Return by Land (Glacier Adventure Series Book 2)

by Tracey Jerald

  My eyes fly up and connect with Kody’s. Without words, I know what he’s thinking because he said it just a few hours ago before sliding my ring on my finger. “I know who and what you are, Meadow Borneman. You’re a strong woman who is fighting her way back to knowing who she is. You’re an exceptional mother who will do anything for her children. And you’re the woman I’ll never be able to let go. Do you know me?”

  As he slowly makes his way toward us, I nod through my tears. I know exactly who Kody Laurence is.

  He’s not perfect; he’s just a man. And like all men, he’ll make mistakes.

  But what he is, is mine.

  And he wants to be ours.

  God, I’m so grateful he didn’t give up on loving me. Then and now.

  Lifting my arm from MJ’s shoulder, I hold my hand out to him. Kody squeezes it as he passes by, instinctively understanding he’s a part of this moment even though on the plane we both agreed to take this slowly for the kids’ sake. Because no matter where we return to, we’ve finally figured out where our hearts are meant to land. Right next to each other. But our movements are still noticed by the curious eyes.

  “Mom, what’s Kody doing here?” Elise asks curiously.

  Brushing her hair back, I whisper words that are no less than the truth. “He’s here to be with us. Is that okay?”

  “I guess,” MJ mumbles.

  Elise doesn’t say a word. Instead, she burrows closer.

  My eyes meeting Kody’s over both of them begin to fill. Yeah, we’re going to figure it out. Together.

  “Come on, MJ. You know I love hot dogs,” Elise complains.

  “But you’ve already had two,” her brother points out logically.

  Rainey rolls her eyes before holding up an uncooked pack. I step in by placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Why don’t you see if Uncle Brad or Kody wants a dog while Aunt Rainey and I cook some more up? Then you both can have some?”

  “Great idea, Mom. I’ll go ask them now.” MJ races for the back door.

  Elise lingers behind for just a moment. She opens and closes her mouth before shrugging.

  I loop an arm around her shoulders. “Nuh-uh. Something’s on your mind, Lise. Come on into the kitchen and talk with Aunt Rainey and me about it.” I deliberately suggest a spot where she’ll feel comfortable, but she shakes her head.

  “Actually, Mom, could we go into the front yard? I really want to talk to just you. Alone.”

  My stomach is churning up the few chips and dips I’ve managed to choke down. “Of course, sweetheart. Now?”

  “Please. I’m afraid I’ll chicken out if I don’t.”

  We head out the front door, and I can see the shadow of the mountains in the distance. I let Elise precede me, deliberately closing the door behind me. She walks over to the center of the grass, plops down, and kicks off her shoes.

  I smother the smile that wants to come out. It’s amazing how many mannerisms my children have picked up from me. Doing the same, I bump her shoulder. “Okay, Lise. Fire away. What is it?”

  Much to my shock, Elise bursts out crying. Quickly, I scramble to my knees. “Baby, no. Tell me. What’s wrong?”

  “Mommy, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I…” Her voice cracks.

  “Shh. Whatever it is, we can fix it.”

  But her next words freeze my body. “I can’t fix you and Dad. And it’s my fault.”

  Pulling back slightly, I ask carefully, “What do you mean, Lise?”

  “I knew you were lying about why you and Dad split up. I…I saw him with a woman one day. While you were still married. Daddy knew. He said it was something you both accepted.”

  “So, that’s what you meant all those times when you said that Daddy said I was keeping secrets,” I surmise aloud, all the while thinking about if I’d look good in prison orange.

  She nods. “I told Aunt Alice. She said that likely wasn’t true, but I should talk with you about it. After seeing you that day, finding out the real reason behind why you and Daddy divorced, and how happy you look now, I couldn’t let it fester anymore.”

  I cup her cheek. “Honey, if I’m happy today, it’s because I finally have my children back. I knew you were hurting. I would take any pain and bear it if that’s what you needed.”

