by Tena Stetler
“It’s about time, sleepy heads. Rough night?” her father asked.
“Yeah, the owl we told you about took a turn for the worse, vet was out of town, and Alec was worried. But it’s all good for now.” Pepper grabbed a spoon, scooped a couple big spoons of casserole, and plopped them on the plate. She took a cup, poured hot water over a spiced orange tea bag, and settled into a chair beside Hayley.
“Never a dull moment. Huh?” Hayley asked.
Pepper glanced over at Hayley noticing dark circles under her eyes. “You look a bit rough around the edges this morning yourself.”
“Baby kicked all night.”
“Yeah, she even got me in the back.” The corner of Kolby’s mouth kicked up in a lopsided grin as he reached over to touch his wife’s belly. “She’s going to be a handful. I can tell.”
“She comes by it naturally,” Eli said with a chuckle.
“So what’s the plan for today?” Lathen asked taking a bite of toast before washing it down with a gulp of coffee.
“Thought we’d hitch Scout to the sleigh and take turns riding around the property. I’ve also saddled the other horses so the rest of us could follow the trails through the acreage on horseback.”
“I’m going to stay here. Cinnamon rolls are in the oven, and I’ll keep the hot drinks fresh and ready,” Klaren said.
“I want to go for one sleigh ride, then I’ll come in and help you.” Hayley shifted in her chair rubbing her back.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Kolby asked his forehead creased, brows knitted together. “After last night…”
“I’m fine. The baby was just excited about the sleigh ride,” Hayley said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Kolby glanced from her to his dad and Amy. “Okay. But only one.”
“Amy and I’ll follow Duncan on horseback, then come in and warm up by the fire,” Eli said, pushing up from the chair.
“Works for me.” Duncan grabbed his coat as the rest followed suit.
When Kolby and Hayley returned from their sleigh ride, Pepper and Lathen filled up mugs with coffee and hot chocolate then charged out the cabin door. Tonk and Ember raced beside them barking excitedly. Kaylee soared overhead. Pepper shaded her eyes to check on the bird and whistled to get her attention, letting her know not to leave their sight.
Klaren held Timber’s leash. “You can’t go every time, little girl.” Klaren cooed to the wiggling, whining puppy straining to follow the others.
“Mom, we’ll take her in the sleigh with us,” Pepper said reaching for the leash. “It’s not fair for her to have to stay behind because she can’t keep up with the other two.” She climbed into the sleigh, sat the dog on the seat beside her, and tucked half the blanket around her. Lathen jumped in and eased into the seat. Pepper covered his lap with the rest of the blanket.
“Cozy. Huh?” He scooted next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
As the horse tugged at the sleigh, Duncan, Eli, and Amy returned. Amy climbed off the horse and handed the reins to Kolby. “You go on with your dad and Duncan. I hear the fire calling my name.” She shivered. “Somehow nineteen degrees seems colder here than at home.” She stomped the snow off her boots and hurried into the cabin.
Lathen slapped the reins; Scout started out in a walk. Pepper watched the steam rise from the little hole in the top of her travel mug; she took a sip. “Mmmm. Good stuff.”
He followed a trail the sleigh had traveled before. The sun glinting off the newly fallen snow, piles of the white stuff clinging to the pine boughs made for a beautiful scene. Pepper pulled out the camera from her backpack. “Could we stop here for a moment? I’d like to get a picture of Scout, you, Ember, Tonk, and Timber in the sleigh.”
Pulling up on the reins, he called out, “Whoa, up there, Scout.” Pepper unwrapped the blanket and stepped out of the sleigh, nearly falling head first into the snow when her foot caught in the corner of the blanket. She turned to see Lathen’s hand over his mouth she suspected covered a grin and frowned at him, but was unable to keep a straight face.
Pepper called Tonk and Ember to stand by the side of the sleigh, had Kaylee land on the edge, backed away, focused, and took the picture. Checking the digital screen, she smiled wide. “Perfect.” She clambered into the sleigh just as Lathen’s phone rang.
He yanked the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen, took off his gloves, and accepted the call.
“What’s up Mike? Oh, hi Lynette.” There was a short pause. Lathen’s forehead creased and his jaw muscle twitched. “I’m in Colorado.”
