Tattered Stars

by Catherine Cowles

  I started back to my truck, motioning for Koda to follow. He paused for a moment, letting out a little whine. “Koda, come.” He trotted over to me and jumped into the cab, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze.

  Great, everyone was pissed at me.

  7

  Everly

  I held out my hand with a couple of almonds. Chip grabbed them and skittered across the floor in his odd gait, taking the bounty into his new home. I’d cut a small hole in the cabinet door so he could easily get in and out. My only friend in Wolf Gap was warming to my presence. Taking nuts straight from my hand and sometimes coming out to watch me work.

  I turned back to the kitchen. All of the cabinets had been painted and new hardware affixed. The oven would likely need to go in the next few months, but it was functional for now. The refrigerator was in surprisingly good shape, and after my thorough cleaning, I was no longer scared to put food inside.

  My gaze traveled around the space. My couch, armchair, and coffee table fit surprisingly well. But I desperately needed chairs and a table for the back deck. I had managed to find two rocking chairs for the front porch for a steal, though.

  The sound of tires on gravel had my spine stiffening. If it was Hayes again, I was going to give him a restraining order, all right—against him. I moved to the window, slipping behind the curtains I’d just hung earlier that day. One hand went to my shotgun in the safe, and the other pulled back the linen fabric just enough that I could look through.

  An unfamiliar truck crested the hill and came to a stop in front of my cabin. The glare of the sun meant I couldn’t see who was behind the wheel. I lifted my shotgun so the butt rested in the crook of my shoulder, but the barrel pointed down.

  A woman climbed out of the cab, petite and middle-aged with just a hint of gray weaving through her blond hair. She reached into the cab for something, and I stiffened but relaxed a fraction when I saw the covered dish.

  Placing my shotgun back in the corner, I crossed to the door. As I opened it, the memories hit me with a force that nearly knocked the air out of me. The grief and panic. The sobs of relief. Her pain had been the most visceral that night, all those years ago. It had clogged the air and nearly choked me.

  She must’ve read the panic on my face because Mrs. Easton upped her smile. “Hello, Everly. It’s so nice to see you.” A small chuckle escaped her. “That sounded ridiculous. I’ll just say I’m really glad to see you.”

  “Hi.” It was the only word I could seem to get out.

  Mrs. Easton climbed the steps and handed me the casserole dish. “I hope you eat cheese. This is my famous spinach lasagna. Even my meat-loving family can’t get enough of this recipe.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Easton.” I paused for a moment. “Hayes didn’t tell you to poison me, did he?”

  She barked out a laugh. “Even if he had, I wouldn’t have listened.” She sobered. “He hasn’t given you the warmest welcome, has he?”

  “He’s not offering to hold a parade.”

  Her lips pursed. “I’m sorry about that. He’s…well, we’ll talk. Get that in the fridge, and let’s have a seat in those pretty rockers you have out front.”

  I nodded, moving into the cabin, but Mrs. Easton didn’t follow. I caught sight of her glancing past the cabin to the house and the shed that lay beyond, pain flashing through her eyes. God, maybe everything on this property did need to be burned down. It caused hurt to so many and healing to none. I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments. I was going to change that. To make this place a haven. Then, maybe it could have a whole different effect on the people of this community.

  I slipped the lasagna into the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade. Grabbing two glasses, I filled them and headed back out to the porch. I handed one to the woman who was staring out at the land around us. “Here you go, Mrs. Easton.”

  “Thank you, hun. It’s Julia to my friends. Mrs. Easton was my mother-in-law.”

  I nodded, unsure if that was an invitation. I certainly wasn’t her friend.

  She took a sip of the lemonade. “This is delicious. Fresh-squeezed?”

  “I think it always turns out better that way.”

  “I agree. And it doesn’t hurt to drink it looking at this view.”

