Reunited by a Secret Child

by Leigh Bale

  With stiff movements, he climbed into his truck and started up the engine. Putting the vehicle into gear, he pulled into traffic and headed toward Cove Mountain. He’d pack up his duffel bag this very afternoon, drive the truck over to the motel, leave the keys in it so Charlie could find them, and head out of town as fast as he could go. He’d hitched rides before and he could do it again. He didn’t want to say goodbye to Katie, or Charlie, or even Chrissy.

  Ah, that wasn’t true. He couldn’t leave without seeing Chrissy one last time. She was innocent in all of this mess. And that meant he’d have to see Katie, too. But he’d keep it short. Kiss Chrissy, tell her he loved her, try not to tell Katie what he really thought of her lies, then beat it out of town before he could change his mind. He didn’t need this family. He didn’t need anyone.

  Gripping the steering wheel, Reese realized that wasn’t true, either. Before he’d returned, he had believed it, but not anymore. Since he’d gone to church and fed off Katie’s undying faith, he’d finally exercised the power of prayer. He couldn’t deny the closeness he now felt toward his Heavenly Father. No matter who betrayed him, turned their back on him, hated or reviled him, he was never alone. He always had God by his side. He knew that now more than ever and couldn’t go back in time and pretend that he didn’t. But that didn’t change the fact that Katie had lied to him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Where is Daddy?” Chrissy asked for the third time.

  She stood with Katie outside the cabin on Cove Mountain. They’d arrived ten minutes earlier. After chasing a chipmunk around the yard, Chrissy had gotten bored.

  “I’m not sure, sweetheart.”

  Standing beneath the shade of a tall pine tree, Katie scanned the area, looking for some sign of Reese. When she hadn’t seen her father’s old wood truck parked out front, she’d figured he must be gone. She’d knocked on the door anyway. When no one answered, she’d turned the knob. It wasn’t locked, but she didn’t feel good about going inside when he wasn’t there.

  “We’ll give your dad fifteen more minutes and then go home. I’ll try to call him again as soon as we get into a service area,” Katie said.

  “But I want to see him,” Chrissy said.

  So did Katie. And not just because she wanted to tell him that Bruce Miller was hunting for him. She couldn’t forget the tender kiss they’d shared in the park, nor the way he’d brushed his hand over her arm in a gentle caress. The way he always said just the right words to make her feel better. The way he made her laugh. He’d been so much help to Charlie and had made Chrissy so happy. Katie admired Reese’s kindness and generosity and the way he always pitched in to help someone in need. He truly had changed.

  She should go home. He’d be joining them for dinner later, but she feared what might happen if Bruce Miller arrived at the cabin while Reese wasn’t home. With the door unlocked, she wouldn’t put it past the reporter to go inside and rifle through his belongings.

  The sound of an engine brought her head around.

  “There he is!” Chrissy jumped up and down, pointing as Charlie’s old wood truck appeared.

  Reese sat in the driver’s seat. When he saw them, he frowned. Katie barely noticed, feeling a leap of joy. She told herself it was relief that she’d get to warn him about Bruce Miller, but she knew that wasn’t all. She got this buoyant feeling every time she saw him. She cared deeply for this man. It did no good to deny it any longer.

  He pulled into the graveled driveway and parked behind her vehicle. Katie expected him to hop out and hurry over to them like he usually did, but he sat there staring at her for several moments. His jaw was locked, his eyes creased with anger. He seemed upset.

  “Daddy!” Chrissy sprinted toward the truck.

  Reese stepped out, carrying a newspaper with him. He smiled at Chrissy, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Yes, he was definitely troubled by something.

  “Hi, bug.” He spoke in a monotone voice.

  Katie noticed he used Charlie’s nickname for the little girl. Even though he’d been here a short time, it felt as though he belonged with them.

  “We’ve been waiting for you,” Chrissy said.

  “You have, huh?” But he didn’t touch her. He didn’t hug her, pick her up or tickle her like he usually did.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Katie said. “Bruce Miller was in town. I think he knows where you’re staying.”

