I Love You Read online

  “There’s going to be prime real estate once it’s got water. What are you thinking?” Cooper asked, finding he was interested in the project all of the sudden.

  “We were thinking of eco-tourism, hiking trails, and maybe a camp for kids from the city.” Scott said, pushing anther stack of papers in front of Cooper.

  “You’re kidding. That doesn’t sound like the Scott I used to know. You could make millions of dollars on that land, and this doesn’t sound like much of a money maker.” Cooper said, picking up the proposal and thumbing through it.

  Scott laughed, a sound Cooper hadn’t heard very many times during their friendship, then said, “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that in the last few years. Look, all I’m asking is it that you give it some thought.”

  “Why do you need my approval?” Cooper asked, not seeing what his role in this project was.

  “Well, actually I was hoping for more than your approval.” Scott said, then continued. “I know you’ve had a hard time lately, and I also know you stepped down from Montgomery Enterprises; my guess is that you need something to occupy your time.”

  Cooper only shot him a dirty look. They hadn’t spoken in years and now Scott was trying to tell him how to live his life. Scott saw the look and quickly continued, “I know our situations are much different, but I had to face an entirely new life myself not that long ago. I know how it feels.” Scott was sure he’d said enough so he stopped talking.

  Cooper studied Scott for a few minutes, thinking about all that he’d heard about him over the last few years, then smiled. “Sorry, I just get so much sympathy it gets old.”

  “This isn’t sympathy, this is an opportunity to do something great for the state and the people, and believe it or not I’ve become a bit of a champion for the environment. I’d like you to join us, if not I’d like you consider giving us access to your property, you’ve got primary water right you know.”

  “I’ve seen pictures of the property from back then and it was really beautiful. I have to admit that I’m intrigued by the idea and I want to see that town.” Cooper said, feeling a little excited for the first time in a long time.

  “How about this: take these home and look at them. Marissa and I have put a lot of thought into this. It’s never going to be a money making endeavor, but I don’t exactly need to make money.” Scott said, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m going home tonight, but you can come up anytime you want and I’ll show you around. I’ve got a couple of great horses that could use the exercise and we have plenty of room if you want to stay.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Cooper said, suddenly sure that he’d be making a visit to Scott in the near future. “Can I bring my son with me?”

  “Sure, Marissa would love to have you both come for a visit.” Scott said, “Just let me know when you want to come.”

  Cooper drove away from the meeting with Scott feeling lighter than he had for a while. It was intriguing to think that he might be able to bring the home property back to life. Not that he could see himself living at the top of the Coldwater Canyon, but it would be nice to have the property livable again.

  Without even looking at the papers Scott had given him, he made the decision to take Scott up on his offer. Pulling over, he called Scott, “Okay, you’ve got me interested.” He said when Scott picked up. “Brandon gets out of school for the summer in two weeks, we could come any time after that.”

  Chapter 2

  Cooper turned off the highway onto the dirt road that lead to Coldwater Canyon, trying to remember the last time his tires had touched a dirt road, then it came to him that he’d brought Amy up here right after they were married. As with most of their trips, it had been a disaster, she making fun of the farm house and complaining about the dirt the whole time, so he hadn’t been back since then.

  But dirt and dust didn’t seem to bother Brandon who was practically hanging out the window as excited about this trip as he’d been the last time they’d gone to Disney World. Cooper wasn’t sure what the boy was thinking, but he was taking in everything he saw in that way he had, cataloging his questions for later as he always did.

  When they crested the rise that led to Honey Hills, Scott and Marissa’s home, both he and Brandon sucked in a deep breath. “Wow, are we on the same road?” Brandon asked, which had been exactly what Cooper had been thinking.

  “Yeah, this is what all of that land we just drove through would look like if there was water.” Cooper said, still shocked at the difference between the dry parched land and Honey Hills.

  “I can see why they named it Honey Hills.” Brandon said, sticking his head out farther and taking a deep breath. “It smells like honey.”

  “Son, that’s not honey you smell, it’s those flowers.” He said, pointing to the field behind the house that was alive with spring flowers.

  “I didn’t know flowers could smell that way.” Brandon said. “Oh look, horses.” Cooper had to laugh; the flowers were long forgotten, and now it was horses that had Brandon’s attention.

  When they pulled up in front of the farm house, Scott and Marissa came out on the porch to greet them, Marissa carrying their son who was just a little over a year old. They made such a pretty picture standing together on the porch that he felt a sudden stab of grief. His life was supposed to be like this, but instead he’d been the biggest fool in the world. It was bad enough that his marriage had fallen apart, but even worse that the whole thing had been a lie from the very beginning.

  Brandon was out of the car the minute it stopped, forcing him to push aside his negative thoughts and put a smile on his face. But the greeting he received actually made him feel better. Marissa went out of her way to make him feel welcome, showing him to the room he and Brandon would be sharing for the night.

  “Lunch will be ready in a few minutes. Why don’t you two get settled and then meet us back in the kitchen. We’re not very formal around here… hope you don’t mind.” She said, handing him a big stack of fluffy towels.