Another pause. “No, Jay is out of state too. Slow down Lynette, we’ll get this handled. Put Mike on the phone. But first, do you have another phone? That’s good. I want you to call Alec, a friend of mine. He’s in Lobster Cove and can be in Bar Harbor in a few. Tell him Mike needs help; he’ll understand. He’s been there just like Jay and I have.”
A longer pause. “Like hell he won’t. Tell him I’m on the phone. Does he know you called? Then tell him I called.” Lathen waited, his knuckles turned white from his grip on the phone. “Mike, settle down. Tell me what happened.” Lathen listened for a long time.
“Dude, when did you take your medication last?” He handed the reins to Pepper and hopped out of the sleigh, pacing. “You need help. Mike… Mike…wait…”
Lathen blew out a breath; it circled his head like smoke in the frosty air. “Mike, okay…relax, we aren’t going to make you do anything you don’t want. But you can’t scare your wife like this. Babies cry. It’s a fact of life. Now take it easy. Remember my buddy Alec? He’s on his way to you. We’ll get this worked out.”
He put his hand on the side of the sleigh, put his head on his hand. “You gotta pull it together. You want to see your little girl grow up? She needs you. Lynette needs you. It’s just a rough patch; we’ll get through it. How long have you been out of medication?”
Lathen nodded. “I understand…first let’s get your… Hey…listen to me. Don’t worry about the funds. It’s covered.” Lathen kicked at the snow and paced some more.
Tonk and Ember came to his side and walked along beside him. “Can you send Lynette and the baby to the pharmacy as soon as Alec arrives? The car ride will calm the baby. Okay, tell her to call me when she gets there. I’ll handle payment. Don’t worry about it. No handouts, you’ll have to work it out at the Lobster Cove Wildlife Rescue & Rehab Center.” He looked up at Pepper patiently waiting in the sleigh.
She nodded. What the hell is going on?
“No, Pepper won’t mind. You know Alec works there too. He’s the manager.” Listening a long time, Lathen blew out a breath. “Okay…Alec should be there within a few minutes…have Lynette get the baby ready to go… Good.” He climbed back into the sleigh and took the reins.
Duncan, Eli, and Kolby cantered by, stopped. Lathen waved them on. “Tell me what you know about wildlife, construction, or maintenance.”
Several minutes passed as Lathen guided the sleigh across the trails listening. He handed the reins to Pepper. She slowed Scout to a walk while Lathen continued the conversation.
With relief in his voice, Lathen said, “Alec’s there. Good. Let me talk to him a minute. It’s going to be fine, Mike. Jay and I’ll be back this weekend.” Lathen waited for Mike to hand Alec the phone, explained to Pepper what was going on.
Pepper shifted in the seat, relieved to see the cabin come into view.
“Alec, Lynette’s going to go pick up medication. Take Mike for a long walk; make sure when she gets back she clears out all the guns in the house. The pharmacy is only a few blocks away. Mike’s in a bad place right now… What, she’s leaving…good.” He paused.
“Okay, you’ll need to stay with him for a while, maybe the night ’til the medicine kicks in. Mike won’t go to the hospital. No use trying to force him. We don’t want him more agitated than necessary. Did you get someone to cover for you at the Center?”
Lathen slumped in the seat. �
��Good, we’re on the downside of this, I think. Mike’s going to need… Yeah, I know… He’s going to be working with us at the LCWRR for a while. Okay, I’ll see if I can get a hold of Jay. Call me if you need me. Let me talk to Mike again.” Lathen switched the phone to his other ear. “Mike, Alec’s going to stay with you for a while. You need to walk off some of that tension. Tomorrow, I want you to report to the Center in Lobster Cove at eight a.m. Alec can give you the address and directions. Have Lynette drive you, so she’ll have the car if she needs it. Okay. Call me if you need me. I’ll see you soon.” Lathen touched the screen and ended the call. He looked over at Pepper, rested his head on her shoulder.
She reached up and stroked his hair. “Intense…have you got a handle on it?”
“Yes, for now, but… We may need to leave tomorrow, if I can get a hold of Jay. I’m sorry.”
