“So, a first time with a panoramic view, huh? That was an interesting choice,” I teased. “It would have been simpler to fuck me on the sofa in the cabin, but I’m definitely not complaining.”
Eden chuckled and took my hand. “I hadn’t planned on that exact destination or anything. I just thought I should bring along some supplies, in case the mood struck us.”
“Good call.”
The hike back down the hill went quickly, and pretty soon we were in the car, then back at the cabin. After we built a fire and made some tea, we curled up together on the couch. We kept the conversation light, and Eden put his arm around my shoulders as I snuggled against him.
On the surface, it all looked the same as it had that morning. But it felt different—more solid, more real, like we were truly a couple. It seemed like I was getting everything I’d ever wanted.
If only we could have stayed in that perfect little bubble forever.
Chapter 10
The next couple of days were perfection. Eden and I spent every minute together. Sometimes we went out hiking or exploring, but mostly we just played house in that cozy little cabin. I’d never been so happy.
Around noon on Friday we got a call from the mechanic, who told us he’d located the part we needed. He expected it to arrive on Monday and planned to have the truck back up and running by Tuesday. That meant we still had a few days here, and I was thrilled.
I knew things would change when we returned to San Francisco. There was no doubt about that. At the cabin we were in our own little world, with no outside influences or responsibilities. We were basically on a honeymoon, and all our focus could be on each other. Soon though, we’d have to leave this incredible twenty-four-seven fantasy land.
The thing we dreaded the most was telling Casey we were a couple. We both knew he was going to take it badly. But I really believed if Eden and I presented a united front and explained this to him calmly and rationally, my brother would come around. Maybe not right away, but eventually he’d realize how much Eden and I cared about each other, and that this relationship was the real deal. He couldn’t object to that, could he?
So far, we hadn’t mentioned anything to him. He’d been busy with work, but he checked in periodically to say hello and see how we were doing. We didn’t like keeping a secret from him, but this was just too big to tell him over the phone.
Eden snapped me out of my thoughts as he stepped onto the porch and said, “I just talked to my supervisor and told him I should be back to work next Thursday.”
“Was he upset about you being gone that long?”
“Yeah, he was, and that annoyed me. It’s not like I’m choosing to blow off work. I just have to wait for my truck to get fixed, and I explained that to him.”
“I wish you’d tell him to shove the job up his ass,” I said. “It’s not even what you want to be doing.”
“It’s tempting, but I can’t just up and quit.”
Technically, he could. Eden didn’t like to talk about the fact that his parents had set up several investment accounts for him when he was in college. He thought it made him sound spoiled. But the fact was, he didn’t really need the paycheck. It was just his sense of obligation that kept him at that job, even though he didn’t like it and had admitted it took a toll on him. I was pretty frustrated by that, but I couldn’t exactly tell him what to do.
Instead, I changed the subject with, “Do you still feel like going into town for some groceries?”
“Yeah, we need to. We’re running out of just about everything.”
We locked up the cabin and headed out in our funky loaner car. When we came to the last building in the row, the woman who owned the property stepped outside and waved to us. Eden stopped the car and rolled down his window, and Martha came over to us with a big smile.
I’d already called her while Eden was on the phone with his boss, letting her know we’d be staying through Tuesday. I’d also switched out Eden’s credit card number with mine. He’d insisted on paying for the cabin when we checked in, but he was on this road trip because of me, so I didn’t think he should have to pay for our lodging. He’d probably argue with me when he found out, because part of his caretaker thing included paying for everything, but I felt strongly about this.
Martha said, “I wanted to let you boys know Harry and I are heading to Salt Lake City at about three this afternoon, and we’ll be back before midnight. Some old friends are throwing a party. I wasn’t going to go, but Harry convinced me we need to get out more. I wanted to make sure you two don’t need anything before we take off.”