  Reese looked right through her. Katie walked toward him, but he brushed past her.

  “That shouldn’t be a problem, since I’m leaving.” His voice sounded brusque and his shoulders were tense.

  Katie stared as he went inside the cabin. She and Chrissy followed him, watching from the doorway as he tossed the newspaper onto the sofa. He started stuffing his clothes and other belongings into his duffel bag.

  “What are you doing?” Katie asked, confused by his actions.

  “I told you. I’m leaving.”

  Katie blinked. “Right now?”

  “Yes.”

  “But I thought you were coming over to the motel tonight, to share supper with us. We have a little celebration planned. I thought you were leaving in the morning. Dad was even going to drive you into Reno.”

  “That’s not gonna happen now.”

  Why wouldn’t he look at her? What was going on? From his stiff body language, she knew he was fuming about something.

  “Are you leaving early because of Bruce?” she asked.

  “No.”

  Chrissy reached up to take her hand and Katie realized she sensed Reese’s hostility, too. He obviously wasn’t happy to see them.

  “You can stay at the motel tonight. Bruce won’t find you there,” Katie offered.

  He snorted. “No, thanks. You’ve done enough already.”

  “Reese, what’s going on? I don’t understand.”

  “Maybe this will explain.” He picked up the newspaper and tossed it at her.

  She caught the paper in midair, surprised by his rudeness, but then she saw the cause. Plastered across the front was a picture of Reese, Chrissy and Katie playing together in the leaves over at Mrs. Watkins’s house. The headline left nothing to the imagination. A quick scan of the accompanying article told Katie all she needed to know.

  In a rush, she realized what had happened. Tom Klarch had promised not to publish her story, but he’d lied. Reese didn’t know that, of course. He thought she had gone behind his back and...

  “Reese, I didn’t know about this,” she said.

  “Didn’t you?” he challenged with a lift of his head. “The story includes private details. Things I haven’t told anyone but you. No one else could have written that story. It has your name on it.”

  She stepped into the room, leaving Chrissy standing in the doorway. She hated for the little girl to witness this scene, but it couldn’t be helped. Reese was leaving. Right now. She might never get another chance to set the record straight, or tell him how she really felt about him.

  “Yes, I wrote the story. The night of the fireworks, I told you about it, but I promised you I wouldn’t publish it and I didn’t. Tom must have gone into my computer at work without my permission. Since I only work there part-time, I have a very old machine that’s not password protected.”

  “Is that right?” Reese sounded angry, his voice rising.

  “Yes, it’s the truth,” she said.

  “You really expect me to believe that?” He met her eyes, his suspicious expression telling her he wasn’t convinced.

  “Yes, I do.”

  He slashed the air with his hand. “No more lies, Katie. How can I believe you?”

  Chrissy flinched at his loud voice. That did it. Katie stared at him, her own anger boiling up inside.

  “After all the bad things you’ve done in your life, who are you to accuse me of lying?” she asked
, her own voice escalating several octaves.

  “I never lied to you, Katie. I never made you any promises. I didn’t even know about Chrissy until recently. Did you make that up, too, so you could get a story out of me?”

  A gasp came from Chrissy. Katie whirled around in time to see the girl’s face turn white. Her eyes flooded with tears and her chin quivered. She looked at her father, then at her mother, as though trying to comprehend what was going on. A small sound of distress came from the back of her throat.

  “Chrissy, I’m sorry...” Reese didn’t get to finish. The girl let out a sob, turned and ran from the cabin, racing down the thin trail leading into the forest.

  Katie whirled on Reese. “Now look what you’ve done. You promised you’d never hurt her.”

  “I’m sorry, Katie. I didn’t mean it,” he said.

  But it was too little, too late. He’d said the words and they were out there now. He couldn’t take them back. And like always, Katie would be the one to smooth it over, if that was possible.