  “Thanks, we’ll be out in a few minutes.” Cooper said, looking around at the room she’d given them. It was like the rest of the house he’d seen, giving him the feel that he’d stepped back in time, a strange but exciting feeling.

  The room was furnished like it would have been in the early 1930s with a big brass bed and a heavy dresser on one wall. There was also a small cabinet in one corner that when opened contained a small television and of all things a radio. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d listened to a radio, switching it on he found a country station and listened for a minute.

  He continued exploring, opening the door to the bathroom to find an old claw foot tub deep enough to float in. But he did notice that while the bathroom looked period, underneath all the modern conveniences had been included. They had done a wonderful job of seamlessly hiding the modern under the old, creating a unique home. He couldn’t wait to see the rest of the house.

  After a tour around the rest of the house, most of which Brandon missed because he shot straight out the back door to the coral and the horses when given permission, they carried their lunch out to the porch to enjoy the warm day. Although it was technically summer down in the valley, at this elevation spring was just making its appearance.

  Over lunch, which Brandon barely sat down for, they discussed the plans Scott had given Cooper. “I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about your plans, but now that I’m up here it doesn’t seem so far-fetched.” He said, looking around him at what Scott and Marissa had built.

  “Well, it wasn’t cheap and it wasn’t easy, but we love it.” Scott said. “And just think what this valley is going to look like in a few years when the water comes back.”

  “I still can’t believe you pulled that off.” Cooper said, then added, “But I think I’m glad you did.”

  “We won’t have time today, but I’m thinking that tomorrow we should saddle up a couple of horses and explore,” Scott suggested. “It’s a huge property, but I want to s
how you the town. I think that’s the best place to start.”

  Cooper thought about Scott’s suggestion, his eyes going to Brandon who was throwing rocks in the stream that ran behind the house. “You can leave Brandon with me if you want, I’m not sure how much fun he’d have with you two. Can he ride?” Marissa said.

  “I don’t know, he might not like the idea of being left behind. But he’s never ridden before, so I don’t think he could come with us.” Cooper said.

  Marissa got up from the table and handed the baby to Scott, “Let me talk to him.” She said, then headed to where Brandon was looking longingly at the horses.

  Cooper watched as she and Brandon had a long discussion, amazed when Brandon hugged Marissa. “She’s good with kids. Well actually, she’s good with people, period.” Scott said with pride in his voice.

  When Marissa got back to the table she said, “Well, that’s settled. Brandon is more than happy to hang out with me tomorrow. We’re going to take care of the animals, then I promised him a riding lesson. You two have the whole day to explore, but I did promise Brandon that we’d go see Cedar Ridge this afternoon.”

  Cooper looked from Marissa back to Brandon, and ever since his mother had abandoned him in the middle of the night he’d been wary around women. But Marissa had obviously managed to break through that protective barrier he’d erected. It was a good sign — one he’d been waiting for.

  “Sounds like a good plan to me,” Cooper said, getting to his feet and starting to clear the table.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Marissa said. “You’re a guest.”

  “Nonsense, I’m happy to help.” Cooper said, meaning every word.

  A few hours later, Cooper was standing in the middle of the street in Cedar Ridge hardly able to believe his eyes. “It’s unbelievable, if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes I wouldn’t believe it.”

  Scott laughed and said, “That was my first reaction, too. It’s like time just stopped, go inside one of the buildings, you won’t believe it.”

  They spent a couple of hours in town, wandering from one building to the next, Scott telling Cooper about the two brothers who had spent their last years caring for the town. “So thanks to them we have this. That’s their little house up there on the hill, you could live there right now it’s been so well preserved.” Scott said, pointing to a little house tucked back in the woods above town.

  “This is just amazing. I can’t believe it has survived all these years, but then again I don’t suppose very many people come up here.” Cooper said, then thought about what it would look like when the water came flowing down the mountain feeding the little stream that flowed through town.

  “Alright Terrell, you have my interest. Brandon and I have a vacation planned, I’ll think about it while I’m gone. I’m never going to sell the home place, but even if I don’t come in on this with you, I’ll grant you access to the land.” Cooper said, as they climbed back onto the four-wheelers they rode from the farm house.

  On the way home a few days later, Brandon couldn’t stop talking about the farm house, the town and everything he’d seen during their stay. As they came to the road that would take them back down to the valley, he made an impulsive decision and turned up the mountain instead of down.

  “I want to show you something.” He said, when Brandon looked at him.

  An hour later and a bumpy ride, they pulled up in front of the farm house his ancestors had built over a hundred and fifty years ago. He looked at the house through the windshield wondering if he could ever live up here, then got out of the car to follow Brandon who was already out of the car and on the front porch.

  “Who lives here?” He asked, waiting for Cooper.

  “This is the house we always talk about as the home place.” Cooper said, unlocking the door and holding it open for Brandon.

