“Did you tell me it was in the middle of nowhere?” Hudson asked as he looked out the window. “It’s beautiful here. I can see why you’d want to live here. It’s hard to believe it’s so close to town since it feels so remote.”
“Well, Boggy Creek is a small town.”
All he did was nod and take in the scenery. I drove for a few more miles and then pulled into the driveway that led to the cabin.
“The cabin has three bedrooms and one bathroom, all up on the second floor,” I said. “There’s a desk in my favorite room. It has a large, floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the lake. It’s truly beautiful. My folks have someone check on it weekly and keep it stocked and cleaned, just in case anyone gets an itch to come up here for a few days.”
“Will your dad tell the caretaker I’ll be here?”
I nodded. “Yes, I’m sure he’ll let her know.”
“Her?” Hudson asked.
Suddenly, a strange feeling came over me. I didn’t want to tell Hudson about Jean. She was a few years younger than me, pretty, with a body that would make any man desire her. She lived a few miles down the road and worked from home for some insurance company.
“Her name is Jean Watts. She, um, works for a big insurance company in Boston.”
“That’s a long commute.”
I let out a nervous-sounding laugh. “She moved here a year or two ago and works from home. She’s about a five-minute drive from you, down the road toward the mountains.”
“Well, at least I know I won’t be totally alone out here.”
For some reason, that statement made me feel angry and was that…jealousy? I gripped the steering wheel and tried to push away the confusing thoughts.
“Here it is.” I pulled up and parked in front of the cabin that had been in our family for as long as I could remember. The two-story, A-frame log cabin sat among the evergreens with beech, red and black oaks, and birch trees peppered throughout. Fall up here was beyond breathtaking. To the right side of the cabin sat a large lake that reflected the surrounding hills and mountaintops. It was one of my most favorite places to be. I couldn’t help but smile as memories of my childhood swept through my mind. Kyle and I hiding out in the forest while my father attempted to find us. Gathering pine cones so our mother could make Christmas wreaths. My grandfather teaching us how to fish and swim in the lake.
This place was exactly what Hudson needed.
“Wow, this is nice, Greer.”
I smiled as we both got out of my 4Runner and made our way up the steps. I entered in the code to the door and listened to it unlock. As we stepped inside, I flipped on the light switch and let Hudson get a good look.
The sounds of tires coming down the drive outside caused me to turn.
What in the hell was she doing here?
Hudson
I knew the second Greer pulled up that this was exactly where I needed to be. I could already feel the creative juices flowing. What better place to write a suspense novel than in the middle of a wooded forest? Alone.
When we walked into the cabin, I felt my pulse take off in a rush of excitement. The log walls carried throughout the entire place. To the right was a modest kitchen with modern appliances, and a small table that sat four. In the middle of the cabin was a giant fireplace made of river rock. The room was open around it on both sides. To the left was the living room. A large leather sectional sat against the wall, faced by a rustic coffee table. A few old wooden chairs were placed around the room as if waiting for someone to pull them up for a good conversation.
Large-plank wood floors ran throughout the entire cabin and made the slightest creaking sound when you walked on them. Across the small room was a staircase that I assumed went up to the bedrooms and bathroom.
The sound of someone pulling down the gravel drive had both of us turning back to the door. Greer started walking down the steps to greet whoever it was.
A black Ford truck pulled up and parked behind Greer’s SUV. A woman about my age and dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt got out of the truck and made her way over to Greer. She wore a huge smile on her face and genuinely seemed thrilled to be here, but there was something about her that seemed off. She was nice looking, with blonde hair that was up in a ponytail and a body that said she enjoyed exercise, yet she couldn’t hold a candle next to Greer.
“It’s been forever, Greer! So nice to see another face around here,” the stranger said as she hugged Greer and then looked past her at me. “You must be the houseguest…Hudson, was it?” She made her way up the three steps of the porch.