  I raised my gaze to the expanse in front of us. Forest that dropped off so you could see the land go on forever. Ranches and farms. The lake and the rolling hills. I’d missed it, this view. When I moved to the city, I’d missed the peace it had given, the knowledge that I was so small in the grand scheme of the world. “I’m glad to see it again.”

  Julia raised her glass towards the fields dotted with cattle and some horses and pointed at a cluster of buildings we could just make out. “That’s our ranch. Been in my husband’s family for generations.”

  I’d always wondered about the people who lived there. What their lives were like. Did their dad wake them up at all hours for training, to prepare for an attack that he was sure was coming? Were the kids who lived there allowed to go to school? “I didn’t know that. I always wondered growing up.”

  Julia looked in my direction. “How has it been, being back?”

  Something about the warmth in her tone had me wanting to spill all my secrets and pain. To lay them at her feet and ask if she could heal them. “It’s been…what I expected. I know this town doesn’t want me here.”

  “Oh, hogwash. I’m this town. I want you here.”

  “You can’t. Not really. I know that what Hayes said is true. I bring up bad memories for all of you.”

  Julia took my hand and squeezed hard. “Yes, bad memories are bound to pop up. But you’re also a reminder of my best memory. Being reunited with my girl, my family whole again. You gave me that.”

  The back of my throat burned. “I’m so sorry for what he put you through. I’m sorry I wasn’t brave enough to come sooner.”

  “Oh, Everly. No. That is not yours to take. You were a baby yourself. And so incredibly brave. I thank God for you every night.”

  A single tear slid out of the corner of my eye. “How’s she doing?”

  “Shiloh’s good. She’ll always be a little different. I won’t lie. That experience and everything that came after, marked her. She hates attention and marches to the beat of her own drum. But she’s happy. Loves helping Gabe and me run the ranch. Has a real gift with horses.”

  “I’m glad she’s okay.”

  Julia patted my hand and released it. “Me, too. She’ll probably come up here before long. I get the sense she’s curious about you.”

  “She’s welcome anytime.” I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to see that little girl grown. But I needed to. There were things I needed to say. Words similar to what I’d given her mother, but different, too.

  “Shy will be glad to know that. And I know Gabe would love to officially meet you, too. Hadley, as well.”

  I couldn’t help but notice that she’d left off Hayes and his older brother. I guessed those two weren’t Team Everly. But, honestly, four out of six was way more than I thought to have.

  Julia seemed to read my thoughts and gave me a sad smile. “Beckett’s in Venezuela right now, treating patients and likely driving his motorcycle on crazy mountain passes. And Hayes…it’s not you. He blames himself for Shy’s kidnapping. And he’s turned that into this need to protect us all.”

  “He blames himself?” I couldn’t put that together. He’d barely been a teen at the time.

  “He was supposed to be keeping an eye on her. He turned his back to play one of those Duck Hunt games, and when he was done, she was simply gone.”

  My chest constricted, empathy curling around my heart that I didn’t want to feel. It was easier to think of Hayes as a jerk rather than someone trying to protect his family and shouldering baggage that wasn’t his to carry. “I’m sorry he’s going through that.”

  Julia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I am, too, but it doesn’t give him the right to be an ass.”

  I bar
ked out a laugh. “It wasn’t that bad.” She arched a brow. “Okay, it wasn’t good.”

  “That’s what I thought. I’m sorry he hasn’t treated you fairly. He’s got a good heart in there, and once he pulls his head out, he’ll see the light.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that, but I wouldn’t give voice to my disagreement.

  “So, tell me what your plans are for this place?”

  I traced a design in the condensation of my glass. “I’m creating an animal sanctuary.” I didn’t say “I wanted to” or “I hoped to,” because failure wasn’t an option. And not just because it had been the last thing my mother had asked of me, but because I needed it, too.

  “What a wonderful idea. Even though you’re on the mountain, you’re low enough to have some good grazing spots.”

  “There are definitely a lot of inclines, but there are some flatter areas, too. It’s going to be a lot of work to get everything ready, and I’ll have to start small—”

  Julia cut me off with a look. “Even taking in just one animal changes the world for that creature.”

