Page 73 of 15 Summers Later

She twisted her hands together, nails digging into her palms. “I know it’s a...a shock to find out we’re expecting a baby. But I hope in time, you can be happy about it.”

“I’m not unhappy. Only surprised. I’m still processing.”

“I understand.”

Now that she had told him, she wasn’t sure what to say or do next. It didn’t feel right to simply drop this bomb and then walk away, like some kind of stealth guerilla. But she had no idea where to go from here.

To her astonishment, after a moment of strained silence, Cullen unexpectedly moved closer and pulled her into an almost desperate embrace.

She stood frozen for only a second before she wrapped her arms around him, hope beating through her with paper-thin wings.

This was home to her, no matter that they were in the Idaho wilderness. His arms. His solid strength. Here, she had always felt cherished and nurtured and...safe.

She pressed her cheek to his chest, feeling the whisper of gentle kisses on her hair. Thick emotion choked her throat. She had missed him so very much.

She wanted this instant to last forever, as if their embrace could heal all the fear, the distrust, the brokenness between them.

“I’m sorry you’ve been ill,” he murmured against her hair.

“I’m all right. At least now I know there’s a valid reason for it, that I’m not simply being...weak and depressed.”

He eased away to meet her gaze and studied her features. Could he see the loneliness and despair that had consumed her since he left Portland?

She knew nothing had really changed. He still felt betrayed by the secrets she had kept from him and she didn’t know how to fix the mess she had created out of self-protectiveness and fear. But at least he hadn’t completely pushed her away.

Finally, he lowered his hands and moved away and she tried not to shiver as cool air replaced his warmth.

He sat down again and she did the same. “It wasn’t necessary for you to come all the way up here. I was planning to stop by Leona’s place on Saturday, when we come down for more supplies. But...thank you.”

“You needed to know. It’s all I’ve been able to think about since this morning. I didn’t want you to think this was one more thing I was keeping from you.”

He nodded. They sat on the camp chairs overlooking the blue waters of Ghost Lake and talked about practicalities. When her due date might be. Whether she would return to Portland now or see an OB-GYN in Sun Valley or Ketchum during the summer. If she had told her family yet.

She shook her head. “I wanted you to know first. I’m sure Madi is wondering what is going on and why I dragged her up here in the first place.”

“I’m glad she came with you. Do the two of you want to stay for dinner? It’s Luis’s turn, which means it will probably be quesadillas or grilled cheese sandwiches. But he makes a pretty good grilled cheese.”

If they could maintain this tentative peace between them, she would like to stay all night. She didn’t have only herself to think about, though.

“We’d better not. Madi said we should try to be back before dark.”

“Probably smart. There are some fairly rough spots on the trail.”

She nodded. He rose and reached for her hand. She placed her fingers in his and he pulled her up from the camp chair and into his arms again.

“Thank you again for coming up here. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”

“It was easier, knowing you would be at the end of the trail, though I was terrified about your possible reaction,” she admitted.

“I’m still reeling,” he admitted. “I think I’ll be processing it for some time. But I do know this. If you’re happy about it, Ava, I am, too.”

He brushed his mouth on her forehead, her cheek, then a soft, gentle kiss on her mouth. She closed her eyes, praying they could make their way through this thorny time to regain the happy ending that had become as vital to her as breathing.

20

In the silence of another moonlit evening, a pair of gleaming eyes in the darkness catches our attention. A mountain lion stalks us, a sleek silhouette moving with lethal grace. Fear seizes our hearts, and we huddle together, our breaths held, as the predator assesses its potential prey. It circles, a silent guardian of the mountains, and we inch forward cautiously, praying it finds no interest in our vulnerable forms.

—Ghost Lakeby Ava Howell Brooks

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