Dead Girl Pictures

Reasons

Our day out sightseeing was amazing. Natalie's list of things to do was extensive so we pick stuff close to town for today. We plan on venturing our way out more tomorrow. Today was more of a test run to see how I was after traveling so much to get out here. Other than being tired when we got home I was totally fine for the day. There were a lot of stops for different shops and overlooks that grabbed our attention especially the bakery in town. From the outside it looked like every other small town bakery but on the inside a whole new vibe was found. It was decorated in farmhouse style that was immediately relaxing. The smells that filled the air automatically made me hungry even though we had just finished breakfast not 2 hours ago. We decided to split a huge cinnamon roll and all got different coffee drinks to try. Everything we had was so delicious and the owner was so nice, I made sure to take several pictures and tag the place online.
After looking around downtown we had headed out a bit for a small hiking trail Natalie had pointed out for us. It was an easy trail she said but the lookout point at the end was stunning. She was right about the trail being easy. It gently sloped up into the hills surrounding town, the path was groomed and free of rocks. You could tell the trail crew that kept it up took pride in their work and their town. However it was the overlook at the end that stole the show. We looked out over a shallow valley with a stream running through it. All the reds of the stone popped in the later afternoon light. The stream rolled with a bubbling sound that could be heard where we stood. It was peaceful and enchanting.
"Are you scared?" Kate asks in a low voice.
For a second I consider cracking a joke but when I look at her she has silent tears on her face. I decide to just be honest with her, with all of them.
"No, I'm not scared. I'm sad I don't get a lifetime with y'all and my parents. I'm sad for all the big events I am not going to be there for. But I'm not scared." I answer her with a tear of my own running down my face. Brian hugs her close and Jake squeezes my hand.
'Do you believe in God?" Is her next question.
"I believe in a connected universe. That everything you see is connected in life and death. I feel like if there is a greater something, it is an energy rather than a person. I think that the word God was created because people could not wrap their heads around a bigger concept." I answer with raw honesty.
We are all quiet for a bit just taking in the view and leaning into each other for strength. After a while Brian speaks up and asks if we want to head back to the house.
"Dinner is in a few hours. We could go back and change, hang out on the deck and watch the sun go down, drink a few beers." He says.
"Sounds good to me" Jake pipes up.
We head down the trail back to the Jeep in a slow pace just taking the scenery in.
At the house everyone heads to their rooms to change into clean cloths. I make a pile in the bathroom and make a note to start a load of wash later. I slip on some shorts and a new shirt. I also grab my hoodie in case it starts getting cooler while we are out on the deck. I can hear the guys from my deck door. It sounds like they are talking to someone. Before I can see who it is Kate bursts into my room.
"The hot neighbor is out there!" She tells me with glee.
"What?" I ask
She rolls her eyes at me before answering.
"Remember Natalie telling us about the guy that lives in the house just over the hill? How he was nice to look at? She wasn't wrong."
I nod my head at this. I do remember the conversation now.
"Come on let's go down and say Hi." She says this with a wink. I just roll my eyes at her but follow out the deck door and down the steps.
Jake and Brian are seated around the fire pit that is built into the first floor deck. Beside them sits another man. Dark hair that is in need of a trim is the first glimpse I have of him. At the sound of our footsteps the guys turn around.
"Hey y'all meet the neighbor Samuel Beckett. He was headed out for a run but we convinced him to have a beer with us instead." Jake says all this with a smile directed at me. Are my friends trying to hook me up? I turn my attention to Samuel and decide that would be okay by me. He is tall with muscles for days. Tattoos cover both arms down to his hands. He has them on his legs also. I realize I had been staring at him with my mouth slightly open while Kate introduced herself. She gives me a poke in the side with her elbow and brings me back to the present. Samuel gives me a smirk and his dark eyes flash with humor like he knew I liked what I saw.
"Hi, I'm Alex" I hold out my hand for him to shake. He reaches out and sparks shoot up my arm when he takes my hand. He holds on for a minute longer than necessary but I don't mind.
"Nice to meet you, Alex. Hope you ladies don't mind me crashing your party?"
"Oh, we don't mind at all!" Kate speaks up as Brian grabs her a beer. Jake hands me one as well and we all settle back down into chairs around the fire pit. It's not lit just yet but we will later tonight. Natalie had said something about s'mores for a desert tonight which was right up my alley.
"So, Sam, how long have you lived here?" Kate asks
"Well, my family has been here for over 100 years. We were some of the first ones to come out west from Virginia. We liked it so we hung around. I grew up in this house, well the smaller version of this house. I sold the land to Natalie when I was in college. When I was done traveling a few years ago I came back here and built on another part of my families land." He tells us all this while sipping on his beer and looking at me.
"Wow" Jake says "What do you do for work?"
"I'm a funds manager. I invest peoples money to make them more money." He says with a laugh
"You must be good at what you do if you have kept all your family land for this long and to build your house here. It looks bigger than this one judging by the size of the roof." Kate says. As a property developer and house restoration genius she knows what she is talking about.
Samuel shrugs without really saying anything. Most people are not use to how to the point Kate can be.
"How did y'all become friends?" Samuel asks while still looking at me.
"We all meet on a home project actually. Brian was the estate agent on the sale of a historic property in our hometown. Kate was the one buying it and Brian is her business partner and boyfriend. I was there to do a series of before, during and after pictures for their business social media accounts. We all got along so well that we started hanging out after the project was finished. The rest is history." I smile at my friends as I say this.
Samuel nods his head when I say this then cocks his head a bit.
"Natalie is here" he states.
Jake jumps up like he was shot out of a cannon and Brian laughs at him.
"I think someone has a crush on her" he said loudly as Jake disappears into the house. I smile at this statement. Most people would probably have put Jake and I together but we are definitely just friends. I want Jake to find his happy, his person that he can count on. The thought almost brings tears to my eyes but I push them down. I don't want to cry now and ruin the mood. Samuel must see it in my face though.
He reaches out and takes my hand.