What about Huck? a little voice in my head nagged at me. What if you’ve misjudged him? What if he’s not what he seems to be? What if all this was only a distraction to him?

  No, that wasn’t the case. He was not like my mother’s boyfriends. He was a professional, smart, educated man who had been all over the world. Still, giving him my power scared me. If he hurt me? Well, what would I be? My mother’s daughter?

  Would the feelings we found during the storm remain when we returned to our normal routines? Would Huck revert back to the man I knew last week or the one from years ago? More likely, someone in between? His blush of youth had been robbed by the realities of a violent war. However, love could waken the hope and resilience of innocence, reminding us of what could be, despite the ugliness of the world. Would the wakening Huck experienced remain? Only time would tell. I must go forward with faith that all would work out as it should. Sadly, I’d never been good at that.

  I waited for the feeling that usually came about now. The desire to flee. Self-protection above all else, even the chance that a man might not be like the ones my mother had chosen. But it didn’t come. Instead, I closed my eyes and imagined Huck walking back into this cabin and taking me home with him. I smiled, knowing he would. Believing in another person was not the same as giving my power away.

  In the late afternoon, I thought I heard voices and lifted my head from where I’d been resting it on the arm of the sofa. Yes, those were voices. Was it Huck calling my name? Please, let it be true and not my imagination.

  I leaped up from the couch and ran to the window. God bless. It was Huck and Garrett headed down the path from the woodshed toward the kitchen door. I squealed with delight at the sight of them looking as if they were just out for a leisurely hike.

  I yanked open the door and called out to them. Huck’s face lit up to see me standing there shivering in the doorway. He sped up and pulled me into his arms. “I told you I’d be back soon.”

  “I’m glad you were right.” I clung to him for a moment before extricating myself to greet Garrett. “I’m very glad to see you. Both of you.”

  Garrett hugged me, his intelligent eyes searching my face, as if to assure himself that the water and cold hadn’t permanently hurt me. Or was it that he wanted to know if there was more to Huck’s embrace than one between two people who’d survived an accident and days in a storm? He knew. I could see it in his eyes. He’d always been friendly, but this was different. He was looking at me as if I were Huck’s girlfriend. Inspecting me.

  I smiled up at him, noticing how much Huck looked like him. Huck would age well, if his father were any indication. “I’m sorry for all this,” I said.

  “Not your fault, sweetheart,” Garrett said. “We’re beyond relieved, though. I couldn’t figure out how this could end in any way but tragedy.” He took off his gloves and rubbed his cheeks. Dark circles under his eyes and his unshaven face hinted at how difficult the last few days had been.

  They were wet from the rain but other than that seemed good. I took their coats and hung them over the back of the chair nearest the fire. “I can’t wait to go home.”

  Garrett excused himself to use the bathroom, leaving me alone with Huck. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “I missed you. I hurried as fast as I could.”

  “I know you did,” I said, holding him tight before drawing away to ask him how his mother was doing.

  “She’s all right. A few tears from both of us, but otherwise okay.”

  “Did you tell them about us?” I whispered. “Your dad was looking at me differently.”

  “Yes, they know.”

  What would Garrett and Sally think? Would they wish it was someone else he’d been snowed in with? Someone more like Brandi or Tiffany?

  “They’re happy,” Huck said. “So stop thinking whatever it is you’re thinking.”

  “How did you know?”

  “I’m starting to figure you out.” He kissed me again. “Now let’s get out of here. I can’t wait to see you tucked into my bed at home.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  Huck wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head. “Yes, it does.”

  21

  Huck

  The next few hours passed in a blur. After we walked back out to the highway, I got in the back seat with Stormi while my dad drove us home. Stormi’s feet had gotten completely soaked by the time we’d gotten to the SUV. I tugged off the worthless boots and wet socks and rubbed her feet until they felt warm under my touch. While I did this, she closed her eyes and appeared to fall asleep, slumped against the side of the car. As happy as we were together, this had been an ordeal. We were exhausted.

  I drew from my jacket pocket a dry pair of socks and slipped them over her feet. Yet another item we’d taken from the cabin. We owed the Wallaces a great debt.

  In the front passenger seat, Mom was also asleep. She and my dad might have been more exhausted than Stormi and me put together. I doubted either had slept much since my disappearance.

  My thoughts drifted to the future. Had I punished myself enough for the pain I’d put into the world? I didn’t know. I didn’t know much of anything, truth be told. I knew only that my life was rich with love. I no longer wanted to push people away. I wanted to savor whatever time I had with those I loved, whether I deserved it or not. Life was not fair. The sooner I accepted that, the better. Terrible things happened to good people. Had I been waiting, holding my breath, for the next bad event in my life?

  Again, I wasn’t sure. I vowed to myself right then to spend the next period of my life giving back to all of the people who’d stood by me despite my hurtful treatment of them. I would make amends to my parents and my friends. But how? I’d have to have faith that the answers would become apparent later.

  Dad had music playing softly on the car stereo. I leaned my head against the side of the car and watched the scenery. The roads were clear, but the rest of the landscape was hidden under the masses of snowpack. Rainfall had not made much of a dent. Enough that we got out, I thought. Good enough for me.