“Not a problem, I’d like to get back too. I feel so helpless…being clear out here…when I’m needed at the LCWRRC.”
“The owl is in good hands, and you know it. Dylan’s cousin is staying at the Center while Alec is with Mike. We’re going to owe Dylan’s cousin a fortune.”
“Couldn’t be helped. Besides that’s what the emergency fund is for.” Pepper rubbed Timber’s ears. “Dad and Mom will understand. Your family is leaving tomorrow anyway. Right?” She paused for a couple beats. “You ready to tell me what’s going on and who is Mike?”
Lathen sighed heavily. “Yeah. He’s one of the veterans on my radar, kinda like a support tree. Mostly, Jay handles it, since you and I got together, but…well…things happen. Mike’s been out of work for a while, trouble holding down a job because of his combat PTSD. Didn’t stay on his meds, no money, couldn’t get into the VA…just a series of things sent him into a downward spiral.”
“I see… You never mentioned this part of your life before. Don’t you think…”
“Yeah, probably should have, but knew it wouldn’t make a difference to you. You don’t mind that I offered him a job, only for a little while?”
“If we take time to train him and he works out, he can stay as long as he wants. Look how well Alec’s done.”
Lathen nodded, raised a brow. “But Alec had less baggage than Mike, like me he was single. Injured physically and psychologically, but no one depended on him…but Mike. It makes a difference.”
“Isn’t his wife…I mean he’s got support…”
“No what he has is a young wife trying to cope with a colicky baby, who cries for hours, day and night. On top of the baby, she’s got a husband who is more of a weight than a help, and they’re struggling financially. He couldn’t get his meds and was ready to end it all. I think we brought him back from the brink. That’s why Alec will probably stay the night. A job will help in a lot of ways.” Lathen scrolled through the numbers on his phone.
“Financially, but shouldn’t the VA help with his medical care, prescription costs?”
“In an ideal world, but the VA system is broken; it’s getting better—but not fast enough for people like Mike. So guys like Jay and I step in to fill the gaps as best we can. Speaking of Jay, I need to make that call.” Lathen winced. “At least Jay got a few days with family.” He tapped the screen and put the phone to his ear. The phone rang only once. “Jay, Lathen, we got a situation with Mike.”
Tonk and Ember chased after the sleigh as they pulled in behind the cabin. Kolby, Duncan, and Elijah were waiting for them. Pepper jumped out of the sleigh. Lathen climbed out, held an index finger up, then walked away from the group talking with Jay.
“Is there a problem?” Duncan asked reaching to take a wriggling Timber from Pepper. “Are we finished with the sleigh for today?”
“Yeah. I think Lathen and I are going to have to head back to Lobster Cove tomorrow.” She explained the situation to the group and the fact if Jay wanted to leave tomorrow morning, they’d have to leave too.
“Oh…your mom is going to be disappointed. She had tomorrow all planned.” He shrugged. “She’ll understand. We’ll be in the Cove in a couple weeks anyway.”
Pepper hugged her dad. “Thanks for understanding. It’s just the nature of our business. Wildlife and apparently mankind too.”
Lathen trudged over to where everyone stood and glanced at Pepper.
Lathen’s warm breath formed a wreath around his head. “I talked with Jay. He wants to fly back to the Cove tomorrow. Mike’s been unstable for a while. Jay thought he’d reached a good place. But…apparently not. Didn’t know he was off his meds.”
“Figured.” Pepper wrapped her arm through Lathen’s. “Bet Mom has the leftover chili warming on the stove and a new batch of cornbread.” She sipped from her travel mug, wrinkled her nose, and popped the top, looked glumly at the contents. “My hot chocolate is cold, what’s left of it. My toes would love being next to a roaring fire.”
“Duncan, need some help with the horses?” Lathen asked.
“I’d appreciate it. Jack has today and the weekend off.”
Kolby and Eli took horses to the barn while Lathen helped Duncan unhitch the horse and put the sleigh away.
Pepper walked toward the cabin then stopped at the sound of her father’s hushed voice.
“Lathen, I need to make a decision before Klar and I leave for the wedding. What do you think…?” Duncan glanced around and lowered his voice another notch.
