Page 4 of Her Mountain Man's Christmas Lie
I haven’t done that. I haven’t kept my promise. I’ve been holed up on this mountain, licking my wounds, both physical and mental. Now here she is seeking refuge in the same place where Chris and I did so many years ago. Martha, I hope you’re looking down. Give me insight.
I need to man up and move on. Cady needs the brother I promised I’d be. “You done playing with those chickens you hate so much?”
“This one’s nice.”
“It’s a Lavender Orpington. They’re actually pretty friendly to people. No, you are not bringing it in the house.”
She huffs. “I always wanted a pet. Mom wouldn’t even let me have a goldfish.”
“What pet would you have gotten?”
“A Rottie.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me? Bold. Daring. Smart.”
“Calm, gentle and loyal. All in one gorgeous package.”
I laugh. Yes, she is. “Come on, let’s get back to the house while we still can.”
The snow is still coming down so I send her inside while I grab more firewood. The generator tanks are full, but I know that winter can be draining. Weather report said this storm front could last a few days, maybe a week. Definitely through the holiday.
“I’m a simple cook, nothing fancy. How about grilled chicken, french fries, and salad?”
“Sounds great to me. Depending on what’s in your cupboard I could make sugar cookies or something.”
“Make yourself at home.”
We work well together, both of us just doing our thing. We’re halfway through dinner when it dawns on me, “Does your mother know where you are?”
“I doubt it. Probably hasn’t even noticed I’m not there.”
“Did you tell her where you were going? Leave a note?”
She shakes her head. “Shea, you’re talking aboutmymother. The less she sees me the happier she is. Since I’m not a shopaholic like Noelle and Mom’s already squandered my college money, she’s basically had nothing to do with me and won’t miss me or care. Now that number seven has left, she’s probably too busy out hunting down her next mark.”
“Chris really thought you were living on campus and away from home. Some of your letters to me talked about campus life.”
“I did the first year and a half. It was great. Second year, second semester is when I found out about the money. I got a part time job and stayed till the end of the semester. I was waiting to tell Chris until you guys came home for the holidays…. Oh god, he won’t be here. He won’t be coming home.”
Her voice cracks. Shoving back her chair, she rushes up the stairs to the loft. Finding a box of tissues, I follow her.
Laying crossways on the bed, her sobs are breaking what’s left of my own heart. Scooping her into my arms, I settle on the bed, leaning back against the headboard, and feed her tissues as the tears pour down. I’m choking back my own. “I miss him too, babe. I miss him every fucking day.”
Long minutes after her tears subside, she whispers against my chest. “I have to pee.”
I laugh. “It’s colder up here than I remember. I can feel a draft from one of the widows that I’ll need to fix. Let’s relocate you downstairs. You can have the bed. I’ll take the couch.”
CHAPTER 4
Cady
Going downstairs, I let him think I’m going along with his plan, but there is no way he’s sleeping on the too short, narrow couch. He’ll never fit. At the bathroom door I turn. “Do you have a different shirt I could sleep in?”
“I’ll find you something. There are spare toothbrushes in the second drawer. Use anything else you need.”
Opening the top drawer, I laugh. Everything is methodically lined up and organized. Wash cloths, hand towels, bar soap. Second drawer, toothbrushes, toothpaste, band aids, gauze pads and tape. At the very back is a prescription antiseptic lotion. The label says for healing and pain. Purchase date was four months ago. Just before he came home and it’s barely been used. Remembering the brief glimpse of his scars I had, how would he even reach to put it on?
Finishing my bedtime prep, I slip on the clean shirt he’d left me.
