Rough Terrain (Vista Falls #1)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “You think it would be okay if I spent the summer here with you guys?”

  “Uh…” Wes didn’t know how to respond. He’d have loved nothing more than to hang out with Nick for a couple of months, but he had no idea how Nick’s mom would feel about that. He couldn’t commit to anything until he’d spoken to both her and Sage.

  “If you’re too busy or whatever, it’s cool. I just thought maybe—”

  “It’s not that I’m too busy. But why don’t you want to go up to the cabin with your mom and stepdad? I’m sure there’s some great fishing up there. Maybe you could get a little hunting in too.”

  “And be cut off from my friends for the whole summer?” Nick said, sounding disgusted. “With no internet, no cell service? Ugh. I might as well be in jail.”

  “I’m sure it wouldn’t be that bad,” Wes said, chuckling.

  Nick glared at him. “You think this is funny? This is my life we’re talking about! Not that I expect that to matter to you. You’ve never given a shit about me. Why start now?”

  “Nick, that’s not fair.” If anyone else had blown up at him like that, Wes would have let them have it right back. But Nick had a right to his anger, so Wes was determined to give him a long rope.

  “Not fair?” He jumped up, nearly upending the chair. “You want to know what’s not fair? That I don’t get a say in anything. My so-called parents dump me with strangers when I’m a baby. My old man leaves me with some douche who doesn’t even care what happens to me. Did you even think about the consequences before you got her knocked up?”

  Wes gripped the edge of the counter, trying hard not to lose it. “You don’t know—”

  “No, you don’t know! You don’t know how it feels to have no one want you!”

  “Jesus, Nick,” Wes said, hanging his head. “Don’t think that.”

  “It’s true, and you know it. My mom doesn’t even want me anymore. Ever since she got remarried, she’s been treating me like an inconvenience. I know she doesn’t really want me with them this summer. I’d just be in the way.”

  Wes cursed when his phone buzzed with a text from Colt asking him to call immediately. It was an emergency. Wes had turned his ringer off earlier, and since Colt wasn’t prone to panic, Wes knew it had to be serious. He thought both he and Nick could use a cooling-off period. “I have to make a call in my office.”

  “Of course you do,” Nick said, rolling his eyes. “Isn’t that what you do best, walk away from your problems?”

  “Look, I get that you’re angry, but I won’t have you disrespecting me.”

  “Why should I respect you?” He glared at Wes. “Because you’re rich? Because you built some big-ass company that—”

  “No.” Wes couldn’t think of a single reason why Nick should respect him, so instead of continuing the argument, he did exactly what Nick accused him of doing—he walked away.

  ***

  Wes swore a blue streak as he tore around the house looking for Nick half an hour later. The call with Colt had lasted longer than he’d expected after he found out that a manager in one of their retail stores had been selling merchandise off the truck for months.

  “Where the hell could he be?” Wes asked himself as he texted Nick, though he didn’t expect a response. “It’s not like he had wheels. How far could he have gone?”

  He jumped in his truck after almost forgetting to lock his front door, though in Vista Falls, that was hardly necessary. He hoped Nick would come back after a short walk, but something told him this was a lot more serious than needing a little breathing space. All of that anger Wes hadn’t realized Nick harbored had come pouring out as soon as he felt as if he was being rejected all over again. Not that Wes was surprised. He probably would have reacted the same way.

  He kept his eyes peeled on the short drive to Sage’s house, but there was no sign of Nick. Since she was the only other person Nick knew in town aside from Rush and his mother, Wes prayed that’s where he had gone. Though Nick probably viewed Sage as the enemy right now too.

  After barely throwing the truck into park in Sage’s driveway, Wes jumped out, his heart beating out of his chest as he ran up the steps. “Please, God, please let him be here.”

  “Hey,” Sage said, smiling at him when she answered his knock. “I wasn’t expecting you guys for at least another hour.”

