Let It Go

47.

Derek turned off of the main road onto a winding back road, glancing back in his rearview mirror to make sure Meredith was still following him. She was. He focused his eyes back on the road, his stomach churning. He loved his land. He loved that it was removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. He loved the mountain views he woke up to in the morning and the sound of the river flowing nearby. He even loved his trailer, despite how small it was and the uproar it generated from his sisters every time they ran out of other people's problems to gossip about.

Now he was bringing Meredith to his land, to his trailer. He had never - never - brought a woman to his land. Granted, he'd only been back in Virginia for eight or so months now but on the seldom occasion he did hook up with some random woman for the night, they always went back to her place. Meredith though... She was different. She lived in a big house in the city, but something told him she'd like it out here. He hoped she'd like it out here. He wanted her to like out here.

His mind wandered to the state he'd left his trailer. He had spent the night at Meredith's last night, but had been running late for work the morning before. He knew his bed was unmade and he was pretty sure there were a few pots and pans and dirty dishes stacked up in the sink. There were definitely clothes on the floor. Possibly an empty beer can or three on his coffee table... Crap. He'd have to think of a way to keep Meredith outside long enough for him to tidy up at least slightly.

His long gravel driveway came into view and he turned into it, looking back again to make sure Meredith did the same. He felt his stomach tighten. His trailer would be in view in a few minutes. He wondered what Meredith expected. He was pretty sure she expected some nice, sprawling home. He was Head of Neurosurgery at one of the best hospitals in the country after all. He certainly wasn't hurting for money. His family expected him to have a house, why wouldn't Meredith? He was starting to think he should have just rented them a hotel room. Or made Mark give up his bedroom at his apartment for Meredith. Before he could change his mind about Meredith coming to his land, he was at his trailer. He turned his car off, Meredith stopping hers beside his and doing the same.

"You weren't kidding when you said you lived in the middle of nowhere," Meredith said wryly but with a smile. Derek shrugged. "I told you it was - remote." Meredith giggled. She looked around. The view was breathtaking. She was in the heart of the mountains that seemed so far away while in the city. She knew they'd been driving uphill for what felt like forever. Now she realized that Derek lived, literally, on top of a mountain.

"How high up are we?" she asked, turning to look at Derek. He shrugged again. "Several thousand feet," he said. "I'm not sure what the exact elevation is." He watched her spin around in her spot, taking in as much as she could. He smiled to himself. She looked like she belonged there, like the mountain air agreed with her.

"Derek, this is... Amazing!" she gushed. Derek cracked a big grin. "Seriously?" he asked. Meredith looked at him. "Absolutely! Seriously - have you seen your view?" she asked. Derek chuckled. "A time or two," he answered. "It's just... You can see everything!" she exclaimed. She walked closer to an overlook to get a better view. Derek followed her. He stood behind her in silence for several moments as she gazed out over the valley below. The lights of the few homes that dotted the landscape below were beginning to turn on in the evening sky and fireflies were starting their light show in the air surrounding them.

"See that mountain over there?" Derek asked, putting a hand on her back and pointing at a mountain that stood taller then those around it. "Yeah..." "That's a ski resort," he told her. "Right now, it's main business is the spa, swimming pool, and the several restaurants up there but come late November, early December it turns into a ski town." Meredith looked at him. "How?" she asked. "I mean, I know it's nearly August and that August is hot. Izzie said it's going to be hotter next month then it is right now. So how do they have a ski resort? I mean, Virginia is pretty far south right? You guys don't get a lot of snow here, right?" Meredith rambled, distracted by the beauty of the place, and, well, Derek.