Page 41 of Mountain Refuge
Gertie nodded. “The girl wanted spaghetti and chocolate. I’m not sure she’s quite right in the head.”
I laughed. “I think it’s the altitude.”
We entered the cabin. I set Lucas down in the playpen Corbin had constructed for him in the living room. While it was warmer outside where we didn’t need heavy winter jackets, it still had a chill in the air when the sun set. Corbin let the fires in each room go low during the day before building them back up at night.
When putting together our new identities, Jack had asked if I wanted to keep the kids’ birthdays. He said it was safer to change them, but it was my call. In the end, I chose to change them. I would always know their real birthdays and what day we celebrated on wouldn’t matter in the long run.
Belle’s birthday was now two months sooner, which she was ecstatic about. By her logic, this meant she would always get her presents earlier.
Lucas, who was about to turn eleven months, would be waiting an extra month before we celebrated his birthday. In fact, his birthday was now what his predicted delivery date had been if he hadn’t been born a preemie.
So today we were celebrating Belle’s eighth birthday. To which, my unique daughter asked for a spaghetti cake. Dinner was going to be interesting.
I heard the sound of an engine in the distance. I still wasn’t used to that sound intruding on the silence of the mountain. Corbin had taken his four-wheeler out this morning. He said he was getting Belle’s birthday gift. I wasn’t sure what that meant and wondered if he was going all the way to town. While the snow had mostly melted, Corbin wasn’t expecting to go back to town with all the furniture he’d built over the winter for another couple of weeks.
Even though I knew the chances that it wasn’t Corbinwere low, I still tensed at the sound approaching. I automatically moved so I could see both my children. Gertie noticed but didn’t comment on my reaction. I appreciated her discretion.
Once I saw it was Corbin approaching, I relaxed. When I saw there was another vehicle following behind him, I tensed back up.
Gertie looked out the living room window. “Ah, don’t worry. That’s just Dalton.”
I knew the name and his voice from the radio check-ins, but I had never met the man. I wondered what he was doing here.
Belle ran to the door as soon as she heard the vehicles approach. She rushed outside just in time to see them park in front of the porch. “Uncle Corbin!”
Corbin climbed off his vehicle, taking his helmet off. He opened his arms just in time to catch my little daredevil as she flung herself off the porch at him. Geez, I was going to have a heart attack one of these days if she didn’t stop jumping off of things.
I remained in the doorway so I could watch outside while also keeping an eye on Hen—damn it.Lucas. At least that slip up wasn’t out loud.
The second four-wheeler pulled up next to Corbin’s. The driver was dressed all in black and had his helmet on. My divided attention between my children was my only excuse as to why I didn’t notice the passenger on the back of the vehicle with him until she got off.
Blonde hair came piling out of the helmet as she raised it off of her head. She shook her hair free, and I realized I was seeing it loose for the first time. Before, she’d always had it braided.
Our eyes met, and my mind went blank. Had her eyes always been so blue? I couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak. She was gorgeous. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing. My chest hurt, butthat could either be lack of oxygen or the punch I had felt at seeing her again.
“Brooke!” was screamed so loudly it broke me out of my stupor.
Belle climbed down from Corbin’s arms and ran over to Brooke. Thankfully, she didn’t jump this time. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Brooke’s waist and squeezed as tightly as she could.
“Hi, sweetie,” Brooke smiled down at her. She put her hand on Belle’s shorter hair, pulling on the ends. “I love the new hairdo.”
Since Belle was looking up at Brooke, her chin resting on Brooke’s flat belly, I could see her scrunching her nose. “I look like a boy.”
Brooke shook her head. “No, baby. I think you look very pretty. I also hear you’ll be dying it pink soon.”
That got Belle excited again. “Yes! Will you do it for me?”
“Well, I’ve never dyed mine or anyone else’s hair before, but, if your dad allows it, I’ll try.” She didn’t look up, even though she’d mentioned me.
“Great!” Belle let go of her waist. She turned towards the cabin and then spun around so quick she nearly toppled over her own feet. Thankfully, Brooke caught her because neither Corbin nor I were close enough to have. “Oh, and my name is Annabelle now, but everyone calls me ‘Belle.’”
I winced at her wording. Brooke was the only other one on this mountain who knew Belle’s birth name. Hopefully she would just introduce herself regularly in the future and not add in the ‘now’. I still would have a talk with her later about making sure she never admitted or hinted that she once had a different name.
Brooke smiled indulgently at her. “I know, sweetie. I think the name ‘Belle’ suits you perfectly.”
Movement behind Brooke brought my attention to Dalton as he approached. He’d taken off his helmet. I was surprised to see he was African American. I hadn’t guessed that by his voice. He was tall, maybe six-two, and bald. When he walked up behind Brooke, he placed his hand on the small of her back. He leaned in close to whisper something in her ear.
Red clouded my vision as she leaned into him. Well, that hadn’t taken long. Here I was pining over her, still struggling whether I’d made the right decision to leave, and she’d already moved on. Guess her feelings weren’t as deep as I’d imagined they were.