  Eyes swimming with tears, she replies, “I know. A long time ago, you told me to find someone who reminded me of my father.”

  I wince. “I remember.”

  “You know what I learned from all of this?”

  “What?” I brush her hair back from her face.

  “You told me to find someone strong, someone who would fight for me, Mom. I realized I shouldn’t be looking for someone like my dad. I should be looking for someone just like you.”

  After hearing that, I can’t bear even the slightest space between us. I yank Elise hard against my heart and sit there rocking her. I whisper words of love over her head. And as she relaxes against me, I sink down to the warm earth, holding her weight.

  That’s when I feel him.

  My head turns slightly to the left. He’s far enough away that he hasn’t overheard what’s been said, but he’s been there with me. For me. Loving me.

  I mouth, “I love you, Kody.”

  It’s not the first time I’ve thought it here in Juneau, but it’s the first time I’ve said it. And when he does the same before disappearing around the corner back to the impromptu party, I know my heart’s come home.

  And I’m glad I can take all of these feelings back with me to Montana.

  I think we’ll make a good life there, me, Elise, and MJ. Kody hasn’t told me yet what his plans are. But as I catch a glimpse of my grass-green ring out of the corner of my eye, I know he will.

  It just might take a little time.

  Epilogue

  Kody

  It was a lot easier to blend our lives than Meadow originally feared.

  The summer after her kids moved to Bigfork, I put a ton of miles on my truck driving back and forth between Portland and Meadow’s home. Greta bitched about my taking summer Fridays. “It’s a perk of owning the company, sister. Get your grubstake together, buy in, and maybe you can complain more,” I challenged her.

  In the meanwhile, every weekend I stayed at the lodge while Elise and MJ included me in their exploration of their new home. Meadow and I took them to Polebridge for face-size bear claws. We took Meadow’s RAV4 up the Road to the Sun. When MJ complained we weren’t riding in my truck, I explained, “I don’t have a death wish, kid. I’d like to get all of the passengers home,” much to everyone’s amusement.

  We went to nearby Whitefish and rode the ski lift up the mountain and let the kids take the ride down. And as much as I loved kissing and touching her, building this family foundation with my Meadow became everything to me. My need for her was just building.

  Every night I left to head back to the lodge until one day in early August, MJ just asked, “Mom? Why doesn’t Kody sleep over?”

  Meadow spat her wine across my shirt. I rolled my eyes and said, “Pray I don’t get pulled over, Flower,” as I mopped it up.

  Then Elise piped in. “I agree with MJ. I mean, the guy drives eight hours a week to spend time with us. He’s not some catfish or just trying to get into your…”

  “Elise!” we’d both yelled. Then we looked at each other and started laughing.

  I swallowed the end of my mirth when Meadow leaned over as if she was going to kiss me before telling her children. I held my breath, not certain what she was doing. “Both of you should know, I love Kody.”

  Their reaction was not what I expected. They both started laughing.

  “Are you planning on hiding this year’s Christmas presents as well as you hid this?” MJ snorted.

  “Yeah, hate to break it to you, Mom, but that’s kind of obvi. We really like you too, Kody,” Elise was quick to reassure me.

  Meadow’s mouth touched mine briefly. “How about next weekend, we give it a try?”

  An
d we did. For the next few months, we spent every weekend together. And when Thanksgiving approached and as my house was ready for me to move in, no one was particularly shocked by the question—except Meadow.

  “Wait. You’re willing to move here from Portland? Permanently?”

  I hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “This is where we belong. Together. What did you think I was building the house for?”

  She opened and closed her mouth, imitating the fish I imagined MJ and I would have fun catching come spring. “Weekends? Summer?”

  “Weak, Flower. I bought that house before we finished Nature’s Song and, no. That wasn’t the original intent.” Before she can speak, I finish softly, “It’s a family house–our family’s house. The last thing we have to do is let the kids fight out what room they want.” Just as I finished that sentence, the front door blew open and in came Elise and MJ.

