“Thanks.” She slipped it carefully off the stick.
He sat on the log next to hers. “How long have you worked at Higher Grounds?”
“Three years. I dropped out of college when Gram needed help, and I’ve been there ever since.”
The firelight washed his face in a golden glow, settling softly on the uppermost planes and casting shadows in the cradle of his cheekbones and jaw line. “Are you the only grandchild or just the only one who could help at the time?”
“I have two sisters. But Natalies married with two little ones, and Paula works full-time. Not that I minded helping out. I love the mountains, and Higher Grounds is like a second home to me. How did you become a climbing guide?”
“When I first joined my church, the singles took a guided trip up Grand Teton. I went along and haven’t stopped climbing since.”
“Any brothers or sisters?”
He looked away, toward the heat of the flames. His jaw twitched.
She remembered he had a foster father and bit the inside of her mouth. He might not want to talk about family.
“A little sister.”
She searched her memory for another subject, but the churning wheels turned up nothing. The awkward silence stretched longer, becoming more natural as time passed. Finally, Micah asked about her church, and once again they were chatting.
Time rushed by as they sat in the fiery glow of the light talking and getting to know one another. Micah didn’t talk much about himself until she asked him about his foster father, and then he opened up about his foster family. She didn’t know anything of his life before that point, and he skirted around his early adulthood.
She was reluctant to turn in, but as the fire died low, she knew she needed to get some sleep before dawn crept up on them.
Hanna hurried through the woods, her eyes searching frantically for safety as she heard footfalls behind her. The steps neared. She broke into a run. Branches clawed at her skin, tore at her clothes. Please, God, help me! The bells of Saint Jude pealed in the distance.
He grabbed her from behind and dragged her deeper into the woods. His hand clamped over her mouth. She kicked at him, flailing her arms, pushing at him. He was too strong. Whimpers tore at her throat.
She smelled the sickening odor of alcohol on his breath. Her stomach churned with sour acid. He pushed her to the ground. A scream tore from her lips. “No! No!”
He grabbed her by the upper arms and shook her until she thought she was going to be sick or faint. “No!” She wrestled with him, this unseen monster whose face was hidden by the cloak of darkness. But he was too strong.
Something had stirred Micah from the arms of sleep, but what? He propped his weight on an elbow and listened. Probably just a marmot or chipmunk looking for food.
Whimpers whispered through the tent, and he sat up. That was no animal. He felt for his flashlight, unzipped the tent flap, and stepped out into the brisk air. He tracked the whimpers to Hanna’s tent, which was dimly lit from the inside. She must be having a nightmare.
He hesitated. He should probably just go back to bed. She wouldnt’ want him trespassing on her personal space. But what if it wasnt’ a nightmare? What if she was in danger?
A quiet sob reached him, followed by muffled words. His feet went into action. “Hanna,” he whispered from outside the tent, not wanting to wake the others. The mumbling continued, punctuated by the sound of her thrashing about in her nylon bag. “Hanna!” he said as loudly as he dared.
“No … no … !” The words were moaned.
He unzipped her tent and slipped inside. Her flashlight lay on its side, its beam focused on the tent side in a tight circle. He dropped his and touched her arm. “Hanna.”
She was shaking her head, and perspiration dampened her bangs. Her face scrunched up. A tear flowed into her hairline.
The childhood nightmares he’d been plagued with pierced his memory. He had to wake her. He took hold of her upper arms and shook. “Hanna!”
She wrestled with him, pushing at his chest, crying out.
“Hanna. It’s Micah, wake up!’
Her eyes snapped open wide, their shadowed depths flashing a terror he knew only too well. Her breaths came in shallow gulps. Her fingers bit into the flesh of his arms.
“It’s okay. It’s just a nightmare.” One last shuddered breath, then her face crumpled. As the nightmare’s memory slammed into her, she covered her face with both hands and sobbed. Hard, racking sobs.
