8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Luna
When Carson announces we’ve reached our destination, my chest aches with a strange sort of melancholy. I’m sad our trip is over.
I’ve enjoyed having the twins with me. You’d think it would’ve felt crowded when I’m used to flying solo, but oddly, it was comforting. Still, I’m anxious to sit by myself and ponder all that has happened over the past twenty-four hours.
Cole drops to a knee between the seats, peering out the front window. “Fuck, I’m glad to be home,” he says. “Drop me off at our place. I’ve got to shit.”
It makes me laugh.
He shoves me in the arm playfully. “Just be thankful I didn’t blow that miniature toilet you have back there.”
“Hey, it serves its purpose.”
Carson pulls into a long driveway. “That’s our parents’ house,” he tells me. “Our little sister, Khloe, also lives there. She’s three.”
We continue on, passing an open field. “Our other sister, Kelsie, lives over there. She has a son who is also three. His name is Ray, after our grandfather,” Carson tells me.
“Wild that we have a nephew and sister the same age, huh?” Cole laughs and leans across to point out my window. “They live in a little church. You can see the steeple over the trees.”
I take a deep breath at his nearness. He and his brother are so much bigger than me, it’s a little overwhelming.
“Oh, I see it. I don’t know if I could live in a church. That’s a bit creepy, isn’t it?”
He backs away. “Naw, the only thing scary about it is her asshole husband.”
Carson laughs. “He’s joking.”
“Am I?”
I smile at him because clearly, he is. “I get it. No one is good enough for your sister.”
“See, she gets me.”
Carson shakes his head, but I can tell he’s happy his brother is finally relaxing around me.
We continue on, going deeper into the forest. “If this is too far out for you, you can stay up at our parents’ house. It’s super nice, and my mom is a great host,” Carson says. “Otherwise, there’s a concrete pad with hookups out behind our cabin you can use if you want to stay in your van.”
“Better warn her about mom’s cooking before she makes a decision on that, brother,” Cole adds.
“Yeah, about that …”
I interrupt them both. “I’ll stay in my van. It’s my home, so no need to trouble them.”
“Are you sure? It gets pretty dark out here at night,” Cole says. “I didn’t mean to scare you off.”
“But we’ll only be a short distance away,” Carson chimes in.
“I’m good in the van. Like I said, it’s my home.”
“Our dad had the concrete poured for my grandpa’s camper. He used to come out here to fish. There’s a stream that runs along the property.”
Cole begins where Carson leaves off. “He moved it over to his new place shortly after we got the cabin built, so it’s just been sitting empty.”
When we round the bend, a two-story log cabin comes into view. “Oh, wow,” I say, sitting forward in my seat. “You guys built this?”
“We did, alongside our dad,” they say in unison, and it makes me smile.
It’s obvious how proud they are of their father.
Cole hops out as soon as his brother stops the van. “I’ll be out to help in a minute,” he says before shutting the door.
Carson yells out the window. “Bullshit. I know it’ll take you longer than that.”
Cole turns around after unlocking the door and flips him off.
“It’s really cool that you two live together,” I say as Carson turns onto a path that leads around back. “And that your whole family lives on the same land.”
“It’s the best. I mean, I enjoyed our time out in Cheyenne, but like they say, home is where the heart is, and mine is with my family.”
I understand what he’s saying. My home used to be in Montana with my mom, but once she left this earth, I’ve been fluttering around like a butterfly with nowhere to land. “Is this it?” I ask excitedly, seeing the stream within throwing distance.
He chuckles. “It is.”
I begin to clap as he backs onto the concrete slab, pulling close to an electrical box.
“There’s a water spigot over there.” He pauses to point to a bright red pump a few feet away. “But feel free to use the bathroom up at the house. We’ll leave our door unlocked.”
“No. That is fine. I have water tanks. The pump will be great for filling them.”
“You won’t be scared out here by yourself?”
I shake my head. “This is nothing. I’ve stayed out in the middle of nowhere on public lands.”
We both get out and stretch.
“I’m impressed.”
“Doesn’t matter where you are in the world. You always have to have your head on a swivel,” I tell him. I know better than anyone that danger can be in your own home.
“Do you carry?” he asks, walking around to the back of my van to check out my electrical system.
“I do.”
My stomach tightens at the pleased look that passes over his face at my response.
He whistles when I open the back doors and show him it’s under my bed. “Quite the setup. Did you do all of the work yourself?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks at his subtle compliment. I love that he didn’t just automatically think a man did this for me.
“I did.” I bend over at the waist, letting my hair shield my face. “You can learn anything on YouTube,” I tell him.
It makes him laugh, drawing my attention back to him. “You can, but executing it without executing yourself, that takes a little bit of know-how.”
I couldn’t stop the dopey grin forming on my face if I tried.
“Don’t sell yourself short, sweetheart. Your whole van is cool as fuck.”
Gah, what is happening to me? I shake my head, trying to clear whatever it is. It’s a lack of shut-eye. I’m sure of it. A good night’s sleep and I’ll feel more like myself.
“Do you hear that?” I ask.
His brows slowly pull together as he looks around. He shakes his head. “I didn’t hear anything.”
“Oh, there it is again. It’s my bed. It’s calling to me,” I say, quickly closing the back door to my van.
A nervous little cough leaves his throat. “Oh, I see how it is. I’m being dismissed.”
Guilt hits me at the disappointment he’s desperately trying to hide in his voice.
My hand shoots out and wraps around his fingers as he turns away. I tug him back around. “I’m sorry. I don’t …” I take a deep breath. “I don’t know how to do this.” I keep his hand in mine as my other one motions between the two of us.
I don’t want him to think I don’t like his company. I do. That in itself is strange. I need time to process it.
The muscles in his face instantly relax. “That’s okay. I forget you’re used to being alone. This must be a lot.”
I nod but give his hand a squeeze. “I am really tired though, aren’t you?”
My question triggers a yawn from him. It makes me giggle.
“Okay, so maybe I could use a little sleep,” he admits, sighing lightly as I release his hand.
“A quick nap and then supper?” I point behind me. “I’ll have hot dogs and a fire if you and your brother care to join me.”
“I’ll bring the marshmallows,” he says, jogging away from me before I have a chance to change my mind.
“Eight?” I yell.
He takes the steps two at a time up to his cabin, giving me a thumbs up. When he disappears inside, happiness bubbles through me, and a little laugh of disbelief slips out. What did I just do?
I place my hand against the side of my ride, sucking in a deep breath. It’s okay. It’s fine. I can entertain someone for supper. I mean, it’s only hot dogs.
Instead of sleeping, I set up my camp. I even put up the tent over the opening of my van door. It’s my patio. I don’t use it often, only when I have plans of staying awhile.
My eyes slowly roam down to the stream longingly. I glance at my watch. I’ve got a little time to explore.
I grab my walking stick and head down the well-worn path to the water.
It must be nice to have this place all to themselves. If I lived here, I would be down here all day. I place my river bucket into the water so I can see all the rocks below.
Heaven. I’m in heaven.