  The house was exactly like Cooper had left it the last time he’d been up here. He’d had work done on it over the years but hadn’t been up here since that terrible day with Amy. As he walked around the rooms, he realized that the house seemed to be pulling at him, even more startling was the realization that he could be happy here. It made absolutely no sense, but he’d immediately felt a sense of calm when he’d walked through the front door.

  Maybe this was the answer, moving up here and creating a different life would certainly get him out of the doldrums he’d been in since Amy left. Then he realized just how ridiculous that idea would be; Brandon would be happy for a while, but eventually he’d get lonely. Brushing off the idea, he called for Brandon. They had another bone-jarring trip down the mountain to get home and it was getting late.

  After two weeks away, the idea of moving up the mountain still hadn’t left his mind. It was crazy but maybe that’s exactly what he needed right now. As soon as they were in the car that had come to pick them up from the airport, he was on the phone to Scott, excited for the future for the first time in a long time.

  “Alright Terrell, you’ve got me, I’m in. Brandon and I will be moving up to the home place for the summer, then we’ll see how it goes from there.” Cooper said, his mind suddenly full of all the things he’d need to buy, starting with a truck because no way was he taking his car up that road again.

  “Good to hear it Montgomery, we could use your help.” Scott said, “It’ll be nice to have some neighbors.”

  His brothers were shocked when he told them his decision, “You’re going to move up to the mountains to do what?” Calvin asked, shaking his head. “This wasn’t exactly what I was thinking when I said to find something to keep yourself busy.”

  “It’s actually a good plan, Calvin. I’m going to give you a copy, you’ll see. Besides it’s not like I need an income; we couldn’t spend all the money we have in three lifetimes. This way, it will go to something good. Just think with our land and theirs that’s almost 350 thousand acres of prime California land that’s going to stay just the way it is.” Cooper tried to explain.

  “I don’t know Cooper, it sounds a little crazy, but I guess it’s only for the summer.” Carter said, shuttering to think of all that wilderness. “You’re going to get lonely up there.”

  “I doubt that, once we get going, there will be plenty of people up there. It’s going to take a lot of manpower to achieve what Scott and Marissa have in mind. Eventually, there will be a little community up there and I’d like to be a part of this as crazy as it sounds.” Cooper said, hoping for his brother’s understanding.

  “Cooper, if that’s what you need right now, it’s not crazy and you have our support. I’ll even help you move if you want, I’ve never seen the home place.” Calvin said.

  “We’re out of here in two weeks. Carter are you in? Want to help your big brother move into the wilderness? I promise you won’t get too dirty.” Cooper said, turning to his youngest brother who hated anything to do with the outdoors.

  “I guess I could put up with a little dirt for you.” Carter said, wrinkling his nose.

  Two weeks later, Cooper and Brandon loaded up their new truck as well as another one that Cooper had rented and headed for the home place. “Son, I think we’re going to have to give the place a new name, we can’t just keep calling it the home place.”

  “How about if we just call it home?” Brandon said, wisely.

  Cooper laughed but he liked the sound of that. At nearly 35, he realized that he’d never lived in a home that belonged only to him. They’d always lived in the family estate, his father considering it a waste for his sons to have their own homes, since the mansion was big enough for all of them to share comfortably. But it would be a nice change to have a place that was all his own, a place that was small enough that he wouldn’t need help to keep it clean.

  It would be different for them to cook and clean for themselves, but it would be a good experience for them both. Brandon had become much too accustomed to being taken care of, a fact of life when you lived the way they did, but now they’d be on their own, a challenge that
would help them both grow.

  Cooper was prepared for a summer of camping out while they got the house cleaned up and ready for them to move in. He didn’t really know when it had happened, but somewhere along the way he’d realized that he had no intention of leaving again once they’d moved in. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do about school for Brandon next year. He might have to home school him, but for now this was the path he’d put them on. A year away from regular school couldn’t hurt Brandon that much and the life experience he’d gain would be well worth it.

  He was surprised to find that the road to Coldwater Canyon was better than he remembered; in fact he could have easily navigated it in the car, but he was still glad he’d gotten the truck. When they got to the home place, he understood why the road had been improved, obviously Scott hadn’t wasted a minute in getting the water restored to the canyon.

  Besides the big equipment that was being used to open up the water supply for the canyon, there was a whole crew camped out down the road from his house. He could see whole families sitting down to dinner around campfires and was immediately sure he’d made the right decision. They were in the process of creating something wonderful and he was going to be right in the middle of it.

  By the time he and his brother’s had set up camp, he’d met some of his new neighbors, pleased to find that they’d be staying to help with the rest of the project. A few of the names seemed familiar from the update Scott had sent him, but he’d been so busy he’d hardly had time to think about the next step, but clearly things were already moving along.

  The next morning, they were in the tent straightening their bedroll, which had turned into pillow fight when they heard horses coming up the road. Brandon dropped his pillow so fast that Cooper got in a direct hit, but the boy was out of the tent before he could even apologize. Following him, Cooper wasn’t surprised to see Marissa and Scott, the baby strapped to his chest, getting down from their horses.