  “Oops.” Elise grinned.

  “Ugh, gross. They’re kissing,” MJ complained.

  “Not yet. I was trying to convince your mother of something.”

  Elise unwound her scarf from her neck before hanging it up on the peg next to my coat. MJ just tossed his right on top, without a care in the world. And both actions made my head spin. It wasn’t until that moment, I realized what family meant until I caught those little mannerisms that meant the kids accepted me into their mother’s life.

  But this? This was huge. My body frame locked beneath Meadow’s hands. “Kody?” she questioned.

  “It’s not just you, it’s them. I want them every day.”

  Her hand came up to touch my cheek. “Then ask them,” she said simply.

  After I found my voice, I choked out my request, adding, “If here is where you’re happiest, then that’s okay. There’s no rush. It’s just I love all of you and…”

  Before I could finish the sentence, I had three Bornemans in my arms. I clutched them tight, cherishing this gift.

  That night, we grabbed dinner out so Elise and MJ could argue over who was getting the bigger bedroom at the new house.

  When we moved in two weeks later, we christened the house Treehouse Ridge. It meant come spring, I had some work to do, a promise to keep.

  “Good job,” I praise MJ as he hammers the nail into the bench seat we’re adding to the tree house we completed over the summer.

  “Thanks, Kody. I thought my friends would totally razz on me about the curtains Mom hung, but telling them it was to cut down on the glare for when we were gaming helped.”

  I chuckle. “Mind if I teach you an important life lesson, MJ?”

  He puts the finishing nail gun aside. “Nope.”

  I think back to all the years Meadow and I were friends, the years we spent apart where I felt incomplete, and our tumultuous reunion. “There are times when it’s worth it to plant your feet and take a stand about what’s right with a woman who means everything to you. In the grand scheme of things, do the curtains bother you?”

  “No.”

  “Do they make your mom happy?”

  “Oh yeah,” he agrees with feeling.

  “Then it’s not worth fighting over. Pick your battles, kid.”

  MJ nods sagely. “I’m glad we’re out here working on this, Kody. There’s way too much crazy happening in the house.”

  I laugh because he’s not wrong. “Why do you think my dad suddenly determined we needed a lemon cake with huckleberry sauce for dessert tonight? We grew up with seven women in the house. Add in your Mom and Elise and even I’m terrified.”

  He bumps my hip before he leans over to fill the nail holes with wood putty. Unfortunately, it dislodges the velvet box that I’ve been hiding on my pocket. “What’s that?” MJ nods to the floor.

  I panic. Do I tell him? I’ve already spoken with Meadow’s father, Rainey, and the guys. But as my hand closes over the small box, a rush of emotions hits me square in the chest, almost knocking me to the ground.

  I don’t want to tell him; I want to ask him. After all, we’re going to be a family if everyone says yes, right?

  Clapping my hand on his shoulder, I say, “Why don’t we take a break up in the tree house for a bit? The putty has to dry anyway.”

  He agrees, and we make our way out of the workshop and across the expansive yard. Across the water, Nature’s Song is standing strong and beautiful. Her heart and soul were repaired with hard work and not a few battles.

  Then again, anything loving is worth keeping; it’s worth years of devotion. I can’t wait to spend mine with Meadow, Elise, and the boy waiting patiently for me.

  But I frown when I get to the foot of the tree where I built a gated staircase only to find it open. Listening closely, I hear Meadow and Elise.

  And Elise is crying.

  I break into a run up those turning stairs, pausing only for MJ to catch up. A minute later, we burst through the door to find the two most important women in the world holding each other.

  “Elise, what’s wrong, honey?” I crouch down next to her. Forgetting about the box in my one hand, I place the other around the back of her neck since her hair is in a crazy mess of rollers that have spikes.

