“Yeah, majorly.” said Teak, suddenly lighting up. “It’s not just the soil that’s a factor, sunlight plays a major role, water– Up here on the mountain, that stuff can change in an instant.”
“I’ve seen videos online of tree lines collapsing on mountain roads. Is it kind of like that?”
“Oh, sure!” he said. “Erosion on a mountain? With inclines this steep? You saw what happened to your car. Now imagine one of these big trees going over. It could take out a bunch of other trees. Start a whole avalanche. You don’t want to be caught in that.”
“They always say, that’s the biggest danger for homeowners,” I agreed. “Big tree branches. You gotta get the big trees and branches cut down as soon as possible.”
“Yeah, one of those big beauties falls on even this place and it’ll be sticks.” said Teak snapping his fingers. “Have you seen the size of some of the trees on this mountain? It could be: Boom! We’re all dead.”
I must’ve looked a little worried. The image of a giant tree smashing the entire cabin flat now exploded into my head.
“Oh, no-no-no,” he laughed. “That’s not going to happen. We definitely have the trees in this area under control. Ha! Can you imagine?”
Actually, I could, which was part of the problem. I decided to try and change the subject a little.
“Do you guys plant anything other than trees?” I sat lightly on the bed’s edge.
“Sometimes,” said Teak. “There are certain grasses and mosses and flowers that are good for the soil, good for the trees and fight erosion. It’s a delicate ecosystem on the mountain. There are the birds and other animals to consider.”
“I guess there must be some bears up here,” I suggested.
“More than a few,” admitted Teak. “Generally, they’ll stay clear of you. They don’t like loud noise and since we usually have chainsaws, they stay far away. The only thing bad is when you blunder into a mother with her cubs. Then you’d better learn to climb a tree real fast.”
“Did you ever have any close to the cabin?” This was getting me a little worried.
“Oh, this time of year, they’re all hibernating,” assured Teak. “Once in a while, one will wake up for a short time to eat and pee or whatever, but they head right back into hibernation. I mean, as long as you don’t blunder into a lair and try to shake the bear awake, you should be fine. Are you afraid of bears or something?”
“Uh, isn’t everyone afraid of bears?” I laughed. “They can kill you?”
“They’re not going to kill us, we’re Barretts. This is Barrett Mountain.” he laughed. “That would be like killing your landlord.”
“Oh, you charge the bears rent?” I laughed. “And how do you collect that? What do they pay?”
“Mostly picnic baskets,” said Teak. “And fresh salmon.”
“You guys must make a lot of sushi,” I kidded.
“Tons,” he quipped. “Nothing better than bear-caught fish. Nothing.”
“Are there a lot of creeks and streams up here?”
“During the Spring thaw,” said Teak. “That’s when things really start happening around here. You’ll see creeks overfill, bears and deer…it’s mating season, all the animals go crazy.”
“What do you guys do if you run into trouble?”
“Well, we have a few rifles, of course,” he explained. “Everyone around here has a gun. Not sure if it’s that way where you’re from.”
“Not really,” I admitted.
“Anyhow, if the rifle doesn’t work, there’s always the chainsaw,” said Teak. “Not that I expect a grizzly wouldn’t run from that sound. We have to wear ear protection, those things run loud. You see this table?”
Teak gestured to another end table. Its top was one big slice of a stump, smoothed and polished.
“Now imagine the chainsaw that has to cut through this in one shot and then underneath it just to get the piece. I think dad had to cut this five times before he got the right piece for us to work with.”
“Wait, one chainsaw did this? But it’s so huge!” I said excited. “How long is the blade on that thing?”
“We have blades that go four or five feet long,” said Teak. “We’ll show you later. But the thing about blades that big is, the chain falls off of them all the time.”
“Sounds dangerous,” I said.
“Oh, it is. That thing comes back and hits you in the face, it could blind you, maim you– Cut your damned head off!”
“Any near misses?” I hoped the question didn’t sound too shallow.
