I was set. Before I could even think about deciding what to do next, my phone buzzed from the inner pocket of my parka. I unzipped enough to reach in and pull it out. The notification on the screen was a text from Finn, my brother.
Mind picking up some pizzas?
I grinned, pulling off my right glove with my teeth and firing back a response.
Only if you remembered supreme this time.
As if I’d forget ; ) now get your ass back here – the kids are missing you.
I sent a thumbs-up emoji before tucking my phone back into my parka pocket, zipping up again, and replacing my glove. The woods around me were gorgeous; I could’ve spent all damn day gazing at the Rocky Mountain scenery. The sky was clear enough for me to see the slate-gray peaks of the mountains in the distance, and all I could think about was scaling them and taking some shots from their peaks.
My stomach growled, letting me know what it thought of the pizza situation, and the Cliff Bars I’d been eating since starting my trip that morning were wearing off. Something hot and cheesy sounded grand. After replacing the lens cap on my camera, I began my trudge back down the slope of the mountain.
About twenty minutes later, I reached the bottom, and with the temperature dropping and the melted snow refreezing for the night, I had to step carefully. By the time I was down, the blue sky had vanished, and the clouds had become dark and gray.
Once in the F-150 I’d rented for my stay, I turned over the engine, cranked the heat, and turned on the radio. The local country station blasted out of the speakers, putting a big grin on my face. I wasn’t all that much of a fan of the genre, but it had started to grate on me less as time passed.
As I drove, my thoughts turned to the blur in my eyes that had happened for the first time in a long while. It’d first started years ago; around the time I was in the States when Da had his stroke. I wasn’t the type of man to be afraid of anything – you couldn’t be in my line of work if you were – but the thought of something happening to my vision was enough to get my mind thinking good and clear. After all, I’d have no career if my eyesight was somehow damaged.
After thirty minutes of driving, I reached the Denver suburbs where my brother, Finn, lived with his wife, Kenna, and their twins, Sam and Sophie. Though calling them “suburbs” wasn’t quite right. The area was the perfect blend of urban and rural, roads that branched off into secluded estates leading back into little town centers that reminded me of the hamlets that dotted rural Ireland where Finn and I had grown up. And if they wanted some big-city action, Denver was a short drive away.
I followed the GPS to Gio’s, their preferred pizza place. After a quick stop, I was back in the car with four large pizzas on the seat next to me, the delicious scents filling the air.
Ten minutes later I was on the winding road that led to Finn and Kenna’s house. Tree branches canopied the way, the forest eventually opening to reveal a huge, three-story chateau-style home, the mountains in the distance giving it the perfect quality of picturesque, like some gorgeous Swiss ski lodge.
“You did damn good for yourself, brother,” I said aloud to myself. “Got to hand it to ya.”
I pulled into the circle driveway in front of the house, killing the engine and hopping out of the truck. And the day caught up with me. My muscles ached and I was ready for a good night’s sleep. I grabbed the pizzas and started up the front steps leading to the arched double doors, which opened as I approached.
“There you are.” Finn, my older brother, stepped outside and approached. He was dressed in a black, cashmere, V-neck sweater and gray slacks and black slippers, looking every bit the dad relaxing at home. “And about fuckin’ time – we’re starvin’ in here.” He flashed me a smirk as he busted my balls, as big brother’s do.
“You keep that attitude up and you’re gonna be wearin’ this Hawaiian pizza,” I said as he took a couple of boxes off the stack I was carrying.
“Get your ass on in here, brother – snow’s about to start any