“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.