Page 5 of Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge
“What?” Heather and Emily spluttered in unison.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Emily asked.
Barb nodded, her gaze distant as she spoke. Her heart had started to splinter after three months had gone past with no word or contact with Zac. Despite Giles’s efforts to reach him, they couldn’t even get hold of Zac’s family or his brother, Liam. She had clung to hope fornearly a year, enduring the silence even after giving birth to their daughter—a daughter Zac didn’t even know existed.
She had left several messages after their last conversation, each one revealing her pregnancy, with the final message sent on the day she gave birth to Charlotte.
Eventually, Giles managed to contact someone in the FBI who informed him that Zac had left the agency eleven months ago. At first, Barb had panicked, fearing something terrible had happened to him. However, a week after Charlotte was born, Heather found a photo from ten months ago in a U.S. newspaper. It showed Liam Shields running for the Montana Senate seat, with his wife and younger brother beside him supporting him. Though a cowboy hat obscured Zac’s face, it was unmistakably him, with a brunette on his arm. That was when Barb’s already splintered heart finally shattered into a million pieces.
Pieces still lay scattered around her soul. The only thing that kept her together was her beautiful children. They had saved the most precious part of her heart, giving her a reasonto keep going.
“Barb?” Heather’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “The bottle’s ready.”
“Oh, thank you,” Barb said.
She reached out, took it, and tested it, and before she could reach for Charlotte, Emily asked, “Oh, please, can I?”
“Of course,” Barb replied and handed the bottle to Emily. “How is Daisy?”
“Getting too big, too quickly,” Emily sighed, feeding Charlotte. “I can’t believe she’s two already.”
“I know,” Barb said, her brows rising. “It’s scary how time flies by.”
“Well…” Emily said, a teasing smile splitting her face. “It seems in another seven months, there will be a new addition to my family, too.”
“Emily!” Heather and Barb squealed in unison.
“That’s wonderful news,” Heather said in amazement. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You didn’t know?” Barb looked at Heather, surprised.
“No,” Emily answered. “We haven’t told anyone yet. We’re going to announce it after the first scan next week.”
“We won’t say a thing!” Barb assured her, squeezing Emily’s shoulders. “Congratulations.”
“Yes, congrats, my beautiful cousin,” Heather said. “I’m so happy for you and Hank.”
“How is Avery and Ryder’s son?” Barb asked, looking from Heather to Emily.
“Luke is one already,” Emily replied. “I think Avery’s already started getting broody again after Heather arrived with Phoenix.” She snorted. “Her and Giles fight for his attention.” She glanced at Heather. “Much to Heather’s amusement.”
“I have people fighting over my son to take care of him.” Heather sighed. “It’s heaven. I get to chill and wind down a bit when I need to go for a walk on my own or visit my eagle, Jasper.”
“Is Jasper still alive?” Barb asked curiously.
“Oh, yes.” Heather nodded. “Bald eagles live to be thirty years old. Some even get to fifty.”
“Huh!” Barb said, amazed. “I’ve lived with you for two years, and it still amazes me that you have absolutely no fear when it comes to wild animals.”
“I have a healthy respect for wildlife,” Heather replied. “And I do fear some animals, like polar bears. Those huge white snowballs are like the assassins of the wild. They will hunt you down when they have your scent.”
“But you’ve been photographed with one,” Barb commented.
“It was knocked out with heavy sedatives,” Heather told her. “And we had to cover up our scent and take awhole lot of other precautions, then make sure we were far away before it woke up.”
“You’re crazy!” Emily stated and looked at Barb. “Since she told us that story. I keep waiting for a freakin’ polar bear to pop out of nowhere looking for her.”
Heather laughed at her cousin. “Don’t worry, Em, I’m sure that’s not going to happen.”