  Meadow shoots me a warning glare, but Elise announces, “It’s Dad. He just called and”—she air quotes—“‘has to work tonight. I understand, don’t I?’ No, Kody. I don’t. I really don’t understand. This is my first homecoming in a new town. I have a date. What father wouldn’t want to check out my date?” Her voice holds a wealth of hurt and understanding about her father she shouldn’t for a freshman in high school.

  It wasn’t what I planned. My entire family is sitting in the house—Mom, all my sisters, their spouses or significant others. Dad will be returning with a cake soon. Even Sandra flew out from Perdue for the weekend. I was going to wait until it was just the four of us, but I can’t stop the words.

  “Marry me. All of you. Please.”

  Elise goes into shock, even with the tears still coursing down her face. MJ shouts, “That’s what’s in the box! It’s a ring!”

  And then, I turn my head and there she is—my Meadow.

  And I ask again, “Will you marry me, Meadow? Will you share your family with me?”

  Elise slowly sits back, letting her mother loose. She holds out her hand for her brother, not saying a word as Meadow stands.

  Her words are better than a simple “yes.” Instead, as she grabs my hand, she replies simply, “I thought I already had?” Then she smiles at me, and it’s the same smile that first grabbed my attention almost twenty years ago. It whispers of hope and dreams.

  I was right all along. Meadow was meant to be mine.

  “When they lay me down in the ground, this will be the image I remember. You, us, here. Together. Family.” My voice is strong as I pry open the box with one hand. I pluck out the ring of faceted emeralds that are woven together in a braid. On top sits the petals of a forget-me-not made from Montana sapphires.

  “Oh, Kody.” Meadow’s hands fly to her mouth.

  “Mom, it looks so much like the rings Kody made for you when we’d be lying around the yard over the summer,” Elise breathes from behind us.

  “It’s too much,” Meadow’s sobbing.

  “It’s made to last, just like we are, Flower.” I get to my feet, pulling her into my arms. After a few moments, I turn slightly and open an arm to her kids, my family. “Just like we are.”

  Elise and MJ rush at us both.

  It’s so reminiscent of that day in Juneau where they both hurled themselves at their mother. We worked together to get to a place where Elise and MJ understood whatever life might throw at them, there was one constant.

  Love.

  And they would always have ours regardless of other people’s actions, even their father’s.

  Long moments later, Meadow lifts her head from my chest. Rising up to her toes, she places her lips against mine. “Meadow Borneman-Laurence. How does that sound?”

  “Perfect. Real. Like I might be dreaming.”
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  Her smile blooms, but before the kiss can deepen, Elise shrieks, “Oh, my God. I can’t wait to tell Jen tonight,” her earlier distress over her father forgotten. “I have to hurry!”

  MJ lets out a beleaguered sigh he’s perfected. I love hearing it since it reminds me of Brad, who picked it up from Jed. And having even a small part of Jed here right now means everything. “I think I’ll see if Grandpa Toby is back with the cake. A man puts in a hard day’s work, he needs something to eat,” he says in perfect imitation of my father.

  Meadow bursts out laughing as MJ takes off running.

  When we’re alone, Meadow wraps her arms around me and tips her head back. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For taking a risk on me. For rebuilding someone’s dream. You showed me, us, so many definitions of love, Kody.”

  My head lowers until our lips exchange a kiss that promises everything I yearned for in the shadow of one glacier long ago.

  Even though our family landed near a different one. After all, we have plenty of reasons to return to Juneau—especially now that Nick’s decided to get his head out of his ass.

  Finally.

  The End

  Also by Tracey Jerald

  Amaryllis Series

  Free to Dream

  Free to Run

  Free to Rejoice

  Free to Breathe

  Free to Believe

  Free to Live

  Free to Dance (Coming Spring 2021)

  Glacier Adventure Series

  Return by Air

  Return by Land

  Return by Sea (Coming January 11, 2021)

  Standalones

  Close Match

  Ripple Effect

  Lady Boss Press Releases

  Easy Reunion

  Challenged by You

  1, 001 Dark Night Short Story Challenge

  Coming December 2020