Page 134 of Crystal Iris
I grin. “She did?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you going to do if you find your mom?”
“I’m more worried about what happens if we don’t. What it’ll do to Johanna. Her hopes are high. Too high.”
“I think she’s worried about you, too,” I admit.
“She always is. Sometimes, I think I’m the younger sibling.”
We eat and watch a movie. I must have fallen asleep because I wake up in the middle of the night, still in my travel clothes. I change into my pajamas in the bathroom and realize Hoyt barely fits on the couch. The bed is too small for our mountain of pillows. I lie back down, but my brain is wide awake.
The hotel is nicer than I expect. Not because of the luxuries, it’s the view. If Montana is beautiful, Alaska is something else. I’m looking outside when Hoyt brings me coffee.
“Did you even sleep?” he asks.
“Kind of. I slept yesterday on the plane, and my body is still… on ranch time. Did you? The couch looks extremely uncomfortable. Maybe we should get another room?”
“Nonsense. You aren’t getting rid of me that easily,” he grins.
“I never thought about leaving the city, but these views… I’m going to miss it,” I say, trying to control my feelings. He looks hot in his sweatpants and messy hair.
“Do you think you could? Move away from the city?” he asks.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Hoyt drives, and I sit in the back seat. We’ve passed the populated tourist areas, and I note we’re driving miles away from everything I consider safe.
“The GPS is pointless by now. It keeps recalculating,” I say, opening and closing the app on my phone.
“Are you sure it’s this way, Johanna?” Hoyt asks.
“You heard what that man said in the bar—follow the water, it’s the only house with a red door. How hard can it be?”
We drive for another half hour. Hoyt’s right. Johanna’s excited, but my heart aches for them. The thought of seeing their mother… I know Hoyt’s holding back.
“There!” Johanna points at the extremely old home.
“Nobody can live there,” Hoyt says. “There’s nothing here.”
“Someone obviously does,” Johanna replies, opening her window. We drive in the direction of the house.
“You guys go ahead, I’ll stay in the car,” I tell them as we park.
“No way, you’re coming with us,” Johanna says. “I need backup with Hoyt.”
I nod at her, knowing it’s her nerves talking.
We knock, but the immensity of the mountains and land swallows the sound.
“Maybe she can’t hear us,” I say when no one answers.
Hoyt knocks harder, and the door gives way.
“Hello? Anyone here?” he calls from the doorway.
“I’m going in,” Johanna says, stepping past us.
