Three Brothers Lodge - The Complete Series Box Set

by Morris Fenris

  “Is her car in need of being towed? I could call Frank over at the garage in the morning and have him go get it?” Jeremy offered.

  “I’m not sure how bad the damage is, but that would be neighborly.”

  “Consider it done. Well, I better get off the phone and go help Lacy put the little ones back to bed.”

  Justin smiled. “Don’t spoil them too much.” Jeremy was the proud papa of twin boys. They were almost six-years-old and had started kindergarten this year. They were a handful at their best, and little terrors the rest of the time. But no-one seemed to mind overly much because they were so precocious about being naughty.

  Justin thought back to this summer when the church had finished the new baptismal font. It was constructed so that it could be used both indoors or in the open air. Their daddy had filled it with water the day before he was going to use it and then turned on the heater, not wanting to freeze his parishioners when they were dunked beneath the water’s surface.

  Peter and James had attempted to save the native population of the local pond. They’d used their granddaddy’s long fishing net to capture as many frogs as possible. Then they’d released them into the baptismal font and shut the lid.

  When their father had gone to check the water temperature a few hours later, he’d lifted the lid and been accosted by eight very indignant frogs. Justin briefly wondered how Jessica would handle the twins. Silver Springs was so small that the elementary classes were combined with one another.

  Kindergarten through second grade met together, third through fifth met together, sixth through eighth met in the middle school building. The high schoolers had their own building and several neighboring mountain communities bused their high school students in each day.

  That meant that Jessica would soon find herself teaching a very rambunctious group of youngsters, of which Peter and James would be her most challenging.

  “Do us a favor and don’t forewarn the new teacher about the boys?” Jeremy pleaded with a laugh.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of doing that. In fact, I think we should let her meet the boys tomorrow and see how well they get on,” Justin suggested.

  Jeremy’s laugh got louder. “We’ll see how they’re acting tomorrow. I would hate for her to turn around and go back to Arizona without even giving one day in the classroom a shot.”

  “Your kiddos aren’t that bad?” Justin assured him.

  Jeremy groaned. “You say that because you do not have to constantly deal with their mischief.”

  “They’ll grow out of it…”

  “…and into what? That has both Lacy and I scared. If they’re this hard to deal with at six, what are they going to be like at fourteen?”

  “My uncle always had a remedy for horsing around and juvenile hijinks, as he called them. Hard work and lots of it.”

  “Good, thanks for volunteering. I’ll be sending them you’re way when the time comes,” Jeremy assured him.

  “Me and my big mouth. Have a good night and we’ll see you sometime tomorrow around mid-morning.”

  “Later.”

  Justin pocketed his phone and then joined Kaillar in the kitchen. “Jeremy’s threatening to send his little hooligans our way when they become teenagers.”

  Kaillar looked at him and then smiled. “We’ll probably need some ditches dug then, don’t you think?”

  Justin smiled, remembering the summer he’d turned fifteen. He’d gotten his driving permit and was just a bit too big for his britches. Uncle Jed had decided that all of the ditches along the fence line needed to be cleaned out, deepened and then the weeds burned out of them.

  It had taken Justin and his brothers the entire summer from sunrise to sundown, with only a few days off here and there. He’d never thought to complain about the extra work, and by the time the school year started again, he was back to being his usual self. His attitude of self-importance had disappeared in the smoke of the burning ditches.

  In return, his uncle had gifted him his old Chevy pickup, and Justin had proudly driven his brothers to school during his junior and senior years.

  “Where’d you go?” Kaillar asked.

  “Just a quick turn down memory lane.” Justin’s face told more than his words did, and he saw Kaillar nod his head in full agreement.

  “Do you still miss him?” Kaillar asked.

  Justin nodded his head. “Every day.” He looked up and then smiled. “But I think he’s looking down and he’s proud of us.”

  “I hope so,” Kaillar agreed. “I really do.”

  Chapter 9

  The next morning, Justin and Kaillar were sitting at the table when Jessica emerged from the guest room. “Good morning,” Justin called to her. She looked marginally better, but a large purple and green bruise marred her forehead. Her eye was beginning to blacken, and he wondered if she’d looked in the mirror this morning, and if not, what her reaction to her appearance would be.

  In his experience, most women were vain on some level. There wasn’t anything she could do to make her injury disappear, but he figured she would still be upset over it and bemoan the fact.

  “Hi,” she offered softly, eyeing Kaillar curiously.

  “Hey, I’m Kaillar. You were already turned in when I got back last night. That’s a nice shiner you’ve got going there.”

  Justin smacked his brother on the back of the head. “Way to go, bro. Tact and manners get left on the mountain last night?”

  “Sorry,” Kaillar mumbled, watching Jessica for a negative reaction.

  “Don’t be mad at him for speaking the truth. I imagine I’m going to look like I went three rounds in the ring before the day is out.”

  “It’s not that bad,” Justin insisted.

  “Thanks for trying to help, but to tell you the truth – a bruised forehead and black eye seem pretty insignificant compared to what could have happened if you all hadn’t come out and rescued me.”

  “Our pleasure,” Kaillar told. “How about some breakfast?”