  “Then Nick’s not here?”

  Sage’s smile fell as her gaze drifted to the truck. “What are you talking about? Of course he’s not here. I thought he was with you.”

  “He was, but we, uh, kind of got into it, and he bailed when I was on the phone.”

  Sage staggered back, looking pale and shaky. “Where could he have gone? He doesn’t know his way around town. Did he even have any money?”

  “I don’t know, but we’ll find him, baby. Don’t worry.” Telling her not to worry was crazy—he was terrified. “Maybe Rush or my mom have heard from him.” Both had given Nick their contact information at brunch, so while Wes knew it was a long shot, it was the only shot he had.

  Sage closed the front door as she watched him dial Rush’s number. It took only a few words to eliminate that option, and Wes could tell fear was getting the best of Sage.

  “He hasn’t heard from him?” she asked, running a hand through her hair as her eyes filled with tears.

  “No, but I’ll try my mom. Maybe she has.” They had hit it off, so Wes was still holding out hope that she was the person Nick had turned to since he didn’t know another soul in town.

  Sage paced in the living room while Wes’s mother told him that she hadn’t seen or heard from Nick either. She promised to let them know if she did.

  “I can’t believe this,” Sage said, sinking onto the couch. “How did this even happen?”

  “He asked if he could spend the summer here with us, and—”

  Sage raised her hand. “Wait. What? And what did you tell him?”

  “I…” Wes replayed the conversation in his head, realizing how bad the truth would sound if he relayed the conversation to Sage verbatim. “I asked him why he didn’t want to go to the cabin with his mom and stepdad. I told him it could be fun.”

  She narrowed her eyes as though she suspected he wasn’t telling her everything. “And?”

  “And he blew up. He said no one wanted him, that no one had ever wanted him. And when I told him I had to make a call, he accused me of walking away like I always do.”

  “I don’t believe this,” Sage said, dropping her head in her hands. “Why didn’t you just tell him that you’d talk to me about it? If you didn’t want him, he could have come to stay with me! Now he’s out there somewhere by himself, thinking we’ve abandoned him all over again! What is wrong with you?”

  Wes reminded himself that Sage was just upset, that she didn’t really blame him for Nick running away. Did she? Maybe she was right. Maybe this whole thing was his fault. He sat next to her, reached for her hand, and she pulled back.

  Feeling as if someone had gut-punched him, he said, “Look, there’s no sense fighting about this now. We have to concentrate on finding Nick.”

  “If you weren’t ready to be a father, why reach out to him at all?”

  “What?” Wes couldn’t believe she would even think that. Of course he wanted to be a father to Nick given the chance.

  “You knew he’d lost his dad. You had to know he’d be feeling lost and vulnerable. I thought when you reached out to him, it was because you were finally ready to be the father he deserved.”

  “I am.”

  “Then why did you reject him like that?” She sniffled, brushing away the tears slipping down her cheeks. “How could you do that? Do you know how hard it must have been for him to ask whether he could stay with us this summer? And for you to react like he was wrong to ask—”

  “I didn’t imply he was wrong to ask!” Wes knew this wasn’t getting them anywhere, but he felt he was being attacked by the woman who claimed to love him. “You’re forgetting one thing,
Sage—we’re not his parents. Not legally. We have no right to make any decisions without checking with his mom first.”

  “His mom,” she said, jumping up. “Have you called her?”

  “No, I wanted to check in with everyone I could think of here first.” He raked a hand through his hair, setting his cell phone on the coffee table. “God, what’s she going to think? Our first weekend visit with us and he runs away.”

  “I don’t care what she thinks right now. I only care about making sure he’s safe. Maybe he called her and asked her to pick him up.” Sage pointed at the phone. “Call her!”

  Wes’s hand was shaking as he dialed the number. She picked up after the third ring, and he forced himself to take a deep breath before he said, “Mrs. Martin, this is Wes Davis.”