Her vulnerability tore at him. “Hey,” he murmured, pulling her into his arms. “It’s all right. It was just a dream.” Her body was stiff and trembling. He stroked her back, remembering the many foster homes where he’d received no comfort, no solace, from the terror of his dreams. Only Jim had sat with him in the wee hours of morning until he slept again.
When her weeping stopped, she pulled herself awkwardly from his arms. “I’m sorry.” She wiped her face with her sleeve, reminding him of a child. “I’m not usually such a baby.”
“You have nightmares a lot?”
“Not for a while.” She was avoiding his gaze. “What time is it?”
He pushed up the layers of sleeves and held his watch out to catch the light. “Almost four-thirty.”
“Sorry I woke you.”
“You going to be all right?”
“Sure, I’m fine.”
For all her bravado, he knew the fear a nightmare seared into one’s mind. The fear would cling to her until mornings light washed it away. He’d been overwhelmed with relief when Jim stayed with him. But he could hardly remain in Hanna’s tent.
She settled back in her bag. “Thanks.”
He took his cue to leave, slipping quietly through the opening and zipping the flap into place, glad she had the light on to chase away the darkness.
CHAPTER TEN
Natalie picked up the clutter in the living room, putting her nervous energy to work. Hanna was coming over and, finally, she would have someone to bare her soul to. The past few days she’d spent in silent torture, trying to feign normalcy for the boys. Her mind had been in another place, a dark, overwhelming place. After crying most of Saturday night, the last thing she’d felt like was attending church the next morning. But she was meeting her boys and parents there, so she’d applied eyeliner to hide her puffy eyelids as best she could.
What she would give for just a few minutes’ respite from the grief and rage that washed alternatively over her like tidal waves. Sunday she’d been too steeped in depression to talk to anyone, but by Monday she was ready. And Hanna had been away. Her sister was the only one she could trust with the news of Keith’s awful betrayal. All her friends were mutual friends of Keith’s, and she couldn’t tell her parents. Paula would have heard her out, but her sister could be critical and unfeeling at times. Natalie didn’t think she could bear that right now.
She felt like one of the water balloons she made for the boys. Dark emotions filled her, and if she didn’t release some of it soon, she would burst. She’d evaded questions from Alex on the whereabouts of Daddy. She didn’t even know where he was. Evenings, in the privacy of her bedroom, she’d let loose all the ugliness pouring from her innermost parts. But somehow, the ugliness never drained away. It filled her up, gnawing at her insides like termites.
Where was God? She didn’t feel Him, couldn’t feel anything but the crushing weight of betrayal. Where are You, God? I need You!
A soft rapping sounded at the door. Finally, Hanna. She wiped her eyes and opened the door. “Thanks for coming.”
Hanna stepped inside. “What’s happened?”
“Oh, Hanna.” She covered her mouth as if she could hold back the sobs. “He left me.”
Hanna embraced her, and Natalie wilted, letting herself lean physically and emotionally on her younger sister. Hanna simply held her, murmuring comforting words while Natalie sobbed. Then Hanna took her hand and led her to the couch. “What happened?”
Natalie wiped her nose with the tis
sues she now kept in her pocket. “He’s having an affair. I found out Saturday, and he left that night. I haven’t seen him since.”
“Who is it?” Hanna’s eyes teared, sympathy written clearly on her face.
“I don’t know. He said I didn’t know her, but I think it was that woman you called. Oh, Hanna, what if he doesn’t come back? What am I going to tell the boys? What am I going to do?”
“He hasn’t called or anything?”
“He came over Sunday while we were at church. I only know because I noticed some of his clothes missing. I called him yesterday at work, but they said he was busy.” She dabbed at her leaking eyes. “He’s avoiding me. I was trying so hard, and then he told me, and now it hurts so bad I just want to die.”
“Oh, Nat, I’m so sorry.” Hanna held her, letting her cry.
