“Nice to meet you all. That’s a beauty you got there little lady. You can tell right away he knows you.”
“Yeah, that’s Blue alright. He loves Adela,” Max chimed in. “And Misty loves Blue. Don’t your girl?” He stroked his horse and smiled at me.
Doug looked at Court. “When can you start?”
“Just say the word.”
“How’s right now sound? Follow me.” Court smiled and waved to Max and me then walked off with Doug.
For the next couple of days while Court helped with the animals, I assisted in the kitchen. I couldn’t do too much, needing to use crutches to get around, but I managed to help cook a few meals. My cast would be on for four weeks. Afterwards, the doctor said I’d get a soft cast that I’d be able to walk on. There were injured people that needed to be cared for and I helped out there, too, the best I knew how. Max signed up to help look for missing people and Court was gone most of the day working with the horses. I got out to the yard where the horses were kept as often as I could to check on Big Blue and see Court. But I still hadn’t heard anything about my mom and siblings.
One morning, as I brushed the hair on Big Blue, Court came up and kissed the back of my neck. His lips startled me and I jumped.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay. How are you?” I said as he stroked Blue’s nose.
“Great. I think there are some people here who want to talk to you.”
I felt my eyebrows grow together as I studied the smirk on Court’s face. “Who?”
He pointed at the door and my eyes followed his hand. There stood Cooper, Ambrosia and Aaron and my mom.
“Mom? Ambie, Aaron!” I hobbled toward them as Ambrosia and Aaron ran toward me. I dropped the crutches and gathered the two kids in my arms. My mom threw her arms around the three of us and we cried and hugged in the center of the yard.
“You guys, where in the world have you been?” I finally managed, looking at my mom for some explanation while stroking the twins’ heads and pulling them against me again.
“When I took the kids to school before the quake started, I decided to stay and help the teachers since Ambrosia had been so reluctant about going.”
“Our teacher took us to a basement building,” Ambrosia said.
“Yeah, then we got to ride in a helicopter,” Aaron added.
“We were in another shelter until this morning when Cooper found us. He said you’d been looking for us. Adela I’ve been so worried. Thank God you’re okay!”
“Yeah. I’ve been worried too.”
Cooper stood behind us, nodding. “We checked the lists there and found out what shelter you kids ended up in.”
I hugged Cooper. “Thank you. Thank you so much for everything.”
I wrapped my arms around my mom again. “Mom …” As much as I tried not to cry, the words sobbed out of me. “Daddy … didn’t make it.”
Mom cried too. “I know, honey, I know.”
We walked back to the main building and Max came walking out to greet us. Ambrosia saw him and ran to him; he picked her up and twirled her around. “Hi, squirt.” He set her down, then rustled Aaron’s hair and walked with us back toward the building.
I inhaled deeply, taking in the cool crisp air of winter then sighed with relief. I had my family back—most of it. I would miss my dad forever and I was so sad he didn’t make it, but it was such a joy to have my mom, Ambie, and Aaron with me. My family. Including Max and now Courtland.
Epilogue
After week four in the shelter, they finally removed my cast. Right afterward, I wandered out to the yard to show Court the new soft cast I had to wear. It looked more like a big ugly black boot and it weighed a ton, making each step very awkward. He stood there petting Big Blue and talking to him like he was a person. I smiled and asked, “Can’t find anybody else to talk to?”
He turned and grinned at me. “Wow! You got your cast off. Sweet. How’s it feel?”
“Well, I won’t be running any marathons for a while. This thing is heavy.”
“Looks lethal with that steel around the front edge. Remind me not to make you mad.”
“I’ll try to remember that.” I laughed. “It needs to stay on for two weeks. This is taking forever to heal. The doctor said I should try not to ride Blue for another two weeks after I get rid of this thing.”
“The time will fly by, you’ll see. I was just asking Big Blue how he felt about me becoming part of his family or if he thought I was too weird and freaky.”
I smirked. “Oh? What did he say?”
“He thought it would be okay.”
“Really, Court, I thought we were past all that stuff, and you know I never thought you were a freak. You never need to feel like you don’t belong with humans.”
He covered Blue’s ears with his hands. “Shhhh. Big Blue thinks he is human.”
I laughed.
Court turned toward me. “Adela, I asked Big Blue how he felt if I became part of his family because he is part of your family.”
“Oh.”
“Adela, I love you. Will you marry me?”
I blinked. I didn’t know what to say and just stared at him.
Then he added, “In a few years, when we’re older … if you want to wait.”
“I don’t want to ...”
“Oh.” He nodded and lowered his head. “I see.”
“No, you don’t. I love you and marrying you would be the most wonderful thing in the world, but I don’t want to rush into this.” Court held my hands in his, and stared into my eyes waiting for me to explain further. “There are things I want to do. I want to help my mom rebuild our lives and I want to finish high school.” I smiled.
“And then?”
“And then go to college.”
“And then?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Get a job?”
“And then?”
“Then I’ll marry you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“And then?”
“Jeez, what more do you want?” I laughed.
“You want to have my baby?”
“You’re pushing your luck here, mister.” I teased, but I couldn’t stand the look of disappointment on his face. “But yes, I’ll have your baby.”
Court picked me up and spun me around. “Holy crap. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
I closed my eyes and snuggled into his neck as we twirled. Reaching into my pocket, I stroked the soft fur of the little rabbit’s foot Court made for me. It’s funny how numerous aftershocks of an earthquake can change the course of so many lives. If you asked me, it was the allusive aftershocks that changed us so much and made us grow stronger.
~~ Acknowledgments ~~
Writing a book is no easy task and without the people in my life and the support they give me, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. Acknowledgments are also difficult to write, making sure everyone I love is included and not forgotten.
My first thanks is always to my husband, Bud. Thank you, honey, for giving me the opportunity to do what I love and for reading everything I write, without making a face. I also appreciate your mentioning my books to every complete stranger you meet, which embarrasses the heck out of me, but I love it and love you. You are my rock. To my daughter, Traci, thank you for putting up with my scatterbrained mind when you visit or during a phone call. A huge thank you to my sons, Brodie and Michael, for helping keep this country safe, I love and miss you—you are my heroes in combat boots. To my daughter-in-law, Stephanie, thanks for reading my books and giving your awesome support. Thank you, Jacob and Spencer for all your support and understanding. I can’t tell you how much it means to me. I can’t forget to mention the grand angels, Shane, Maddi-B, Lukas, Ethan, Elijah, Eva and Avery. Thanks, Mom, for telling everyone you know to buy my books.
Thank you, Michelle, my editor, you are the best. You make me laugh at some of your comments and most of all you make me th
ink! Love and hugs to my beta readers and awesome writer friends, Rachael Wade, Don Martin and Amber Garcia, thank you for your insightful suggestions, you helped this book make sense. Thank you to my good friend and blogger Anna Dase, without you, I’d still be left on the outskirts of the social media.
Susan Griscom was born in a small town in Pennsylvania. She enjoys writing about characters living in small quaint towns and tends to lean toward the unusual and spooky elements.
Today, she lives in Northern California with her very romantic husband, her small yippy dog, and humungous black cat. Her family consists of his and her children: four wonderful sons and one beautiful daughter, seven grandchildren. Her greatest love in life is her family and those large and ever growing holiday dinners.
When not writing, Susan enjoys traveling. Hates running, but does it once in a while. Reading and writing are her favorite pastimes.
To learn more about Susan Griscom visit
www.susangriscom.com
ALLUSIVE AFTERSHOCK Page 27