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, sounding alarmed. “Nick isn’t giving you a hard time, is he?”

  Oh God, she hadn’t heard from him either.

  “Um, no. Everything’s fine.” Wes held up a hand when Sage frowned at him. He had a tough decision to make: worry another woman half to death or try to fix this mess himself. “Nick mentioned something about you guys going away this summer to your husband’s cabin?”

  “Yes.” She sighed. “I’m afraid Nick’s not too happy about it.”

  “I know. He asked if it would be okay if he stayed here with us this summer.”

  “He did? Oh my, I didn’t expect him to do that. What did you say?”

  “I kind of put him off. I wanted to talk to you first, find out whether you’d consider letting him do that.”

  She sighed. “I know you’re his parents and all, but…”

  Wes thought that so far he’d been little more than a sperm donor, but he wanted a chance to rectify that. “I wouldn’t ask unless I was sure it could be a good experience for him. He could stay with either me or Sage, and I could give him a job working for me. It would give us all a chance to get to know each other better.”

  “Well, I was considering leaving him with my parents while we were gone since he’s so opposed to coming with us. I suppose leaving him with you wouldn’t be that different.”

  “We could check in with you once a week, or as often as you want, to give you an update on how he’s doing. And of course we’d encourage him to call you. I could even bring him up to the cabin to spend a few days with you midsummer, if that would make you feel better about it?”

  She laughed. “That’s not necessary. I know he doesn’t want to be here. He’s made that clear.”

  Wes wasn’t looking forward to broaching this delicate subject, and he questioned whether he should do it over the phone, but he had to put this matter to rest once and for all. “Mrs. Martin, I hope you won’t be offended that I brought this up, but Nick mentioned the fact that he’s been feeling…” He searched for the right words, not wanting to put her on the defensive. “Like maybe he’s been in the way since you remarried.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “He’s said that to me before. We argue more than we ever did when his dad was alive. My husband really likes Nick, and they seem to get along well enough. I mean, there’s no animosity between them or anything like that. I guess it’s just hard. After all, he’s not the man who raised him, so they don’t have that bond.”

  “Of course.” Wes wanted to make their intentions clear without making Nick’s mom feel as though they were trying to take him away from her. “I just want you to know that we think you’ve done an amazing job with him. He’s a great kid. But anything we can do to help, we want to. I haven’t had much to do with teens, but I’m guessing they can be a bit of a challenge.”

  She sounded slightly weary when she said, “You have no idea. You know, I’m turning fifty this year—which isn’t old, I know. But sometimes I feel like I’m eighty, especially when Nick and I get into it.”

  “I can imagine. And I just want you to know that we’re here if you ever need us. If you feel like you just need a little break or some time for both of you to gain some perspective or maybe even just a second opinion, we’re only a phone call away.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “Um, there’s one other thing. Would you be okay with me setting up a college fund for Nick?” Wes asked, as he watched Sage alternate between glaring at him and pacing.

  She released a long slow breath. “You’d be willing to do that?”

  “I’d be honored. I know how hard it can be to finance college, especially if kids aren’t eligible for scholarships. The last thing I’d want is for him, or you, to amass debt. Especially when it’s not necessary.”

  “That’s very generous of you. Thank you.”

  “It’s the least I can do.” The very least. “And if there’s anything else I can do, anything he might need, please let me know.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “So if you’re okay with him spending the summer with us, I’ll give him the good news?” Just as soon as I can find him.

  “I’m sure that would make him very happy… and that’s all I want for him—to be happy. If developing a relationship with you and Sage would fill a void in his life, I’m all for it.”

  “Thank you.” Wes knew how lucky he was that the woman who’d adopted their son was kind and generous enough to share him with them all these years later, when they were finally fit to be the kind of role models he needed. “I’ll have him home late tomorrow afternoon, if that’s okay?”

  Wes didn’t even want to think about the possibility that they may not be able to find him by then.