“Ash had a chain come off and it hit his eye goggles. Fortunately, they absorbed most of the damage, but he got a tiny cut on the side of his head. Gave him a headache for a week. Plus he had to buy new goggles.”
“Beats buying new eyes.”
“Yeah, seriously.”
“I guess life up here is a little big dangerous.”
“Well, you have to be careful,” said Teak. “Heck, on a steep incline, you could just keep bouncing and falling. It hurts.”
“Did it happen to you?” I gasped.
“Yeah, lost my footing and tripped,” said Teak. “The next thing I know, I’m tumbling and bouncing down the mountain. For a couple of bounces, it wasn’t too bad. I felt like I was hitting mostly grass and soft earth, then I hit some rocks, a tree, another tree and then– Bam! I ended up against another tree.”
“Holy shit! Did you have to go to the hospital?”
“Nah,” said Teak dismissing it. “I was banged up and bruised a bit, but by the time I got back to the cabin, I had mostly walked it off.”
“You were by yourself?” I couldn’t believe it.
“Yeah, that’s another tip,” he admitted. “Don’t go up the mountain alone. I just went to take soil samples, I didn’t expect it to turn into 128 Days.”
“You could’ve died!”
“I know. Believe me, my brothers wouldn’t let me forget that for months after,” he said remembering. “I had a GPS with me and my phone. I could’ve called for help, but I didn’t need to.”
“Why would you not call for help?!”
“I was fine,” he assured me. “I didn’t want my brothers worrying me and come running. Then they could get hurt and how bad would I feel about that?”
“I don’t know if you parents would’ve approved.”
“Yeah, probably not. Mom was pretty big on sticking together while we were in the woods, so…”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how long have your parents been gone?”
“Oh, about ten years,” he said. “Car accident. I mean, you can see how dangerous it is up here.”
“Yeah, I totally can. God, I’m an idiot for driving up here,” I laughed. “I should’ve known once I saw the snow– I should’ve just turned around, but I’m so stubborn sometimes. I just kept going.”
“I’m glad you did,” said Teak, who suddenly became nervous, looking down at me. “B-because it gives a chance to show you our place. I was born here. In my mother’s bathtub.”
“Whoa, that’s interesting,” I said.
There was an awkward silence and a weird tension between us. Oak, who had walked out the room, came back with more of his mother’s clothes.
“Found some pretty new stuff I think you could wear,” said Oak.
Teak suddenly looked pained. I felt bad for him. He seemed so nice. I placed a hand on the flannel robe draped over his arm.
“This seems nice and soft,” I smiled. “Thank you.”
As soon as I did it, I knew I had made a mistake. They were both looking at me. They both wanted me. Not good. Better put the water out on this fire.
“Guys, I should probably grab a shower or something,” I said taking the flannel robe and shirt. “I am still chilled to the bone after being outside.”
“You’ll want to come downstairs in a half hour,” said Oak. “Dinner’s going to be ready.”
“Can I push that back to an hour? I really need to soak, okay?” I aske
d.
“Sure,” said Oak. “Need anything else?”
“Because we could get it for you,” offered Teak eagerly.
“No-no,” I assured them. “That’s fine. You guys have been great. Thanks so much for getting me set up here.”
I guided them to the door. They got the message and turned to leave.
“See you at dinner,” said Oak.
“Yep,” I added. “See you then.”
“G’night,” said Teak.
“She’s not going to bed yet, idiot,” I heard Oak mutter under his breath. “She’s coming to dinner. I just invited her…”
I shut the door and leaned on it. I exhaled hard. Close call. Those boys clearly wanted to sleep with me. I mean, they appear single and they are good looking, but it would be a horrible idea to date one of them. I couldn’t deny that I was flattered and more than a little aroused at the thought. Either one of them would be a great catch, but how fair would that be to the other brother? No. Best to put it out of my mind.
