestly don’t care what the answer is; I just need something else to occupy my mind right now.”
“You may or may not believe it, but none. There was only ever one girl I wanted to bring here, but she canceled plans at the last minute.” I noticed the slight arch in her left eyebrow, almost a twitch. It would’ve gone unnoticed had I not been studying her expression, waiting for the fear to fade away. That one move, the slight jump in her blond eyebrow, told me she didn’t believe me. “She canceled plans to go make out with my best friend at the movie theater.”
She slowly turned her head to face me, her mouth forming a perfect O.
“I never brought anyone here because I never wanted anyone to know about it.”
Her brows knitted together, the deep creases between them nearly white. “Why not?”
“This has always been my secret place. It’s where I used to hide when my mom stopped visiting. I didn’t have to pretend here. I could be myself and not worry about judgments or letting anyone down. If I wanted to cry, I’d cry. If I wanted to scream, I’d scream. This place is far too sacred to share with anyone.”
“Then why bring me?”
I opened and closed my mouth several times, incapable of offering an answer because I didn’t have one. I wasn’t even sure if she’d mentioned wanting to see what all the land had to offer or if I’d made it all up in my head. Nothing made sense anymore. My thoughts were swallowed whole by confusion and wrapped in a haze like the morning after drinking.
“Listen, Drew…I’m not some love-sick teenager. You don’t have to worry about me moving here or stalking you or pocketing strands of your hair for either a voodoo doll or clone. That’s not me. I’m just curious why you’ve never brought anyone here before, yet here I am. I don’t care if your answer is because you want to get in my pants and think this will win brownie points. Just be honest with me.”
There was no way I could’ve denied her anything. Not a damn thing. Especially when she regarded me with those vibrant eyes lined with inky lashes, begging me to give her the world. “I can’t tell you why I brought you here. I honestly don’t have an answer other than I got up this morning and wanted to show this to you.”
Her eyes brightened, glowing with the same mirth that curled her lips. “You can admit you’re head over heels in love with me. It’s totally okay; I’m used to it by now. This happens everywhere I go. All the boys start doodling my name in their notebooks and calling themselves Mr. McKenna Richards. You don’t need to be ashamed. At least find comfort in knowing there’s an active support group out there for you.”
“Looks like someone is calm enough to get up and keep going.” It was all I could do not to smile. Although I doubted that I hid my amusement well. She was, after all, looking right at me. I was convinced she could read my mind while staring into my eyes.
Kenny lifted herself to her feet and squeezed my hand. “All right. Let’s go.”
It didn’t go unnoticed that she refused to look to the right, toward the edge, but that was okay. Whatever it took to get her there.
About seven feet away, a large, jagged rock leaned against the one we were on. It was slanted away from us, as if it had slid down and settled between this boulder and the giant one on the other side, rooting itself into the earth below. This was the part I assumed would be a feat to get her through, so I decided against explaining it to her.
She followed me to the massive stone but quickly planted her feet and refused to budge.
“It’s o
kay, Kenny. We’re not climbing this one.”
“Then what are we doing with it? Don’t tell me we’re sliding down it.”
Laughter rolled through my chest, though I fought hard to keep it from reaching the surface. I doubted Kenny would appreciate it. “No, we just have to go over it. The opening to where I’m taking you is right behind it.”
“Then you go first.”
“Only if you swear you’ll follow me, because I can’t get back out this way, and it would take a while to get all the way around and back to you. And I doubt you’ll make it back down to the truck on your own. So you have to follow me.”
She nodded—hesitantly and full of uncertainty, but a nod nonetheless.
Crouching to keep my center of gravity as close to the ground as possible, I grabbed ahold of the jagged rock, swung one leg over, and paused to confirm one more time that Kenny would follow. “There’s dirt behind here…” I gestured to the narrow space between the two boulders. “Dig your heel in as you pull your other leg over, and then it’s one step down from there. Got it?”
Again, she nodded.
A verbal response would’ve been better, but my Grans always told me that beggars can’t be choosers. And right now, I was on the verge of begging.
In one sweeping motion, I demonstrated what to do and hoped she was paying attention. About thirty seconds later, Kenny cautiously followed my instructions and swung her leg over. She lowered herself between the rocks, enough for me to grab her by the hips and help her the rest of the way down. She could’ve done it by herself, but I saw an opportunity to touch her, so I took it.
Once again, I laced my fingers through hers to lead her along the curve in the side of the stone formation, closer to the waterfall. It wasn’t more than five steps, but there was just something about holding her hand that I enjoyed.
The second we made it around the boulder, the smell of water and rock consumed me. It was impossible to describe, but it held the power to heal any ache. And growing up, I’d dealt with my fair share of invisible wounds—all of which would melt away with one lungful of this air, one whiff of this brand of nature.