  “That sounds great. Thanks for calling.”

  “My pleasure. Thank you for giving us a chance to spend more time with him this summer.”

  Sage’s jaw dropped when he disconnected the call. “Wes, how could you not have told her that Nick’s missing? She deserves to know that.”

  “I don’t think he’s missing. You know how many times I wandered off at his age after getting into it with my folks? You did the same. I’m sure he just needed some time by himself. In the meantime, I’ll scour the streets. If I can’t find him, I’ll pass by the police station. You should stay here in case he shows up.”

  “Okay.”

  She walked him to the door but didn’t try to hug or kiss him, so Wes wasn’t sure if she was still angry with him. He knew it wasn’t the time to ask.

  “Good luck,” she said.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll find him.”

  ***

  Nick was sitting on the dock at Rush’s inn when his uncle came down to meet him. Rush seemed like a cool guy, and since Nick had no money and nowhere else to go, he’d come back to the only place he knew in town, hoping Rush would help him get home.

  “Hey.” Rush sat beside him on the end of the dock, their feet hanging just above the surface of the water. “I hear you and your old man got into it.”

  “He’s not my father. He’s just…” A deadbeat loser. But he couldn’t insult Rush’s brother if he expected to borrow some coin or hitch a ride from him. “Some guy.”

  “Hmmm.” Rush slipped his sunglasses in place. “He’s a pretty good guy, you know. For the record.”

  “Maybe to you. You’re his brother.”

  “And you’re his son.” Rush raised a hand before Nick could argue. “I know it doesn’t feel that way. You barely know him. But I know that’s the kind of relationship he wants with you, a real father-son connection.”

  Nick bit his lip, trying to keep a lid on his emotions. All he wanted was for the almighty Wes Davis, business icon, to deem him worthy of his time and attention. “He should have thought of that before he sent me away again.”

  “You want to tell me what happened?”

  “You already know, don’t you?” Wes had obviously called Rush whenever he’d figured out that Nick had taken off.

  “He didn’t go into specifics with me. Why don’t you tell me what happened? Maybe I can help.”

  Talking to him sure as hell couldn’t hurt. “You know wh
at it feels like to lose someone you love?”

  Rush cleared his throat. “Yeah. My dad was my idol. I still think about him every day.”

  Nick nodded. “My dad and I probably weren’t as close as you were with your dad, but it still hurt to lose him.”

  “I bet it did.”

  “And then everything started changing all at once. We moved back to Brock. I had to start a new school, make new friends. All in the same year, I lost my dad. It sucked.”

  “I’m sure it did. But you had to know your mom was only doing what she thought was best for both of you. I’m sure she was hurting too.”

  “Yeah, I know she was.” She’d tried not to cry in front of Nick, but in the tiny house they shared, it hadn’t been hard to hear her crying through the paper-thin bedroom walls. “I thought things were finally going good for us. But then she met my stepdad and—”

  “Everything changed again.”

  “Yeah.” Nick smoothed his thumb over a protruding screw in the dock. “I know it sounds selfish, but if she wanted to get remarried, why couldn’t she wait ‘til I went off to college?”

  Rush chuckled. “You can’t always decide when you fall in love, buddy. Sometimes it just happens when you least expect it. Maybe that’s what happened with your mom. She wasn’t looking for it, but it found her.”

  “Maybe.” Nick shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. He’s in our lives, and he’s not going anywhere.”

  “Would you want him to?”

  Nick considered whether he would want it to be just the two of them again. “No. He makes her happy, and she deserves that.”

  “From everything I’ve heard about her, your mom is a great lady.”

  Nick nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

  “But?”

  “I don’t know.” He felt guilty for even thinking it, much less saying it out loud. “It might be kind of cool to live here with Sage and Wes. Not that it’d ever happen. They don’t want me around.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “I asked Wes if I could spend the summer with them, and I could tell he wasn’t into it.”