  I glanced over at Stormi. She was still asleep, her head tilted at a strange angle. Was Stormi worried about returning to our normal lives? Wondering what I would be like? I couldn’t blame her if she was. Only time would prove otherwise.

  And Stormi too. We had a chance for something great. If I could keep myself from ruining whatever this was between us. Love? Could it be love? A week ago, I would have scoffed at such an idea. Love? Not for me. No one could possibly love me. My heart was too hard to love anyone. I’d been wrong.

  Stormi stirred awake and looked at me for a moment before adjusting herself so that her head now rested on my shoulder and her feet were back on the floor.

  I closed my eyes and must have fallen asleep myself because the next thing I knew, we were pulling up to the newspaper building. Stormi had asked my dad if he’d take her home first so that she could see Sassy. Jamie had agreed to bring Stormi’s fur baby over to the apartment so Stormi could see her right away.

  It felt weird to get out of the car without having to fetch bags or computers. We’d lost a lot in the accident but found so much more.

  The barking began the moment we started up the stairs. Would Sassy’s little heart explode from happiness? As soon as we were through the door, she jumped into Stormi’s arms and covered her face in doggy kisses. Stormi buried her face in Sassy’s soft hair before lifting her head to smile back at her dog. “I’ve missed you, too,” Stormi said.

  Jamie and Tiffany were there to greet us. They swarmed Stormi, who set Sassy down to give them both hugs.

  I stood back to let them have their reunion. Had they noticed the closeness between their friend and me? What would they think? It might take some convincing, but hopefully they’d come around. I knew I was no one’s favorite person.

  After her friends left, Stormi and Sassy both joined me on the couch. “It’s going to be weird to be without you tonight,” Stormi said.

  I stroked her cheek. “You can come over any time.”

  “I should probably stay here with Sassy tonight.” Sassy’s tail thumped at the sound of her name. “And maybe it would be best if we spent some time apart.”

  My stomach flipped over with nerves. Was she getting rid of me already? Seeing me in the light of day, so to speak, might have put her off me. “Okay.” I drew in a deep breath. “Should I read anything into that?”

  “What? No, not at all.” She wrapped her hands around my shoulders. “We need time to get some things done besides, you know…”

  “You’re right. I should get going. I don’t want to keep my parents waiting too long. They’re going to take me back to my house. Dad said my sister and Breck and Trapper are waiting to welcome me home.”

  She looked up at me with a wariness in her eyes. “What do we do about telling our friends? Do you want to keep us a secret?”

  I rocked back on my heels, surprised. “Do you?”

  “No, I don’t care what anyone thinks. You know that.”

  I smiled. “Yeah, right.”

  “But I didn’t know how you felt. Like maybe you want everyone to think you hate me still.”

  I placed my hands on either side of her face. “Why would I ever want that?”

  “I don’t know. Men are different after sex. They run away when things get real. Now that we’re home, it’s all real. We’re back to normal life. I don’t know how you want to do this. Or if you want to at all.”

  “I want to.” My chest ached. She was insecure about me. About men. I needed to remember that and offer assurances along the way. Just as I needed them, so did she. “I very much want to. We’re going steady, remember?”

  She rested her head on my chest. “I remember. I was just making sure you did.”

  “What about you?” I asked. “Are you embarrassed to tell everyone that jerky Huck Clifton is in your bed?”

  She drew back, laughing. “No, I’m not embarrassed. Who cares what people think?”

  “I’m a little sheepish that I made such a big deal about how I didn’t like you and no, I wasn’t in the least attracted to you, thank you very much.”

  “People thought you were?” Her mouth opened slightly in the cute way it did when she was surprised.

  “Breck’s mom mentioned it a few times.” More than a few. She’d told me she was absolutely certain I had feelings for Stormi. I’d shut her down every time, but obviously she was smarter than I. “She was right, as it turns out.”

  She lifted her pointy chin for one of her haughty expressions. “Who wouldn’t be attracted to all this?”

  “No one with eyes that worked.”

  She pushed against my chest. “Flatterer.”

  I wrapped my arms around her. At that time, I noticed Sassy. She was sitting on the couch staring at us. Her tail was not wagging. In fact, it was a very still little nub. “Um, I think Sassy might disapprove of me.”

  Stormi’s gaze meandered over to Sassy and then back to me. “She’s heard me complain about you a lot. So it may take her a while to adjust.”

  “Nothing a few dog treats won’t cure,” I said.

  “She can’t be bribed.”

  “All dogs can be bribed with treats,” I said.

  “Make sure they’re vegetarian treats.”

  Sassy barked. I couldn’t tell if that was in agreement or disagreement with her mistress’s request.

  “Call me later?” I asked.

  “Call? Where? We still don’t have phones.”

  “I forgot about that.” I’d have to get online and order some for us. Although I had no computer either. “We need to go shopping tomorrow.”

  “Yes, I need to get my photography equipment ordered as soon as possible.”

  We talked for a few more minutes about the logistics of putting our lives back together. “I’ll ask my dad if he’d take us in the morning to buy new stuff. And I’ll need a new car.” I sighed. The hassles of real life were back with a vengeance. “I liked it better when it was just you and me hidden away from the real world.”