With a newfound sense of purpose, I went into the bathroom, stripped and soaked in a hot tub. It was glorious. Decadent even. It was something I enjoyed doing, even while stopping in horribly sleazy motels during my drive. You cannot believe what floats to the surface of the water in those places. Ick.
This tub was heaven. I decided that my trek here was a new beginning. It was a new chapter in my life. I could finally leave the past behind and look forward to the future. Sure, I’d have to save and get a new car, but that was easy. Things had settled and I finally felt like life would go my way again.
After a good soak, I felt clean and alive again. I wanted to put on my face, but all I had was some lipstick I kept in my jacket. In the pile of items they left for me, I found a cute sweater and a skirt that seemed to fit well. I was all set and went down to dinner.
Chapter 5:
Elm
This entire situation was very strange to me. My brothers don’t seem to think clearly. Inviting a stranger, even a really hot and sexy stranger, into the house is one thing. Hiring her for the family business is another. I knew I’d have to watch her like a hawk.
She came down the stairs. I have to say I was surprised by how nice she looked and I already thought she was pretty hot. A skirt and a sweater ensemble which seem somehow familiar to me. Wait a minute. I know that bear pattern!
“That sweater is my–“ I began to say.
“Hmm?” she asked curiously.
“Nevermind,” I said.
Made sense. Mom and Dad’s stuff was just sitting up in their room. I had made offers to clean it out. Donating the clothes is a tax write off, but my brothers– There was always one that got sentimental whenever I suggested it. What are we to do? Leave a permanent shrine to the parents in the house? That’s an entire room that could be used for storage or guests. Air B&B guests would pay a fortune to stay up here. But no, we have to rent it out to this– This, person, whoever she is. Better stay close to her.
“Guys and lady, time to eat,” announced Ash.
The guys had really cooked too much food. Granted, there were five of us already, but they were clearly trying to impress our guest. This is what I mean about my brothers, they would trip all over themselves to impress a total stranger. Makes no logical sense in my book.
There was a roasted turkey. We had planned to eat this before the guest arrived. It’s actually a great way to save money. You roast the bird and then you can make sandwiches all week. It’s not like going to the deli is an option around here. Also, we had to bake our own bread for the same reason, but that part is pretty easy. Curing your own meats? That’s a bit too time consuming.
What betrayed their motive was the sides. That’s how you could tell my brothers were trying to impress. Stuffing is standard with a bird like this, but yams? No. Someone went all the way down to storage to crack out the cans. There were also string beans, pretty standard in a meal like this, but look. What’s that? Shaved almonds? Now, come on. This had to be Alder. He’s the only one that would open a bag of perfectly good whole almonds and shave them down like that. Pathetic.
“Wow, you guys really know how to eat.” said Lila, clearly impressed. “Did you guys hunt these turkeys?”
“No,” I said immediately. “These are frozen. We actually just stocked up a lot of food for the winter. This isn’t anything special.”
“Why must you rain on the parade?” said Ash. “Look at all these sides.”
“I will admit the sides are bigger than normal, but I don’t want to give her the wrong impression,” I said, aloof. “I don’t see why we can’t just eat normally, like a family.”
“We have a guest,” reminded Ash.
“Technically an employee,” I countered. “We should be professional. This should be a dinner that’s above reproach.”
Teak entered with what looked like a plate of nuts.
“I roasted chestnuts!” he announced.
It was a plate of nuts.
“These are so good,” Teak said to Lila, trying to impress her. “You just crack them open and nut meat is so tender. And it’s good for you.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, apologizing for my brother.
“What?” said Lila. “They look good.”
“It’s just that my brothers went a little overboard,” I countered. “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”
Oak entered. He had taken a trip to Hawaii a few years ago and discovered Spam. He made an entrée of Spam and pineapple. He must’ve had to open a dozen cans.
“Seriously?” I objected.
“What?” said Oak. “I’ve been wanting to make this for a while.”
“We already have meat,” I said incredulous.
“But we didn’t have pineapple.”
