When Hugh Mathews decides it's time to get out from under his tyrannical father's thumb and away from the life he's been living, he does it in a big way. Packing what he'll need to survive in the wilderness, and with only his dog, Orion, for companionship, he heads into the mountains. When they find a abandoned cabin, Hugh begins the arduous task of repairing it, as well as hunting for food and everything else they'll need to stay alive.<br><br>Soon after, Ansel Jeffries, a nature photographer, arrives at Hugh's cabin, seeking an abandoned mine he wants to photograph. After talking with him, Ansel sees the potential for a story in what Hugh is doing -- and why.<br><br>Ansel convinces Hugh to let him tell it, meaning he'll be living at the cabin with Hugh. When he moves in, will what becomes friendship between the two men grow into more?

Off the Beaten Path

“I’ve been thinking. After you have the talk with your father, and survive intact—” he chuckled, “—what do you plan to do afterward? I’m presuming you gave up your apartment, or whatever, when you took off.”


“Not officially, but I’m pretty sure, since I haven’t paid rent for two months, the manager will have cleaned it out and rented it again.” He looked at Ansel, studying him as he added, “I don’t want to live anywhere close to my family, well, my parents.”


Ansel smiled. “There’s a nice city, far enough away from them that you won’t have to worry about themdropping in to visit. I think you’d like it there.”


“Like they’d do that anyway.” Taking a deep breath, Hugh said, “This nice city wouldn’t happen to be KC, would it?”


“Yep.” Ansel kissed him then. A kiss Hugh happily returned. “It is a nice place to live. You could find an apartment there, and a job. God only knows good accountants are in demand, from what I’ve heard.”


Chapter 42