Free Tied in Knots: A Tied Together Novella by Z.B. Heller Page B

out.”
    “In a half a mile, turn right onto Locust Street,” Betty chirped.
    “It’s wrong; you want to turn on Harrison,” Ryan said, still looking out the window.
    “Don’t you think the navigation system knows where it’s going?” I huffed.
    “I told you Craig gave me directions. It’s his cabin; I think he knows how to get there a little better than a computer.”
    Craig was some big shot over at NBC where Ryan used to work. They were still good friends even though Ryan hadn’t worked there in four years. We’d had dinner with him and his family and shared barbeque over Memorial Day and Labor Day at our houses. He mentioned to me once that he had the cabin in Lake Geneva and said we were welcomed to use it anytime they weren’t there. I took took him up on his offer so we could use this weekend to hopefully reconnect.
    “It may be Craig’s cabin, but I’m not in the mood to argue with technology.”
    “Whatever.” Ryan mumbled.
    Before the apocalypse that put our marriage in trouble, Ryan would have called me a nut and laughed at my idiocy. Now, I was getting absolutely nothing. I shook my head, feeling our connection sever in two.
    Ryan gave me the rest of the directions to the cabin without saying much else. I pulled the car up the gravel driveway that led to a log cabin surrounded by trees of every shade the fall season had to offer. Lake Geneva was stunning this time of year. I knew people enjoyed the area all the different seasons, especially summer when they could spend time on the lake and wander through the cute shops downtown. But I loved it when the air was crisper and the smell of leaves burning filled the air. Reds, golds, and yellow leaves lay on the grass, which had already lost its strong summer green hue.
    I opened the car door and breathed in the cool air. Ryan went to the back of the car and opened the trunk to get our bags. We walked along the stone pathway and up the steps to the porch of the cabin. I stopped to inspect the cabin and its incredible architecture. Wooden columns were embedded in the stone foundation and wood railings surrounded the porch. Rocking chairs and a coffee table sat to my right. If you sat there, the place offered a perfect view of the lake.
    “Craig really knows how to live it up,” I said, still looking out toward the lake.
    “Well, when you have a position like his at the TV station, you can pretty much afford all of this stuff. It was really nice of him to lend this to you for the weekend.”
    “You mean us ,” I said, turning around to face him.
    He stopped, holding the storm door open so it wouldn’t slam back into him. He looked at me; a small smile reached the corner of his lips. “Yes, for us.”
    I walked past him as he held the door open for me. My mouth fell open as I took in the rest of the great room before me. It had a rustic, open floor plan. Each part of the house flowed right into the next. A two-story fireplace took center stage, with pictures on the mantel of Craig’s family. Logs sat stacked and ready to be burned for a romantic fire. But would there be any romance on this adventure? I couldn’t answer that with any certainty.
    Ryan took our bags upstairs while I removed my jacket and shoes. I stepped closer to the pictures of Craig’s family. They all wore happy smiles, and laughter brightened their eyes. There was one of Craig and his wife, Amelia, in a tight embrace. Craig was kissing her forehead and her eyes were closed, taking in the love he was giving her.
    “I put everything in the bedroom, I figured we’d unpack later,” Ryan called from the second level loft.
    “Are we sleeping in the same room?” I asked, my eyes still focused on the pictures in front of me.
    “Brandon?” Ryan said softly.
    “Hmm?” I said, finally looking up at him.
    “We will always sleep together. I might be mad and hurt, but us sleeping apart is never a choice.”
    I wasn’t sure how to answer, so I nodded. Ryan walked down the stairs,