Free Open Roads by Zach Bohannon Page B

down anytime soon,” Charlie said. “Just wanted to let you know that you guys are welcome to stay the night if the day runs long and it’s still a mess out there. You’re gonna want that road nice and dry before you try to go down it.”
    “Thanks,” Will said. Charlie was still exchanging a curious look with him, and Will felt self-conscious about the bite wounds on his arm.
    “Oh, and, uh, we’ve also got some firewood stocked away in one of the open cabins,” Charlie said. “If you end up needing to stay here, you’re welcome to use some for heat and light. It gets pretty chilly up here at night.”
    “Sounds good,” Will said.
    Charlie just stared at Will awkwardly for a moment, before turning down his gaze and grabbing his rain coat off the hook by the front door.
    “Alright, well, I’ll let you guys hang out and rest for a while. I’m over in cabin five if you need anything.”
    Will stood up and approached Charlie. He smiled and extended his hand, which Charlie grasped and shook.
    “Thanks for everything, Charlie. We really appreciate it.”
    Charlie smiled. “No problem.” He opened the door, and Will saw just how much rain was pouring down from the sky. “Talk to you soon.”
    ***
    The rain continued turning the dirt courtyard into mud as Gabriel watched out the window. With no power, the overcast sky made the inside of the cabin mostly dark. The sound of the shower running from inside blended in with the storm, as Jessica had been the first to go clean up when they came inside. Dylan lay on the sofa, tossing a ball into the air repeatedly and catching it, the rubber smacking his palm each time. Across the way, someone stepped out of one of the cabins, their head covered with a jacket, and ran across the courtyard. It was Thomas, and he appeared to be heading straight for Gabriel’s cabin.
    Gabriel sidestepped to the door and opened it, just as Thomas’ feet clattered up the four wooden stairs leading up to the cabin’s front porch. He pushed the jacket off of his head.
    “Mind if I come in?”
    Gabriel shook his head and moved adjacent with the door, inviting Thomas inside. Thomas wiped his feet on the door mat lying just outside of the entrance, then came into the cabin.
    “Not a bad set-up here, huh?” Thomas said.
    Gabriel chuckled. “Have you been out there, out on the road? It could be a hell of a lot worse.”
    “Yeah, they could have put you in the place your friends are in. A couple of gay dudes were in there.”
    Gabriel chuckled and shook his head. “What brings you by?”
    Thomas sighed. “Well, actually, I was just hoping that you and I could have a chat.”
    Gabriel furrowed his brow. “Yeah? Okay.” He looked back to Dylan. “Hey, Dylan, why don’t you run over to Will’s and see what Mary Beth is up to?”
    Dylan shot up off the couch and raced for the door.
    “I thought you’d never ask,” the boy said.
    Gabriel caught him on the way by and said, “Whoa, whoa, make sure you go grab a coat so you don’t get wet.”
    Dylan retreated to one of the bedrooms and returned with a coat on his back. It was the one Gabriel had grabbed for the boy at the sporting goods store at the same time he’d gotten his own. Gabriel reached down and pulled the hood over his head.
    “Have fun,” Gabriel said, and the boy was out the door, racing through the rain to the cabin two doors down.
    Gabriel shut the door, and when he turned back around, Thomas had his hands on his hips and was staring out of a window above the sink. Not sure where this was headed, Gabriel crept into the kitchen, the wood floor creaking beneath his feet. He made his way over to the dining room table, and shifted his weight onto the back of one of the chairs, rocking back and forth on his heels.
    “So, what’d you wanna talk about?” Gabriel asked.
    Continuing to watch the rain fall outside, Thomas didn’t respond. Gabriel swallowed the silence.
    “Um, Thom—”
    “We’d looked forward to this trip