stupid and tell me to suck it up, but I miss you, okay? I really, really miss you, and I have no idea where you went. I have no idea where you might be. So here I am… here's me… accepting that I'll probably never know, but telling you that wherever you are, it's okay. You can be in peace. You deserve peace. Nobody ever gave it to you, so I really want you to take it anyway."
Genna felt stupid, standing there, doing that, but what the hell? What else could she do? It wasn't as if she could bury him.
She leaned her head against Matty. "Your turn."
He tensed. "My turn?"
"Say something."
Matty hesitated. "What can I say? You were, uh… I heard you were good at pool. Sucks we never got to play."
"That was weak."
"That's all I got."
"Come on, I'm sure you can think of something else."
"Uh, Dante Galante… your name kind of rhymes. Always thought that was neat."
Genna laughed. "Seriously?"
Before either could say another word, a faint ringing sound interrupted them. Genna tensed while Matty reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone he'd bought and shook it at her. "Sorry, gotta take this, baby."
He walked over, strolling a few steps away as he answered the phone. Genna watched him before glancing back at the tower, scanning it in silence.
"So, uh…" Matty hesitated as he returned, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "How do you feel about Nevada?"
"Nevada?"
"Yeah, there's a place there… somewhere we can go. Maybe somewhere we can call home."
Home. Genna liked the sound of that word.
"Isn't there an Eiffel Tower there?" she asked. "In Las Vegas?"
"Actually, yeah… it's about half the size of the real one. A lot bigger than this one."
"Well then, I'd say Nevada feels like it just might be right."
Chapter Four
The bumpy dirt path cut through the overgrown land, barely wide enough for a vehicle to pass. Not far off the deserted highway stood an old two-story house. Genna stared at it in the darkness, taking in the chipped paint and splintered wood, railings torn apart and missing, leaving jagged spikes along the massive porch. Her stomach twisted in knots. She'd seen enough horror movies in her life to know when a place just wasn't right.
And this place seemed about as wrong as it got.
"I know we're not exactly on vacation here," Genna said, "but do we really have to reenact Cabin in The Woods?"
Matty laughed quietly, although it wasn't exactly a happy sound. Exhaustion weighed down every part of him. Genna noticed it in his face and heard it in his voice. They'd been traveling for days, having to stop frequently thanks to Genna's morning sickness and incessant need to pee. Pregnancy, whee!
"We're in the desert, so I wouldn't call this the woods," Matty said. "Besides, it's more of a ranch."
"A ranch."
"Yeah, or you know…" He waved toward it. "A plantation home or something."
"Plantation home."
"Yeah, so I wouldn't call it a cabin."
Definitely not in Manhattan anymore.
"Well, then, my mistake." Genna eyed the house in the dim moonlight. "Nothing horror movie-esque about a ranch, huh? Should've invested in some cattle when we were in Texas. Maybe get some horses. You know, you might look good in skin-tight Wranglers."
Matty laughed again, this time lighter, as he reached over and cupped the back of her neck with his hand. His thumb stroked the skin absent-mindedly as he shook his head. "I don't think it's that kind of ranch."
"What kind of ranch is it?"
"The kind that keeps you isolated," he explained. "The kind that people hide out on."
“It’s kind of sounding like Cabin in The Woods again."
He smiled in her direction. "We'll be safe here."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Safer than we would be back in New York."
It wasn't a 'yes', but it was close enough to it. She motioned toward the shabby house. "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Our ranch awaits."
The place was already unlocked. Matty shoved against the wooden door, forcing it open, a blast of stuffy air hitting Genna right away. Her nose twitched at the stale odor, dust tickling her nostrils. She reached along the wall for a light switch, her stomach dropping when she found one and flicked it up.
Nothing.
She wasn't surprised by the lack of electricity, but damn if it wasn't disheartening. All she wanted was a long bath and some kind of air conditioning, but the odds of either option happening were slim to none.
"Tomorrow," Matty said, lingering in the foyer of the house beside