Blue Hollow Falls

by Donna Kauffman

  She didn’t reject the offer outright. Instead, she looked out the windshield and up at the steadily darkening sky. “I had planned to drive home tonight.”

  “Do you have work tomorrow?”

  “No, I took the day off, but—”

  “Then stay.” He pulled the truck over as they reached the other end of town and parked in front of a small brick building that had the town barber shop on the first floor and Danny Tremaine’s tax service above it on the second floor. Both were closed for the night and the building was dark. He turned to her. “Listen, about what I said back there—”

  “It’s okay,” she said quickly, then looked down at the hands she’d curled in her lap. A beat went by, and then she seemed to come to some kind of internal decision. When she looked up again, though, she kept her gaze aimed out the side window. “We’re both adults. And . . .” She paused again, then let out a long, somewhat shaky breath and turned to face him, her expression resolute. “You’re not mistaken, okay? Back at the food truck, when you assumed the attraction was mutual?” she explained. “It is.” A hint of a dry smile curved her lips and she motioned at him with her hand. “I mean, have you seen you?”

  He let out a surprised snort at that, but said, “Ditto,” which made her blush, but he didn’t say anything more. He was too busy waiting for the other shoe to drop, certain it was coming.

  “I’ve gone over it in my head, too,” she said. “More times than I care to admit. Weighed all the pros and the lengthy list of cons. And you’re right, it does seem like a complication not worth pursuing. Not when the outcome, if it’s not a good one, could upset more people than just you or me. Mostly, I’m worried about what it would do to Bailey. She’s connected to you. Maybe it’s the Army thing, or maybe it’s because you’re a genuinely nice guy who is trying to help those around him. Probably both. Whatever the case, she also seems invested in keeping me in her orbit. So the last thing we should be is cavalier about pursuing whatever”—she paused and made a small gesture between them—“whatever this is, and possibly get her hopes up about something, only to dash them later, or worse, make it awkward for us all to be around each other. She’s had far too much disappointment and upheaval already. I don’t know what role I’ll ultimately play in her life. We all just found out about each other. But I do know what I don’t want is to be a contributor to more disappointment.”

  When she didn’t add anything further, he said, “Maybe it would be best if I get you back up to Addie’s.”

  She surprised him by not sighing in relief. Instead, she shifted to look at him more fully. “I’m not rejecting this because of you. I’m—”

  “I heard every word. And I get it. I even agree with it. With you. The problem is, the more you talk, the more you reveal about yourself, the more I admire you and like you. You’re interesting and complex, you’re a thinker and a ponderer. You’re open-minded, but unafraid to state your own opinion. You don’t leap before looking, before considering, but it doesn’t mean you don’t leap, or won’t. All of those things are attractive to me. You are attractive to me.” He leaned back in his seat and sighed. “I haven’t even let myself consider that part of my life in . . . hell, I don’t even know. What feels like forever. I wasn’t looking. I’m not looking. And yet, boom, here you are.”

  She surprised him again by laughing, then tipped her head back and sighed again, this time more openly and with feeling. “Agreed. On all of that.” She rolled her head to look at him. “But hey, at least we’re keeping all this liking and admiring in the family, right?”

  He choked out a laugh at that. “And if that isn’t the most screwed-up part of it all.” He shrugged. “What are you gonna do? Stuff happens, and like I said, then you have to sort through it and figure it out. That’s all I’m trying to do.” He glanced at her again. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “Ditto,” she said, holding his gaze, a smile still curving those lips.

  He held hers right back for a long moment, then for another moment after that. Trying, and failing, not to let his gaze drift down to that mouth, and wonder what she’d taste like. Again. Sweet, spicy, and a few things he was sure he hadn’t expected. Damn, but he wanted more. More with her, more of her.

  “We’re both adults here,” he said, mostly because he needed to hear it, needed to heed it. “My life is here. Yours is hours away. We haven’t actually started anything other than a friendship.” He smiled then. “The beginning of a good one, I hope.”