“Why is he doing this? Doesn’t he love me anymore? I don’t want a divorce. I want him back, but I’m so angry with him! One minute I want to kill him, and the next I want to beg him to come back.”
Hanna took the tissue and wiped Natalie’s cheeks. “What have you told the boys?”
“I just told them he’s away for a while. I don’t even know where he is. He’s probably staying with her.”
“Have you tried going to see him at work? It’s not fair of him to leave you in the dark.”
“I haven’t had the nerve to go there. What if everyone knows? What if they’re laughing at how gullible I am?”
“Why don’t you keep trying to reach him at work? You can ask him to meet you here so you can talk privately.”
“The boys—”
“I’ll watch the boys. Just let me know when, and I’ll come get them and take them to the park or something, okay?”
Natalie felt her lip trembling. “Thanks, Hanna.”
“Maybe you can talk him into going with you for marriage counseling.”
“Yes. I think that’s a good idea.” She blew her nose, stuffing the tissue back in her pocket. “I keep remembering what Dad said when we got engaged. Remember? About Keith’s dad being an alcoholic and a womanizer? I thought since Keith had sworn off alcohol, everything would be different. But look at the example he had growing up. He watched his dad have affair after affair, and now he’s doing the same thing.”
Hanna tucked a strand of Natalie’s hair behind her ear. It felt so good for someone else to be caring for her.
“Can I pray for you?” Hanna asked.
She nodded, and Hanna took her hand.
“Dear Lord …” Her sister paused as if searching for words. “Nat’s hurting so much right now, Lord. I pray You’d comfort her. Give her strength and wisdom to do what she needs to do. Help Keith, God. He’s on a path he has no business being on. Show him the way back to Nat and back to You. Restore his love for his wife. Direct Nat through this difficult time. Be with her and the boys. Help her to seek You even in the midst of her pain. For it’s in Christ’s name, amen.”
Hanna held her again, and they talked long into the night. By the time she left, Natalie felt better. She had a plan now, at least, to contact Keith and set up a meeting. She wondered if he would return her phone calls. If he didn’t, she’d be forced to go to the bank. And she would. Even if she had been the last to know, there was no shame in that.
Keith was the one who should feel ashamed.
“Anyone for a game of chess?” Hanna asked.
Gram paused in her task of clearing the table and shot her a strange look. Mrs. Eddlestein hadn’t even heard the question.
Micah pushed in his chair. “Sure, sounds good. I’ll go set it up.”
After he left, Hanna helped clear the table.
“What was that about?” asked Gram.
Heat crept up her neck, suffusing her cheeks. Neither Gram nor Mrs. Eddlestein played chess or had any interest in learning. Hanna had asked before, missing the games of chess she’d played with her college roommate, but the two older ladies preferred to stick to Scrabble.
“I just felt like playing.”
Gram’s lips curled in a knowing smile.
“Can’t a girl just want a game of chess?” Hanna muttered as she slipped out of the kitchen through the swinging doors.
She heard Gram chuckle as she headed for the great room. Micah was lining up the pieces.
She’d avoided him since their return from the mountain two days ago, embarrassed about clinging to him in the middle of the night. But as she’d prayed about her own healing and asked God to make her ready for a relationship, Micah had once again come to mind. She’d surrendered it to God during her quiet time and decided to take steps to build a relationship with Micah. She could use a friend, and she figured he could too. He’d mentioned on the trip that he played chess, so …
Hanna sat across from him on the floor and helped him set up the pieces. “I’m out of practice. I haven’t played since college.”
“You first.” He gestured for her to start.
She made her move, then settled back against the sofa front. She wondered what his background was and how it affected him. She couldn’t help but think of Keith and how his father’s behavior had seemingly affected him.
Micah moved a rook, and she reached out to move her knight. He was playing to win, and there was nothing she liked better than a good competition.