“Fine,” I said. “But if we run out of food before the end of winter, you guys are making the trip downtown.”
We all went to sit down. I moved into the seat next to Lila. Alder tried to squeeze in between us.
“What are you doing?” I demanded immediately.
“I normally sit here,” he said, mildly hurt.
“No, Alder,” I said impatiently. “You normally sit where our guest is sitting and now she’s sitting there. You can’t squeeze in here.”
“What’s the big deal?” he said, trying to fit in.
“No. No-no,” I insisted. “Go over there. Over there.”
Alder made a face, but took a different spot at the table. God, it was like I had to do everything in this family. Even Oak and Teak tried to make a move, but it wasn’t going to happen. Ash, of course, loved to sit at the head of the table. He lorded over us. He was glad to be the patriarch now. The better strategy was to be a number two, I say. This way, he gets all the blame when things go wrong, but I still hold a great deal of sway. My brothers just didn’t think strategically.
“Jeez, how many turkeys do you have at actual Thanksgiving?” asked Lila.
“When the extended Barrett clan is here, it’s usually, what? Four? Five?” said Ash. “It’s a lot of food. I think we had 80 people last year.”
“Wow! Even this place can’t possibly hold that many people.” said Lila, impressed. “Where do they all stay?”
“We have a few uncles who are hardcore ice fishermen,” I explained. “They set up camp in the parking lot with their temporary shelters. They’re quite warm once they’re set up. Impressive, really.”
“Speaking of family,” Lila’s eyes swept through all of us brothers. “I can’t get over that none of you guys are married or have kids or even girlfriends.”
“Well, work keeps us busy,” said Ash. “Plus we’re all the way up on the mountain most of the time.”
“Ah, I’m just playing the field,” joked Oak.
Ash gave him a disapproving stare.
“I think what my brothers are trying to say,” I explained. “Is that we haven’t found what we’re looking for. I mean, our mother was a pretty great lady, so the bar is prett
y high, let me tell you.”
“I know what you mean,” said Lila. “I haven’t found what I’ve been looking for either. My last relationship– It ended kinda rough.”
“Is that what brought you out here?” I asked.
Alder coughed pointedly
“What?” I said. “I’m just trying to get to know our new friend.”
“It’s okay. I was with this guy, Bradley, for about a year. He was my whole life,” said Lila. “But then, I caught him with my best friend, Annie. I mean, it was like a movie. I walk in and there they were having sex in my place!”
“The place where you and Bradley lived or where you and Annie lived?” I asked.
“Elm, man,” chastised Ash. “What difference does that make?”
“I’m trying to get the details of her story straight in my head, that’s all,” I said.
What does he expect? I’m trying to be interested in her story. She tells it all vague but details are important.
“Actually, Annie and I were roommates. I came home early and found them together,” explained Lila. “Then I just kind of snapped. I threw all my stuff in my car and left. I just kept driving. A few days later, I wind up on a mountain with you guys.”
“Whoa, wait a minute, you mean this just happened?” I asked. “You left your entire life behind three days ago?”
“Basically,” she replied.
“Wow, I’m actually mildly impressed by that,” I said.
“Call Guiness.” joked Teak.
“Yeah, Elm isn’t impressed by anything,” added Alder.
“I’m impressed by anything I can’t do,” I admitted. “And I have to say, I don’t think I could just walk away from my life like that.”
“Trust me, you could walk away from my life,” she replied. “It wasn’t worth much.”
“Aw, you shouldn’t say that,” said Ash.
“No, I don’t mean it that way,” she explained. “It’s just that, right then, I had nothing holding me there but Bradley and Annie. When they betrayed me, there was no reason to stay and every reason to leave.”
“Fate must’ve brought you here,” said Teak.
“I don’t believe in Fate,” said Lila. “If the bitch is real, I’d like to have five minutes alone with her. Ha!”
Loved by the LumberJacks_A MFMMMM Reverse Harem Romance Page 4