  She nodded at that, but her expression otherwise had become harder to read, and it wasn’t just the dwindling light.

  “So, we do the smart thing. The wise thing,” he concluded.

  “For Bailey,” she added.

  “Right. Forge the friendship, support the kid, be there for Addie. Or I will, at least, on that last part. Try to keep her in check, anyway.” He shot her a smile. “No promises there. And both of us will get on with the business of forging ahead with our life plan. The mill and microbrewery for me. Your doctorate and climbing the horticultural ladder of success for you.”

  “Sound plan.”

  “Indeed.”

  They both sat there, staring at each other.

  She surprised him by speaking first, and echoing exactly what was going through his mind. “So, why does it feel like we’re ignoring what the universe is taking great pains to tell us?” She laughed outright before he could respond.

  “What?” he asked, when she just shook her head, but didn’t continue.

  “I can’t believe I’m sitting here with someone I met less than a month ago spouting things about the universe’s grand plan—utterly sincerely, mind you—and you’re nodding like I’m making perfect sense.” She leaned her head back again and sighed, but was still smiling. “Maybe we both went down the rabbit hole and this is some parallel universe. Or a really bizarre dream.”

  He chuckled, too. “It is a bit surreal. All of it, really. So why should this be any different?” This, he thought, as if there was actually something happening, when, in truth, nothing had happened. Of course, he was used to relationships beginning with the physical attraction taking center stage and the whole getting-to-know-you part happening sort of in the background, behind the cloud of pheromones that was usually dictating the pace at which things unfolded. Spending time around each other as they had, with the circumstances being what they were, had created a situation where they were learning a lot about each other in a short period of time, and the physical part had been shoved to the background, allowing them to get to know each other in an entirely different way. A way that was turning out to be a whole different kind of intoxicating.

  “What about you?” she wanted to know. “I mean, you asked me earlier. Have you ever come close to putting a ring on it?”

  He was a little surprised by her curiosity, but fair was fair. “No. Early on after I enlisted, I had a few relationships that showed promise, but as my career in the Army progressed and I made the choice to pursue Special Forces, it went from challenging to almost impossible to get a relationship to the serious stage. Even if I’d already been in a serious relationship, I think my career pursuits would have almost certainly ended it, and I wouldn’t have blamed the woman for it. I truly was married to the job. My deployments weren’t normal. I wouldn’t have asked anyone to sit here at home and wonder or worry.”

  “I can’t imagine you miss those missions, the danger of them, but do you miss being in the Army in general?”

  “Parts of it, yes, but I knew about halfway through my third tour that I wasn’t going to be career Army. And if I’d had any doubts about that, my last tour answered them for me. I’d done everything I’d personally set out to do, and given I wasn’t interested in moving up the chain of command, I turned my sights in a different direction. A number of us bugged out at the same time. It was the right time to go. No regrets.”

  She nodded. “That’s a really good thing.”

  Sawyer started up the engine again, and pul
led away from the curb. He headed away from town, wondering if he’d still feel like he had no regrets after this night was over.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The moon will be up soon, and since you’ll be crashing at Addie’s tonight”—he paused, waited for her to nod yes to that, then continued—“I thought we might as well enjoy a moonlit ride in the country. I can text her and let her know not to hold dessert for us. I’ll show you my property.”

  “It’s dark.”

  “Actually, that’s one of the reasons I bought it. You’ll see.”

  She didn’t object, so he drove on. The silence between them was comfortable again. The skies continued to deepen toward full dark as he wound farther up into the hills, and the sounds of birds chirping gave way to the buzzing of the tree frogs.

  “So,” he said, at length, “you’re still thinking about that greenhouse, aren’t you?”