  Jessica joined them at the table. “That sounds really good.” She watched as Kaillar got up from the table and placed a skillet on the stovetop. “Do you all know how to cook?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” When she frowned, he paused to ask, “What?”

  “Well, ma’am makes me feel really old, and I’m probably not much older than you are.”

  “She’s got you there.”

  Kaillar acknowledged that with a grin and a nod of his head. “Says the old man.”

  Justin looked offended and Jessica giggled. Justin turned to look at her, and was amazed at how the happiness seemed to transform her face. She’d just gone from gorgeous to breathtaking. Her eyes were bright, the green sparkling in the morning light that shone through the windows. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but her bangs hung across her forehead, and he had the strangest urge to brush them aside.

  He let his gaze travel over her features – the slightly upturned nose, the pink lips that were only slightly chapped, and the light blush that stained her cheeks. This morning she looked healthy and so different from the woman he’d rescued last night, he was wondering if he’d imagined the hidden pain inside of her.

  Justin felt his brother’s eyes on him and he looked up, seeing the knowing smirk in Kaillar’s eyes. Justin ignored the look and turned back to Jessica. “After breakfast, I told Jeremy I would bring you into town.”

  “Jeremy?” Jessica asked.

  “Jeremy is the local preacher. He and his wife have a set of twin boys…”

  “You’ll be getting to know them rather well. They just entered kindergarten,” Kaillar told her.

  “I had a set of twin girls in my last classroom. They were so sweet.” When both men started laughing, trying to contain it, but failing miserably, she looked at them and asked, “What’s so funny?”

  Kaillar got his control back first. “Sweet is not an adjective I would ever use to describe the Phill
ips twins.”

  “Oh, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine. Do you think the roads will be clear enough to go and retrieve my car today?” she asked Justin.

  “Frank is going to haul it back. The front end was pretty damaged.” Seeing her curious look, he explained, “Frank owns the only gas station and automobile garage in Silver Springs. He’s a crack mechanic and the only one with a tow truck nearby.”

  “So, he’s going to get my car?”

  “He is. He’ll take a look at the damage and then get in touch with you. I also understand that you’re going to be living in the Williams house. I’ll take you over there and you can get settled.”

  “I spoke with someone from the school board and they told me the house was completely furnished.”

  “Yes. It is. I think you’ll probably find everything you need there, but if there’s anything you don’t have, I’m sure the ladies at the church will be able to help you out.”

  Jessica firmed her lips and nodded. “I’m sure if there’s anything I need I can do without it until I have a chance to do some shopping.”

  “I assure you the ladies in the church will count it an honor to help…”

  Jessica shook her head. “I don’t really plan on having much to do with the church, so to allow them to help me would feel like I was taking advantage of their generosity.”

  She doesn’t plan on having much to do with the church? “You didn’t even ask which church I was talking about.”

  “Is there more than one in town?” Jessica asked.

  “Well, not really, but you sounded pretty absolute about the church.”

  Jessica shrugged her shoulders. “Not everyone is enthralled with the idea of religion. It’s not that I’m an atheist or anything, but in my experience, God doesn’t always play fair.”

  “How can you say that?” Kaillar asked her from the other side of the kitchen.

  “I can say that because I’ve seen firsthand how God works. My parents were a great example.” And Thomas. And Jason’s betrayal. She didn’t need any more examples. Those were more than enough to her way of thinking.

  “Example of what?” Kaillar asked.

  “Of how God plays favorites and following him only leads to heartache and pain.”

  “I think maybe you’re looking at your situation from the wrong perspective. If anyone has reason to be mad at God, it would be me, Kaillar and Mason. Our mother was more interested in getting her next fix than she ever was in being a mother. And for someone who didn’t want the responsibilities of parenthood, she didn’t do much to prevent getting pregnant either.”

  “Yeah, Maria Donnelly probably counts as the worst mother in the world.”

  Jessica looked between the two men, “And yet you don’t seem to have written God off.”

  “No, we’re thankful that He allowed our uncle to become our guardian. Without Uncle Jed’s influence and teaching, none of us would have made it to where we are now. The only way to explain how all three of us are still here, and weren’t born addicted to drugs, or even aborted, is God. He intervened in a miraculous way, but ultimately our mother couldn’t break free from the addictions that plagued her.”

  “That’s so sad. So, do any of you know who your father is?”

  Justin looked at her. “No. So, in that way, you are much better off than we are. I imagine you have stories from family and friends about your parents, pictures, and maybe even mementos.

  “The only pictures and mementos we have from our mother were of when she was a young girl. Her parents were very against her move to California and then Las Vegas. They never understood what was driving her, and later, when it became apparent that drugs were her driving force, they couldn’t deal with it.”

  “That’s so sad,” Jessica told them both.

  “Don’t feel sorry for us,” Kaillar urged her, setting a fluffy omelet in front of her. “Uncle Jed was the best father we could ever have wanted. Just like parents who adopt their children, biology is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to parenthood. Legacy. Heritage. Beliefs and traditions. Those types of things help, but again they don’t make a family. Only love can do that.”

