Page 79 of Waste of Worth

A person couldn’t be closer to nature than a cabin in the woods.

The one thing that really made the cabin stand out were the large floor-to-ceiling windows that covered one entire back wall, tapering off into a point once the glass reached the sloped roof. In the day, the place didn’t need much light because those windows provided far more than enough all on their own.

“Dino!”

“Yes?”

Karen appeared above his head, her hair blowing out around her face as she leaned precariously over the wooden railing. “The bed up here is made out of logs!”

Her simple joy over something so random made his chest tight while a warmth spread fast from his fingertips through to the rest of his body. He didn’t quite understand why, but he liked it a lot. He liked that he could make her smile, and that all the little details that the place had to offer were the kinds of things that someone like Karen could appreciate.

He’d never brought someone here before.

She was the first, and would probably be the last.

Still, Dino knew, Karen was exactly the kind of person who would understand the worth and beauty that went into each and every inch of the cabin. Even he hadn’t fully understood the work and love it took to build the place at first—he’d only seen rooms, logs, and a lake. But he did know now.

Dino chuckled. “They all are. The guy who built the place liked to work with his hands. Everything from the floors to the kitchen cabinets came from the trees he cleared off the lot to build the place.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

Karen looked around again. “Why did he sell it?”

That, Dino didn’t have an answer for. Not a good one, anyway.

“He just said it was time—I happened to be the lucky fucker who gave the right bid.”

“Huh,” she said, more to herself than him.

Then, she was gone again, pushing away from the railing and disappearing from his view. Dino didn’t have to wait for very long before she appeared again, bouncing down the stairs, her smile growing wider with each step.

Before long, she was standing in front of him, pushing up to her tip toes, and kissing him sweetly.

Dino froze, not expecting the kiss. “What was that for?”

“Being you.”

“Being me.”

Karen kissed him again, harder and longer, whispering as she pulled away, “Because you’re wonderful, Dino.”

“I think you have you and I mixed up,” he said quietly.

“No, I think you just don’t see yourself clearly.”

Well, he wasn’t going to argue with her.

It was up to Karen whether or not she believed Dino was worth keeping around, or just worthless.

He didn’t get a say in that at all.

Dino sat on the edge of the dock, watching the floating barge move further and further away from his spot. Given it was tied to the dock, it would only go as far as the rope would allow, and then he would just have to pull it back and tie it again.

The sight was relaxing, so much so that he barely realized the sun had started to peek over the horizon again, signaling morning was fast approaching.

It would be their second to last day at the cabin, unfortunately. Monday, bright and early—they would need to head back for the city. Dino didn’t quite realize how much he would want to stay right where he was, with Karen and a quiet forest, rather than Chicago.