Page 3 of Mystery in the Mountains

“So . . . all three of them are back on the mountain?”

Betty nodded.

Sunny blew out a breath.

There had been a time in her life when they were her family—before she’d gone and ruined it.

“Sunny . . . I know that face. Everything is going to be okay.”

She nodded but wasn’t as sure as her aunt seemed to be.

“And just so you know . . . Asher never did get with anyone else.”

Her heart ached at even the thought of Asher with someone else, but she had no claim on him. She’d abandoned that all when she left here.

Gazing down at her cheeseburger, she pushed a fry around in the ketchup.

“Does everyone hate me?” she murmured to her plate.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at her aunt.

Betty wrapped her hand around Sunny’s fist. “No, sweet pea, no one hates you. I reckon most people in these parts will be more than happy to see you.”

“Most people.”

“Sunny, if you’re askin’ about the Blacks”—she gave a hearty sigh—“I wish I could tell you they’ll be happy to see you, but I’m not for sugar coatin’, and you broke that poor boy’s heart when you left.”

“I know.”

Tears stung her eyes, but she would not let them out. Not here.

After that, they ate and caught up, and the conversation kept things surface level, which was good because Sunny couldn’t handle anything more.

She always planned on returning. When she left, she never intended to be gone this long. It was just that, the longer she was away, the harder it got to come back. Facing all the problems she abandoned felt like an impossible task, so what should have been a few days turned into a few years.

It was time.

After finishing up lunch and visiting with her aunt, she got in her van and headed to what was once her home.

The gloominess of the April day matched how she felt as she made her way through town and up into the mountains. As she drove past the turnoff to where the Blacks lived, her heart ached in her chest. Her whole body and soul yearned for Asher . . . but things had just gotten so messed up.

Chapter

Two

ASHER

Windshield wipers slapped away the raindrops as Asher and his brother made their way back to Hecate’s Hollow.

“Do you want to come over for dinner?” Abe asked Asher. “I think Julie should be off by the time we get home. I’ll probably make some burgers.”

Asher nodded. “Sure, I’ll call Esther when we get home. Maybe she and Ruby will want to come.”

His sister Esther was Abe’s twin, but she had left the mountain and gotten married when their parents died years ago. Last fall, she came back with her daughter and no husband, and she still wasn’t talking about it.

Abe nodded.

“I wish I knew what was going on with her,” Asher said, looking out the window.

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