  She let out a short laugh. “Guilty. I was just thinking I’m both happy and sad to have seen it. Even if by some miracle it was salvageable, the renovation cost would be way above my pay grade. Beyond that, what the heck would I do with it even if I could?” She shook her head, then laughed. “The best way I can describe it is, even though the condition is deplorable, to a horticulturalist or even any lay gardener worth his or her salt, that structure is like greenhouse porn.”

  He laughed outright. “I actually get that. I feel something of the same way about the mill and the setting. The stone and plank wood building, the metal waterwheel, the waterfalls. It’s almost too good, too picturesque. At least, in my mind’s eye it is.”

  “Exactly. I see that green glass and all that iron scroll-work and I can just picture how it looked in its heyday.” She looked at him. “You’re lucky, to be able to realize your vision. I hope everyone is grateful for the work you’re putting in on their behalf.”

  “It’s not entirely altruistic. My future will be there, too. And they’re all pitching in, too, with labor, materials, or just donations. We all want this to work, to give us a home base, a foundation that will be stronger and more meaningful for everyone if we work on it together.”

  “Is that who those other men were I saw out there today? Some of the guild members?”

  He nodded. “We’ve had to hire folks, too, to fill in the skill sets we don’t have. Like Will, who is a stonemason. We’ll have to get someone to help with the electrical, and the plumbing.”

  “What will you do when it’s time for the rest of the crafters to start moving in to their workshops? Will you start building on your property before then so you have a place to stay? Or will you go back with Addie?”

  “Addie’s cabin only has her bedroom and the loft, which is Bailey’s room now, so the inn is full there. And that’s fine. I don’t want to move backward.”

  “Well, it would just be temporary, and it would probably thrill her. She offered me the fold-out couch for the night, so there’s that, right?”

  “Yes, and she’s offered it, but I don’t need a place. I have one.” Just as he was saying this, they rounded a bend and hit the top of a hill where he slowed to a stop and cut his headlights. No one else would be coming out this way. No one except him.

  “Oh, Sawyer,” she gasped. “Oh, wow.”

  This particular view never failed to move him just like that. Like a punch to the soul. Here, the mountaintops formed almost a complete ring, creating what looked like a high elevation valley. In this case it was more of a deep pocket meadow. When the moon was up and anything more than a sliver, it cast a beautiful white glow over the little nook in the center of the mountain top ring. The complete lack of man-made light allowed for a spectacular view of the stars scattered across the night sky. They twinkled like cheerful, celestial confetti being sprinkled over one of the prettiest places he’d ever seen, and they put on that show just for him, every single night.

  Each time he peaked this crest, his heart filled right up inside his chest. It was every bit as beautiful during the day, season in and season out. Sunshine, rain, snow; all lent their particular brand of beauty to this place he now called home.

  “It’s almost otherworldly,” she said in a hushed tone. “In a stunningly beautiful way.”

  “I knew it was going to be my spot the moment I saw it.”

  “You bought land down there?”

  “I did.” All of it, in fact, though he didn’t say so.

  “I think driving into this, every day, or every night, would balance out even the worst of days.” She glanced at him. “It’s very secluded. Almost isolated.”

  He smiled. “Yet another selling point. I’ll have all the camaraderie I want or need at the mill, and in town. For me, balance is key.”

  She studied him for a moment, and he could almost hear the wheels turning. He figured she was wondering if he had some kind of lasting damage from his time overseas, if this was part of how he intended to heal himself. She could have asked, given the frank nature of their conversation so far, but he liked that she was being respectful enough not to. The answer to that, though, was, yes and no. There was no denying he felt some part of his soul settle every time he drove into this pocket of the world—his pocket of the world—but he suspected he’d have felt that way even before he enlisted. Wanting to be out here, up here, was the culmination of all the parts of the life he’d led up to this point. And who knew, maybe it wouldn’t be something he’d want or need forever. The great thing was, it didn’t matter. If that time ever came, he’d simply change course.