  “You can believe whatever you want, but I’ve never lied to you. Not ever,” she said. “Now, I’ve got to go find Chrissy and do more damage control. I think it’s best if you leave town as soon as possible.”

  She turned and headed toward the trail leading into the trees. She loved Reese, but she’d been wrong about him. She thought he’d changed for good this time, but he hadn’t. He’d hurt both her and Chrissy. There was no future for them together. It was all over. She’d been a fool to ever believe they might be able to work things out and become a real family. Now it was too late. All hope of reconciling their relationship was completely lost.

  As she ran across the road toward the mouth of the hiking trail, something caught Katie’s eye. A plume of black smoke rose upward from the trees at the bottom of the mountain. She paused.

  “Katie, wait! I’ll go with you,” Reese called to her from the doorway.

  She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to find Chrissy and go home. She was good and mad and wanted nothing to do with Reese ever again. But she’d never seen smoke on the mountain before. It couldn’t be from a campfire. This side of the mountain was all private property. And they hadn’t had a lightning storm in months. So what was the cause?

  Reese joined her, but she barely noticed. In spite of the hot day, a shiver swept down her spine.

  “Is that a fire?” She pointed.

  He hurried back to the cabin and returned momentarily with a pair of binoculars before gazing through them. The fire appeared to be over by the lake, which meant it hadn’t blocked the main road. Yet.

  “Yes, it’s a fire, and it’s growing right before my eyes,” he said.

  He studied the sky above. Then he held up a hand, as though feeling the wind. “We’ve got to get out of here, right now.”

  Absolute terror washed over Katie. His words only confirmed her worst fears. Somehow, a wildfire had started on the mountain. She didn’t need anyone to tell her that they’d be trapped up here if they didn’t leave soon.

  “Chrissy! Chrissy!” she yelled.

  Together, they ran into the trees, following the hiking trail for several minutes. Katie scanned the dense foliage, looking for any sign of her daughter. She had no idea how far Chrissy might have run. The child could have gone to the meadow, or over by the footbridge that crossed the creek, or one of her other favorite spots in the forest. She could be anywhere and they didn’t have time to check each place.

  “I don’t know where to look,” Katie cried. “Oh, Reese! Where is she?”

  * * *

  Reese caught the tremor of fear in Katie’s voice. She sounded the way he was feeling inside. They had to find Chrissy. He was an experienced wildfire fighter and had gauged the wind speed and the incendiary location of the blaze. By his calculations, the cabin was directly in the path. If they got into their vehicles and left now, they would have just enough time to make it to the main road and safety. But they couldn’t leave without Chrissy. Not without his little girl.

  “Chrissy!” he called, bolting through the trees. The pungent scent of wood smoke grew stronger. The fire was undoubtedly spreading, growing in size, encompassing the mountain.

  Where was she? He never should have accused Katie of lying. He knew Chrissy was his child. This was his fault. If only he hadn’t let his hurt and fears get the better of him. He’d felt so betrayed by Katie that he’d struck out in anger, trying to wound her the way his father had wounded him. No wonder Chrissy had run into the forest. And now, they might all lose their lives because of it.

  Because of him.

  No! He couldn’t accept that. He couldn’t lose his family. Not when he’d so recently found them. He knew Katie wouldn’t have published his story without his permission. He’d met her editor and realized the man had gone behind her back.

  They kept running, calling Chrissy’s name, searching the thick brush for any sign of her. Reese prayed, deep inside his heart. Begging the Lord to save them. To give him one more chance to make this right.

  They reached the open meadow where Reese had seen several deer grazing just days earlier. A beautiful, alpine glen surrounded by thick, heavy timber. Now the summer’s baking heat had turned the tall grass to dry tinder. If the fire reached this spot, all would be lost. The whole place would blow up like a lighted torch. Unless...

  Please, God. Help us.

  He prayed again. And that was when a glow of insight flooded his mind. A still, small voice whispered deep within him what he should do.

  He reached for Katie’s arm and pulled her toward him. “Katie, we’ve got to go back to the cabin.”

