Mountain Rough

“Yeah?” I raised my eyebrows in a questioning manner.

“So, it seems that my dad had some sort of agreement with this radio station. They had a contest every year where they gave away a vacation and I guess he did it for the free advertising, which is why it didn’t show up on any of the accounts I reviewed.” He put his hand on the counter and sighed deeply. “I’m really sorry you had to drive all the way up the mountain to find that out.”

“All the way up the mountain?” I shook my head back and forth. “I drove six freaking hours to get here.”

“Oh shit…” He exhaled sharply. “Well, as you can see, this place isn’t really set up to accommodate guests.”

“How does a mistake like this happen?” I pursed my lips and felt my temper flaring. “The website doesn’t say anything about it being shut down!”

“Website?” His eyes got wider. “I honestly didn’t even realize Dad had a website.”

“So this is your father’s place? Is he around? I’d like to talk to him about reimbursing my gas and paying for a hotel tonight.” I crossed my arms across my chest.

“He’s right behind you.” He pointed and I spun around.

“I don’t see—oh.” I saw an urn sitting on a shelf. “I’m sorry.”

I guess asking him for gas money or a hotel for the night is out of the question.

“It’s fine.” He exhaled sharply again. “He passed away almost a year ago now. I came to see what I could do with this place and found it pretty much how you see it, except for the things I’ve been able to repair myself.”

“You would think people would have complained if they paid for this,” I picked up the brochure, “and ended up here.”

“Yeah, the books are a mess, but it doesn’t look like business had been very good for a while. He had some people that worked here to clean the cabins and take care of routine maintenance, but most of it is still pretty fucked up.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Again, I’m sorry about all this.”

“It’s fine. I guess I should go so I can get a hotel for the night.” I sighed angrily and shook my head.

“Wait.” He walked towards the door and held it open for me. “I just finished most of the renovations on Cabin A. I mean, I know this isn’t exactly the dream vacation you were hoping for, but you could at least stay one night here.”

I stopped when I got to the front porch and looked at the cabin his finger was pointing at. It didn’t look like it would collapse in on me in my sleep, but if it looked anything like the front office, I wasn’t sure it was going to offer much in the way of accommodations. He walked past me and I decided to follow him to at least see the interior. If it had a bed, it would be better than paying for a hotel room, provided that it wasn’t infested with rodents. He walked up the steps, which creaked under each step, and pushed the door open. I followed him inside and looked around the living room area.

“It does look clean…” I pursed my lip and started walking around.

“It’s even got a brand new mattress. You would be the first one to sleep on it.” He pointed towards the bedroom.

“Are there sheets?” I walked in the direction he was pointing and turned on the light, which flickered before it finally illuminated the room.

“I’ve got a clean set in my cabin. I’ll get them for you if you want to stay.” He nodded when I looked back in his direction.

I guess it isn’t the worst place to sleep, even if it isn’t as advertised.

“Okay, I’ll stay here tonight. Is there a key?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.

“Uh.” He put his hand on the back of his head and scratched it. “I haven’t gotten around to installing new locks yet.”

That sounds safe…

“Okay, I’ll barricade the door so I don’t get eaten by a bear.” I chuckled and smiled.

“That wouldn’t stop a bear.” He chuckled as well. “Okay, well, get settled. Are you hungry?”

“I am.” I nodded, remembering that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

“I’ll cook something and bring it by in a little bit. It’s the least I can do.” He nodded and started walking towards the door. “Oh, do you want a drink? I did restock the liquor—mostly for myself.”

“Wine?” I shrugged and tilted my head.

“I’ll see what I got. My name’s Red, by the way. Red Adams.” He walked over and extended his hand. “I guess I should have introduced myself earlier. Your name is Amanda, right? I saw that on the paperwork.”