  Chapter 10

  Kaillar’s comment, about his parents, stuck with Jessica through the rest of the day. Right after she’d finished eating a wonderful breakfast, Justin had lent her a leather and fleece-lined coat. It was rather large on her, but once they’d stepped outside and she realized how cold it really was, she was extremely grateful.

  “I’m going to have to get some warmer clothing.”

  “Well, there’s a small shop in town that sells some things, but you’ll probably need to go into Silverthorne to find a better selection.”

  “I drove through a town called Vail just before I headed up the mountain.”

  Justin shook his head. “Well, I don’t know about your finances, but the prices are definitely going to be much higher there.”

  Jessica gave a small laugh. “Where was that other place you mentioned?” In truth, she had a very nice pile of money sitting in her bank, but rather than go on a big shopping spree, she’d continued to live on what she could make, saving the money in the bank for a rainy day. Outfitting herself for life in the Colorado Mountains just might qualify as such a day!

  Justin smiled. “About thirty minutes from here when the roads are cleared.”

  “That’s not so far away. So, you’re going to take me to meet…”

  “Well, the preacher and his wife, and their two kids. We’re having dinner with them later. Before then, I thought I’d just take you around and introduce you to whomever we meet.”

  “You know everyone in town?” Jessica asked, shocked at the idea.

  “Well, I know most of the people who live in town. There are quite a number of people who live up in the mountains…”

  “Like you?” Jessica asked, following him to the barn and watching as he climbed aboard one of the trackers.

  “Yes, like me and my brothers. We’ve lived on this mountain since we came here to live with my uncle. He and our mother grew up here. Our great-great-grandparents were homesteaders and came here during the Colorado Gold Rush era.”

  “Gold? Did they ever find any?”

  Justin nodded. “A bit, but never enough to open a mine.”

  “What do you do up here?” Jessica asked, climbing into the passenger seat.

  “My brothers and I run an outfitting and guide service. During the fall, we mostly guide hunters. But as soon as the snow begins to melt, there will be a steady stream of hikers eager to conquer the ‘fourteeners’ of Colorado. There are five such peaks within an hours’ drive from here. We also ski and make up the primary search and rescue team for these mountains.”

  “Wow! You guys stay busy,” she commented softly.

  Justin grinned at her. “We enjoy what we do so it doesn’t always seem like work. Do you ski?”

  Jessica laughed. “No! I don’t really do anything athletic. I mean, I played a little softball when I was in school, but just for fun.”

  “We’ll have to get you up on the slopes then. It won’t be long now, not with storms like these helping out.”

  “I think I’ll probably pass…”

  “Nearly everyone around here skis. Jeff probably left both downhill and cross-country skis at the house. We’ll check it out when I drop you off there later.”

  “Justin, I really think I’ll pass. If downhill skiing is what I’ve seen on television, I can already tell you I will be the one rolling down the slope in a tangle of arms and legs. In fact, I would be the one setting off the avalanche.”

  “Firstly, you’re probably referring to downhill racing, and while there are a few race courses at some of the other slopes, around here, most people just like to ski for fun. And cross-country skiing is kind of a must. Even your kindergartners will be able to move about the town on skis.”

  “No one said I needed to ski in order
to teach…”

  “You don’t have to know how, but it will make getting around town much easier come January. The house the school board rented for you is only a block from the school. When there is several feet of snow on the road, skiing to school will look a whole lot more palatable than digging your car out so you can drive that one block.”

  “Silver Springs gets a lot of snow?” she asked in trepidation. She was definitely going to have to invest some money in her car. At the very least, she’d need to invest in some good snow tires. She grew quiet and looked around at the snow-covered trees, marveling at how crisp and clean everything looked in the light of a new day.

  The skies had cleared of their storm clouds from the day before, and a brilliant blue sky could be seen through the branches of the trees. The air was crisp and clean, with no hint of smog or pollution, and a sense of peace seemed to fill her chest and expand to reach all of the dark corners.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she murmured, mostly to herself, almost unaware of her companion.

  Justin heard her soft comment and as they rounded the top of the next hill, he paused the tracker, giving her an overview of Silver Springs below and the surrounding mountains and valleys. He kept his voice low and his tone calm. “There’s Silver Springs.”

  “It’s like a picture out of some magazine. I can’t believe places like this really exist.”

  “Believe it. Every time I see these mountains, I’m reminded of God’s goodness and how magnificent his Creation truly is.” Justin watched her and was shocked to see she wasn’t denying either God or the concept of Creation. So, what was it about God and church that she was so against?

  “I can’t say I’m not nervous about the snow, but I’m so glad I’m here.”

  “Let’s go see the town.” Justin put the tracker in gear and slowly began their descent. The Three Brothers Lodge sat at approximately ninety-five hundred feet, with the town of Silver Springs about five hundred feet lower in elevation.

  On either side of the town, magnificent mountains, their tops white with snow as they rose above the tree line, nestled the small community in their valley. As they drew closer, Jessica could begin to make out individual buildings: the school, the church, and what appeared to be Main Street. Very little movement was taking place in the small town, and she assumed that was in part due to the snow that had fallen overnight.