  “I’ve always lived in the city,” she said. “I don’t know if I could adapt to living such an isolated life.” She took in a deep breath, and released it slowly. He saw her body relax into her seat and a slow smile spread across her face. “But looking at it right now, I’d sure be tempted to try.”

  His smile deepened to a grin. “I’d never thought about it that way, really. Living in Blue Hollow Falls is already living ‘out here’ as they call it. Rural, country, mountain life. This is just taking it another step further. But I knew this place was right when I saw it. Haven’t regretted signing those papers for a moment since.”

  “How much land did you get? Have you decided where you’ll build?”

  “Actually, there is already a house, a few outbuildings, and even a small cabin in the back of the property, in the woods, beside a small creek that feeds into Big Stone. It was built back in the eighteen hundreds, probably by a trapper. The hunting cabin, not the main house.”

  “That’s wild. Truly,” she added, with a laugh. “So why sleep on a cot in the mill if you have a house?”

  “It needs a lot of work and I wanted to get the mill well under way first, to give me some time to think about exactly what I want to do with the place. It was easier to just stay on site, get the renovation going. I really wanted to make fast progress before winter weather arrives.”

  “Mission man,” she teased.

  “Guilty,” he echoed with a smile. “Would you like to see it? The house, I mean.”

  “Sure. We came this far. Though I don’t know how much I’ll be able to see, even with those gorgeous night-lights you have up there.” She motioned to the sky.

  “Just standing in the middle of the pocket and looking skyward is worth the drive in.”

  She gestured with her hand. “Then onward we go.”

  He was glad he’d invited her now. They needed to find some way to move forward, and ending the evening after that awkward moment earlier might have let that unease grow. Just over the crest he turned onto a dirt and gravel lane that wound down into the heart of the pocket. It was, for all intents and purposes, his driveway.

  “You’re lucky the land was up for grabs,” she said.

  “It actually belonged to a farmer who was a good friend of Doyle’s daddy, worked for Bart, Sr. when he was a kid, in fact. Sol Jenkins is his name. The land was handed down to him by his father, but he never married, never had kids of his own. He’s ninety-two now, and last in the line. He’s
long since given up on farming due to his health and had moved down into the valley to a senior care facility quite a long time before I discovered this place. He tried to give the land to me, told me he was just happy to see it go to someone who’d take care of it, instead of its going to the state when he passed on. He’d wanted to donate it, but couldn’t imagine who’d want it.”

  “That’s . . . remarkable.”

  He gave her a quick smile. “More of that universe stuff we’re supposed to pay attention to, I guess. I did buy the land from him, in a manner of speaking, all i’s dotted and t’s crossed, though he fought me on that score. Stubborn codger. Eventually, I made him a deal. He sold me the property for a dollar, for legal purposes. Then I had the property appraised, and told him I’d take care of his living and medical expenses with the money I’d have used to buy the place at the appraised rate. The balance of what is left when he passes will be donated to the charity of his choice.”

  “That’s really lovely,” she said, looking delighted. “Then the land he worked all his life will, in turn, take care of him, which is as it should be.”

  “I thought so.”

  She smiled. “You may not like that Sergeant Angel moniker, but when you do stuff like that, what do you expect?” She didn’t give him time to push the compliment away, instead asking, “What charity did he choose?”

  “Well, we argued a bit about that, too, but he won that particular battle.” Sawyer slowed down so they could take a tight curve in the narrow drive as they descended the rest of the way to the bottom of the pocket. Then he glanced at her once the lane straightened out again. “His charity is the mill renovation. He said he couldn’t ask for any better legacy than a chance for his hometown to have a new birth.”

  Sunny’s face lit right up at that, and in the moonlight, he was once again struck by how beautiful she was, and in so much more than any conventional way.

  “That’s . . . amazing! Beyond perfect, really.” Then her expression fell. “Oh, wait, though. So, if you’re essentially mortgaging the work on the mill instead of this place, then how will you get the renovations done out here? And what about your microbrewery?”