  My mouth curved but my ribs constricted. This was what I’d missed from my mother—gentle encouragement. I had flashes of her guiding me through the planting each spring and helping to gentle a skittish horse, but they were almost sepia-toned, aged and worn. “I’ve got to figure out what to do about the barn first. It’s a mess.”

  Julia glanced towards the leaning structure, her lips pursing. “I don’t want you in there. It looks like it could go down with a strong gust of wind. And the house doesn’t look much sturdier. I’ll have Gabe come out and take a look. He’s overseen all the construction projects on the ranch. Usually works alongside whatever crew we bring in.”

  “Oh, you don’t need to do that.”

  “I want to. We want to help. And I know Shy will love the idea of a sanctuary.” She nibbled on the corner of her mouth. “She’ll make her way up here for sure. Don’t be offended if she walks off mid-conversation, it’s just how she deals with things she doesn’t want to talk about. Or if she’s simply had enough people for a while.”

  “She’s free to be whoever she needs to be with me.” I could barely get the words out, knowing the reason she handled life the way she did was because of my father.

  Julia patted my hand. “That’s one of the greatest gifts a person can give another. The freedom to be who they truly are.”

  I hoped she was right because I didn’t have anything else to give to the woman whose life my father had broken, leaving it tattered and torn.

  8

  Hayes

  My mom drummed her fingers on the counter as she glanced at the clock for the dozenth time in the past twenty minutes. “Maybe you should call your Search and Rescue team leader.”

  I laid a hand over hers. “She’s fifteen minutes late. That’s not a call for S&R.”

  “She isn’t answering her phone.”

  Dad wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You know how Hadley is when she’s hiking. She’s on her own schedule.”

  Mom’s mouth thinned. “She should have the courtesy to let us know she’s okay, if that’s the case. Calder told us he couldn’t make it, so we’re not worrying about him and the girls.”

  I winced and stole a glance at Shiloh, who was on the floor with Koda. Shy didn’t look the least bit concerned. But then she knew her sister, and this was one area where they were incredibly similar—their need to break free and be out in nature alone. It drove my mom nuts. I’d done everything I could to alleviate her worry and make sure my sisters were safe. Given them emergency kits, even satellite phones. But it still put Mom on edge.

  Tires on gravel sounded, and Mom hurried to the front window. I could just make out Hadley’s SUV. As soon as my mom caught sight of her youngest daughter, she turned and retreated to the kitchen, busying herself with dinner prep. The slightly frenetic energy told me that we were in for it.

  I sighed and squeezed the bridge of my nose where a headache was forming. The front door slammed, and Hadley called out. “Sorry I’m late. I went longer than I’d planned.”

  Mom chopped a carrot with a bit more force than necessary. “Would a phone call be too much to ask when your family’s expecting you?”

  Hadley’s steps faltered. “I didn’t know that I still had to report my movements now that I’m an adult.”

  “Okay, ladies, I think that’s enough,” my dad began. “Hadley, your mom was worried. I think you know why. Julia, let’s give the girl some freedom. She’s grown.”

  Mom huffed and turned back to the salad. “The lasagna’s done so everyone can sit.”

  Hadley went to the sink to wash her hands, and I came up alongside her, bumping my shoulder into hers. “Your phone was off.”

  “The battery died, and I didn’t have my car charger.”

  “Hads, that’s not safe.”

  “Quit it. I don’t need you on my case, too. You’re my brother, not my keeper. You know, people lived their lives before cell phones.”

  I bit back every retort that wanted to fly from my mouth, every statistic about what could happen to a woman alone. “I’ll get you another charger and an external battery for your pack.”

  Hadley simply rolled her eyes and crossed to the table, sitting as far away from Mom’s chair as she could. Shiloh gave Koda one last rub and then followed suit. I turned to Mom. “Want me to carry the lasagna?”

  “That would be good. Thank you.”

