Sacha
After breakfast, I took a quick shower but really wanted to get home as soon as possible. I'd already stayed longer than I ever intended. As great as last night was, this morning felt awkward as hell. I was still wearing yesterday's clothes, not looking forward to the walk of shame past Melanie's door to get to my apartment. The only saving grace was she would probably sleep until after noon, since her band had a gig last night.
Gib was giving me some space after our discussion, but he kept looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes. As he helped me into his truck, he checked the time on his phone.
"You know, if you can spare a few minutes, there's something I'd like to show you. It's sort of on the way to town."
I wasn't in the mood for sightseeing, but I knew I had been a bit cold toward him this morning. A touch of guilt had seeped in, so I didn't have the heart to refuse. "How long will it take? I really need to get home."
"About fifteen minutes or so. It's a special place, and I think you'll like it."
"Well, okay."
We traveled down the bumpy gravel road in silence. There was still a chill in the air, but the rising sun promised a pretty day. We passed the other little cabin on the road, the one he'd told me belonged to his landlord. Nice as it was, I still couldn't imagine living in such a remote location.
When we reached the main highway that led to Tilly, Gib turned in the other direction away from town. He easily handled the truck on the steep, winding road. Soon he turned onto a gravel road that was partially hidden by overgrowth. It was fairly flat and soon turned into dirt. It was then he pulled over and parked.
"C'mon. We have a short walk."
I stifled a groan and swung down from the truck. My flat suede boots were not designed for walking on dirt. Gib led the way, carefully navigating around ruts in the path. The property was overgrown with bushes and trees, bare of leaves because it was almost winter. I could only imagine how thick it would be in the height of summer.
A far-off rushing sound reached my ears, and I realized he was leading me toward the river. When we came to a clearing, my breath caught in my throat. Large boulders formed a stepladder of sorts, with the Chattahoochee River cascading over them. It looked as though the hand of a giant had placed them just so, to form the perfect waterfall.
He was watching for my reaction. I couldn't help but smile, the scenery was so gorgeous.
"It's beautiful. How did you find this place?"
"From Marvil. He knows the owner, apparently."
I walked closer and peered over the edge of the riverbank. Farther downstream, the river widened and a large, shallow pool formed. "That would be perfect for swimming in the summer."
Gib's face lit up. "Yes. And there's a flat area over here that would be great for some picnic tables, and maybe a pavilion over there…"
He went on for a few minutes, describing an upscale lodge, with an infinity pool and a hot tub overlooking the river. Apparently, he'd given the idea some thought, down to the detail of how many restaurants the place would have, and how the rooms would be decorated.
"That sounds awesome, Gib. This place is ideal for that type of resort."
I was humoring him. He had no money to fund such a project, of that I was certain. But it was nice to see his enthusiasm-and his creativity.
He stared out at the water, suddenly contemplative. His hands were in his pockets, and he shrugged. "Well, apparently the owners have been approached before, and they refuse to sell it. They want to keep it natural, I guess. I can respect that, and my plan would be to limit the footprint of the resort as much as possible. Make it blend in with the natural surroundings so people can enjoy nature without destroying it."
"People would pay good money to stay in a place like that. I worked at a resort once, in Tennessee. It was only for the summer, but I was made manager of food services after only a month. I loved it."
I realized we had not even discussed much about our past jobs. I'd assumed he'd always been a handyman.
"You managed a restaurant? Cool. I guess that makes sense, with your present job."
"I have a background in catering too. It does help. I'm good at what I do now, but someday I'd like to not travel so much."
He laughed. "You can manage my resort here."
I chuckled at the thought. "It's a nice dream, to build a resort in this place."
The conversation lagged, and we stood for a minute, listening to the song of the 'Hooch. It was a peaceful place, and my urgent desire to go home had waned.
Gib picked up a rock and tossed it into the river where it disappeared with a plop. "I wanted to show you why I fell in love with it here. Tilly is a tourist town, but there is so much more to these mountains, this area."
"I can see why you like it."
The rest of my thoughts remained unsaid. I had plans for the baby and me-and they didn't include living in a backwater, as beautiful as this one was. But there was no reason to spoil the peace of the moment, or Gib's enthusiasm, especially since I would be on my way soon.
He must have sensed my unspoken thoughts and turned toward the path. "Let's go. I've kept you long enough."
He took my hand and led me back to the truck. I took one last look at the idyllic scenery then dismissed it from my mind.
I had no future here.