  She looked at him like he was daft. “Are you crazy? I’m not going anywhere until I find Chrissy.”

  “Neither am I, but I know without a doubt that we’ve got to go back,” he said.

  Billows of smoke darkened the sky. A dull roar filled the air—the sound of flames consuming everything in their path. The fire wasn’t close yet, but with this wind speed, it would be soon. If he was going to save their lives, he didn’t have much time left.

  “Please, Katie. Trust me. I know what I’m doing. I need to start a backfire and I need some tools to do that. I need you to be strong right now and keep it together a little while longer. Come with me. Please,” he said, unwilling to leave her there alone.

  She hesitated, her eyes wide with panic and doubt. She was trembling with fear and shock. The last thing he needed right now was a hysterical woman on his hands. Short of tossing her over his shoulder and carrying her back to the cabin kicking and screaming, he didn’t know what he would do if she refused. And if his plan didn’t work and they couldn’t find Chrissy...

  No, he couldn’t think like that. He had to stay positive. Had to fight for their lives. They would find Chrissy. They must!

  “All right,” Katie said, her voice wobbling.

  He took her hand and they ran back the way they’d come. Along the trail, rocks and gravel rolled beneath their feet. Running up the mountain was more taxing than coming down. Reese’s breath came fast and hard; his lungs and thighs were burning. Katie must be feeling the same, but he didn’t dare let her stop. He pulled her along and they made it in record time.

  “Chrissy!” Katie yelled.

  The girl stood in front of the cabin, her eyes red from crying. She clutched her compass in her hands, looking frightened and forlorn.

  “Mommy! Daddy! There’s smoke in the sky. I thought you’d left me.”

  “Oh, Chrissy. We’d never leave you, sweetheart. Not ever.” Deep relief flooded Reese, but he didn’t have time to say more.

  “Stay here,” he called as he raced inside the cabin for his leather gloves, fire shelter and a lighter.

  Mother and daughter stared at him as he ran to the shed and threw open the wooden door. In the dim shadows, he found the Pulaski he’d borrowed from C
harlie’s shed and set against the wall weeks earlier when he’d used it to clean up the yard at the cabin. A Pulaski was a wildfire fighter’s most prized hand tool, which combined an ax and an adze in one head. Grabbing the handle, he barreled outside again. He brushed the palm of his free hand against Katie’s and Chrissy’s cheeks and gave them a tender smile, trying to convey his love for them. Fearing they no longer trusted him, he knew he had to say something to them. Otherwise, they might not obey his commands. And he needed them to follow him right now. He also needed to apologize, in case this was their last moment together.

  “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it. Please forgive me.” Then he looked at Katie. “Take Chrissy’s hand and don’t let go for a moment. Follow me.”

  Carrying the Pulaski, he turned and ran, glancing over his shoulder to ensure they were with him. He would never leave them. Never again. No matter what. He knew now what was most important in his life. He knew what he wanted. He longed to tell them, but there wasn’t time. He had to save them first.

  Within minutes, they reached the meadow. The growl of the fire had amplified and the heat increased, telling him that the flames were advancing faster than he had first thought. Churning smoke rose from the forest like a black beast.

  He positioned Katie and Chrissy along the edge of the woods, at the farthest point away from where he thought the fire would break over them. They stood right near the trail leading up to the cabin. If he failed with his plan, they could run for it, but he doubted they’d ever make it back. Neither man nor beast could outrun a fire when it was on the move. And if they did make it to the cabin, the fire would find them there.

  “Stand here and don’t move unless I tell you to,” he yelled over the increasing noise.

  “Can’t we go to the lake?” Katie cried, holding Chrissy close.

  The girl pressed her face against her mom’s abdomen, but she peeked out at Reese, her eyes filled with tears, her face pale with fright.

  “The lake is three miles away and the fire is blocking our route. Stay with me. I don’t have time to explain, but we’re gonna be okay. I promise.” And he meant every word. So help him, he did. He’d never stop fighting to save them, not until his dying breath.