Chapter Twelve
Back to the Cove and Wedding Plans
Well before the sun was up, the vehicles were packed and goodbyes said. Lathen turned the rented SUV toward DIA to meet up with Jay. The air was cold and ice crystals sparkled in front of the vehicle’s headlights as he drove I-70 toward Denver. Jay was supposed to meet them in front of the rental car building with a van. But when he pulled up to the area, Jay waved him to the side of the building.
He walked up to the driver’s side of the SUV. “Just drive to the plane. We’ll unload the animals. Pepper can stay with the plane while we take the SUV back to rental, then return to the plane via shuttle. I can’t see stressing the animals out any more than necessary.”
“Where’s the plane?”
“If you unlock the back passenger’s side door, I’ll get in and show you,” Jay said.
Lathen and Pepper flicked the lock button at the same time, it unlocked then locked again making him laugh. Pepper held her hand up. “Go ahead.”
Jay shook his head and pulled on the door handle, pointing to where the plane was parked.
“We don’t have to go through security?”
“Nope, all taken care of.” Jay buckled his seat belt. “Now drive. Want to get airborne before the commercial flights start taking off.”
Lathen pulled up behind the private jet, cut the engine, hopped out, and opened the back. When he released the latches to the kennels and hooked leashes to Tonk and Ember, Pepper took the leads.
“I’ll be right back to help you with the crates. I want to start the engine and get us cleared for takeoff.” Jay sprinted up the steps to the plane.
Donning gloves, Lathen picked up Kaylee’s crate and carried it up the stairs into the plane. He returned to the door of the plane in time to see Pepper take a quick look around and snap her fingers, the crates, and cooler with Kaylee’s fish disappeared along with their luggage.
She walked the wolf and dog outside. The warm breath from their muzzles formed a foggy cloud in the cold air when they sniffed. Finally, the canines found a place and took care of business. Leading them up the stairs to the inside of the plane, Tonk balked, she gave him a sharp command. He stood braced for a second then trotted up the remaining stairs, ears plastered to his head. Lathen had secured their crates to the floor and stashed the suitcases in designated compartments.
“Nice trick. Thanks, but you could’ve…”
“Nope—knew exactly where Jay was, and no one else was nearby,” Pepper said smugly commanding Ember and Tonk into their crates. Reluctantly with tails down they complied. Tonk barked, Ember growled, and Pepper gav
e them both a stern look. Silence reigned as they lay down.
“Wow you guys are quick.” Jay glanced from the tied down crates and flipped open the luggage compartments.
“I’ll take the SUV…”
“No need. One of the clerks was heading back to the building, so he offered to take it back. Toss me the keys.” Jay stepped out the door and waited.
When Lathen tossed the keys, Jay reached up, snagged them, moved to the first stair, and threw the keys to a man with a car rental logo on his jacket. “Thanks, Josh, appreciate it.” Jay pushed a button inside; the stairs pulled up and the door closed. “Patti, how about some coffee and hot chocolate?” He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Pepper.
“Sounds great.” Pepper nodded.
“Patti brought some pastries, help yourselves.” Jay grabbed a mug of steaming coffee and scooped up a pastry on his way to the cockpit.
When everyone was seated and belted in, Jay taxied the jet down the runway. Once they were airborne, Lathen released his seatbelt. “I’m going to go talk to Jay for a few minutes.” He leaned over and released Pepper’s seatbelt. Caressing her cheek with his fingers, he kissed her firmly on the lips. “Be right back.”
“No problem.” Pepper twisted in her seat checking on Tonk and Ember. “Kaylee, doing okay?” Pepper cooed. The osprey whistled softly in response. Pepper leaned her head against the seat, blew out a breath.
“You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” Patti asked making her way to the galley. “It’s cold but great flying weather.”
“No, just thinking about all the things I have to do when I get back.”
“Wedding jitters already?” Patti raised one brow and glanced at Lathen who stopped beside the galley to grab another pastry.
“Not at all, just got this nagging feeling…”
Pepper’s voice faded out when Lathen reached the cockpit.
“Hey, Jay, heard anything more from Mike or his wife, Lynette?”
“No, Alec said he left around midnight. All was calm. Mike reported for work early this morning. Lynette dropped him off. A job is what Mike needed. That was great of you.”