  I squeezed her shoulder and then grabbed hotpot holders and the casserole dish. I set it carefully on the risers on the table’s surface just as Hadley muttered, “Kiss-ass” under her breath. The tension between my eyes throbbed.

  Mom set a salad and the garlic bread down and then slipped into her seat. “So, how was everyone’s day?”

  Silence met her query. I hurried to fill it. “Three calls from Ms. Pat about her missing cat.”

  Dad chuckled. “It might be worth some taxpayer money to get that cat a tracker.”

  “It always comes back,” Hadley muttered. “She should just leave it be.”

  Mom’s hand tightened on her water glass. “She’s worried about her.”

  “I bought a new horse,” Dad interjected, steering the conversation in a different direction.

  For the first time in the evening, Shiloh’s gaze sharpened, focusing in on Dad. “Where?”

  “Ramsey Bishop.”

  I set down my beer. “He let you come out to his place?” Ramsey brought the term loner to a whole new level.

  “No, he brought the gelding here.”

  “There aren’t any new horses in the barn,” Shiloh argued.

  Dad smiled. “I’m not hiding him from you. Ramsey wants a few more weeks to finish the training.”

  “No one has a way with horses like he does. Especially the wounded ones,” Mom said. “I might want to connect him with Everly.”

  My spine stiffened. “Why?”

  “Because Everly’s going to turn that property into an animal sanctuary.”

  “How do you know that?” It prickled something in me that my mother had more information than I did about the woman I’d somehow become fascinated with.

  “I went out to see her today.” She shot a pointed look in my direction. “Someone had to make up for how rudely my son treated her.”

  Hadley choked on her water as she laughed. “I think Everly can handle herself. She was ripping Hayes a new one the last time I saw her.”

  Mom’s eyes hardened on me. “Really, Hayes? That girl has been through enough. I expect you to get a new attitude, young man.”

  Hadley snickered. “Uh-oh, she brought out the young man. You’re in trouble now.”

  Before my mom could turn her ire on Hads, I cut in. “I know I messed up.” Both women turned their gazes on me. “I know it’s bound to bring up some tough stuff.” I looked at Shiloh, whose eyes narrowed. “I didn’t want anyone getting hurt. Especially you.”

  Shy shoved back from the t
able, taking her plate and not saying a word. Koda trailed after her.

  “Shit,” I mumbled.

  “Let her go,” Mom said, patting my arm.

  Hadley’s mouth pressed into a hard line, but she didn’t say a word.

  “So, she’s making a sanctuary.” I couldn’t quite wrap my head around that. It was certainly needed. The sheriff’s department got called out on all sorts of animal abuse and neglect cases, and there weren’t a lot of options for where those animals could go afterwards.

  “Makes sense,” Dad said. “I heard she got a job with Miles, working as a vet tech.”

  Mom assembled the perfect bite of salad on her fork. “From what I can tell, he’ll be lucky to have her.”

  A vet tech. It made perfect sense, yet it was still a surprise. From the few interactions I’d had with Everly, I knew she was tough as nails. But I’d seen a glimpse of her softer side with Koda. Dr. Taylor would be more than lucky to have her.

  “Maybe I should get a dog,” Hadley mused.

  Mom set down her fork. “That means you’d have to be home on a regular basis. No taking off whenever the mood strikes.”

  I sent an urgent look at Dad, but before he could come up with a way to divert the conversation, Hadley cut in. “And the problem with that is?”

  “Nothing, but it’s not exactly responsible or safe, either. You know that.”

  “Yet you have no problem with Shy taking off into the woods for days at a time, no one knowing where she is. You just tell us to let her go.”

  Mom’s jaw worked back and forth. “It’s different, and you know that.”

  Hadley pushed back from the table, tossing down her napkin. “It always is. I should’ve learned by now that what’s acceptable for Shy will never be okay for me.”

  “Hadley,” Dad called as she headed for the door. But Hadley’s steps never faltered. He turned his gaze to Mom. “Julia…”