  “Except for Sassy,” Stormi said with her teeth clenched as if her dog could understand what she was saying. “We’d want her there too, of course.”

  “You know she can’t understand English, right?”

  “That’s obviously not true. Look at her.” Stormi gestured toward her precious dog. “She knows everything we’re saying.”

  “Do you, girl?” I asked.

  Sassy tilted her head, observing me, as if trying to decide if I were friend or foe, then barked an answer. Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand dog language so I wasn’t sure which direction she was leaning.

  “Dog treats,” I mumbled under my breath. “Must get dog treats.”

  My house seemed large and lavish compared to the compact cabin we’d come from. When I walked in through the garage door, I was greeted by Breck and Trapper, who had made themselves at home in my kitchen. The scent of lasagna filled the entire house. Breck had been here awhile. I’d never been as happy to see him or a casserole in my life.

  They had beers open and were sitting at the island but jumped up to greet me the moment I walked into my kitchen.

  “We thought you were dead.” Trapper grabbed me into a rough hug, his dark eyes shining with unshed tears. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

  I hugged him back, holding him more tightly than I ever had. “Only the good die young, apparently.”

  “Apparently.” Breck hugged me in the same manner as Trapper. “Mom sends her love and said to tell you to come by to see her when you’re feeling rested enough.” He grinned, looking me up and down. “You don’t look as if you climbed out of a sinking car.”

  “I look considerably better than I did that day.” I sat at my island, suddenly exhausted. Breck brought me a beer.

  “Tell us everything,” Trapper said. “Spare no details.” He leaned up against my cooktop, his red flannel shirt matching the knobs.

  I did as I was asked, telling them how the accident happened and what we’d done to escape the sinking car. “Honestly, we were out of there before it started to sink. Stormi was incredible. Quick thinking and moving.”

  “How was it being alone with your nemesis?” Breck asked, amusement twinkling in his eyes. Did he guess already? These guys knew me very well.

  “She wasn’t my nemesis,” I said. “That’s the wrong word.”

  “Enemy?” Trapper asked.

  I looked at Breck, taking in his red eyes and haggard appearance that marred his usually handsome face. He had one of those open, sweet faces that everyone fell in love with. Trapper didn’t look so great, either. He hadn’t shaved in what appeared to be days, and his dark skin looked almost green. They’d been worried about me.

  “It was fine,” I said, gearing up to tell them the truth. “We kind of changed our opinions of each other.”

  Trapper snapped to and zoned right in on my face. “How’s that now?”

  Breck placed both hands on the granite island and fixed his gaze on me. “What exactly does that mean?”

  “Was it like one of those love stories where the main characters get snowed in together and they realize their real feelings?” Trapper asked.

  “Actually,” I said, unsure if he was joking or not, “it was exactly like that. We kind of fell in love.”

  Neither said anything, staring at me as if I’d just changed into another species.

  Finally, Breck said, “Are you messing with us?”

  “No, I swear.” I took a long pull from my beer, savoring the bitterness of one of our local IPAs. “Darn, this beer is good. You two look terrible, though.”

  “Something does seem different about you,” Trapper said.

  “Like you’ve taken a lover, now that you mention it,” Breck said. “You have that well-used look about you.”

  “Lover? Oh my God, we’re not in the seventies,” Trapper said, laughing. “But is he right? Did being snowed in do the trick and you two finally admitted how hot you are for each other?”

  “Yeah, something like that,” I said. “But it’s more than that. The thing is—I’m in love with her. I think I always was. There’s part of the story you guys don’t know.” As best I could, I summarized our encounter all those years ago. “And once she remembered it and told me, I remembered too. It was the night before I left. When I came back, I was a different person.”

  “This means you guys are like soul mates.” Breck’s eyes had filled. My friend was such a bighearted, nap-loving sap. “And you didn’t even know it? It’s very romantic, dude. I have to hand it to you.”

  “I don’t know about soul mates or anything else about love,” I said. “Something shifted for me over the last few days. Maybe it was thinking for however briefly that I might not live to see the next day, but everything became clearer. I know it sounds like a cliché, but I swear that’s how it happened. I’ve been wasting my life consumed with the past.” I looked down at the counter, gathering my thoughts. “Stormi and I talked a lot while we were stuck there at the cabin. I shared with her what happened in Afghanistan—the incident that made me change so dramatically. I’d like to share it with you guys, too. Not today, but soon. Being open and honest with my feelings has worn me out. But in general, I would like to say I’m sorry for being such an ass these past few years. I’ve been hurting. And guilty. I’ve felt like good things shouldn’t happen to me any longer.”

  “Dude, we love you,” Breck said. “No matter what.”

  “But you have been an ass.” Trapper set aside his beer to come put his hand on my shoulder. He looked me in the eyes. “Welcome back. I missed you.”

  “I missed you too,” I whispered, overcome with emotion.

  “How serious are you?” Breck said. “Like was this a fling or what?”

  “Not a fling,” I said. “She’s not the type to have one of those anyway.”

  “And neither are you,” Trapper said.

 

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