Micah watched Hanna from across the chessboard as she made her third move. Her legs curled to the side, one leg folded under the other. Her long, straight hair hung on both sides of her face, and she casually tucked it behind her ears. She analyzed the board, her lashes sweeping the tops of her cheeks, lashes that looked soft and supple, not the kind that sprung stiffly with clumps of black makeup. In fact, he couldn’t see a trace of makeup on her face. Her lips were rosy pink but—
“Micah.”
“Huh?”
“It’s your turn.”
Her cheeks were flushed with pink, and he realized she’d caught him staring. He made a move with a knight and resolved to keep his eyes on the board. He’d thought about her a lot lately. Especially after her nightmare. She was independent and capable, but the vulnerability he’d sensed in her that night drew him.
She was a beautiful woman. The natural kind of beauty that you see on soap commercials. But it was more than outward beauty that attracted him. She was beautiful on the inside too. She’d been raised in a nice, Christian family, the kind that went on drives in the country and picnics in the summer. Her parents had been her biggest fans when she’d played volleyball in high school and sung solos at church. Their backgrounds couldn’t be more different.
She cleared her throat loudly.
“My turn again?”
Her smile wrapped around him like a hug. “Where are you tonight?”
“Sorry. I’ll do better.” He moved his rook, trapping her queen.
“Hey, how’d you do that? You’re not even paying attention.”
“I multitask well.”
“Man, I can’t do two things at once to save my life. Take that pat-your-head, rub-your-belly thing. I can’t do it. If I pat with my left hand, I pat with my right.”
“But you can play volleyball.”
She shrugged. “That’s different.”
“Have you ever thought about setting up a net behind the lodge in that big, grassy area?”
She paused in moving a knight. “That’s a great idea. We could have a volleyball night and get all the guests involved.”
“Sure. I think it’d be fun.”
She spoke as if to herself. “We have enough guests now—at least, if the cancellations stop.”
“Cancellations?”
“Lately we’ve had a lot of them. It’s odd.” Hmm.
“Have you ever known the Majestic to run ridiculously low rates during the summer to attract tourists?” She blocked his move.
“Sorry. I didn’t get involved in that aspect of the business.”
It would be strange if the Majestic was trying to attract Higher Grounds customers. The ho
tel had always bustled with business during the summer.
Hanna concentrated on the game, remaining quiet. He observed her as she tucked in the corner of her mouth and squinted at the board. She was too appealing. Dangerously appealing. He was already attracted to her, and now he was beginning to get emotionally involved.
Watch it, Gallagher. He didn’t need the reminder. He’d been careless until now, but he was determined to keep the relationship on a professional level. She was his boss, and he needed to keep it that way.
At last Hanna made a final move, winning the game. That was fine. He didn’t mind losing a game to a woman. But he wouldn’t lose his heart to one. Not at any cost.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hanna started the mower and surged forward across the backyard. It was an old relic, her grandfather’s, but it was a ride-on model, and she was glad for that, given the size of the property. The sun warmed her skin, while a light breeze cooled her off and carried the smell of cut grass.
She actually enjoyed the chore, delighted in having time to think. And she could use a few minutes’ thinking time today. Something was not right with Micah. The amiable Micah was gone, replaced by an indifferent, aloof one. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He seemed his normal self with the customers and Gram. Namely, everyone but her.
What had happened after the chess game two days ago? She thought of every time she’d seen him since. There weren’t many instances since he’d done two-day trips, but there was a difference in his behavior toward her. He wasn’t rude or mean, just indifferent. Professional. Business only.
Just with her, though. She’d seen him joking with Mrs. Eddlestein and high-fiving the customers. Had she done something to upset him?
She edged around a tree and continued along the wood line, glancing at the large, open area of the backyard. She’d purchased a volleyball set yesterday, and Devon had volunteered to set it up.
Devon. He was a nice enough guy, but he was becoming a problem. When she’d expressed interest in volleyball, he’d asked if she wanted to go watch Central Wyoming play sometime. She’d responded ambivalently, but she knew he’d ask again.
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