by Angel Lawson
The Wayward Sister
Wayward Sons (Book 5)
Angel Lawson
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
Afterword
Also by Angel Lawson
Prologue
Walking away was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
No.
That’s not true.
Burying my parents at the age of eighteen, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
What followed--raising Dexter, taking in the boys, becoming a foster parent, building the Wayward Sun--all of that was done in a fog. A well-intentioned, exhausted, running-on-empty fog.
Carry on, amirite?
But where does that leave me?
Twenty-three, burned out, and running away from home.
God, my life is a mess.
For a minute I thought theirs was too, and I couldn’t deal, but I saw that the boys would be okay, that Dexter would be okay, that they had Starlee and her mom and Mrs. Nye; I knew I needed to go. I just needed a break.
So, I left.
And I hate myself for it.
It’s six months later and I’m sitting in the back of the high school auditorium, the same auditorium I graduated from five years ago, and watch them stride across the stage. Dexter with his shoulders back, pride written on his face. Jake, the one I wasn’t sure would make it, clutching his diploma tighter than a football. Charlie and George, smart, silly, broken, and ultimately rebuilt. My heart swells, seeing them accomplish this goal. This small goal that was so hard to achieve.
I wipe a tear from my eye as the principal makes it official and they fall into each others' arms. I should be there. For Dexter, at the very least. For my mom and dad.
But my legs feel like lead, and my is heart heavy.
I need more time to get my shit together. To find my way back home.
I glance down at my tattoo, the one we all share, knowing my family needs me, but right now I need something else.
I just have to figure out exactly what.
1
Sierra
I hear the car coming down the dirt road long before I see it. I step out on the front porch and shade my eyes from the early summer sun. The truck comes to a stop behind my Jeep and Katie steps out, blonde hair twisted into two knots on the top of her head. She’s wearing a cut off Def Leppard shirt that shows off her belly ring and she waves when she sees me.
“I think I got everything you need,” she calls, heading to the steps, holding a bag in her hand.
When she gets to the top, I take the bag and pull her into a hug with the other. “Thanks. This place is a mess. I thought there would be enough cleaning supplies here, but I was wrong. It’s going to take more than elbow grease to get this place ready to sell.”
“You’re really going to sell it?”
I step in the front door, gesturing her to follow me. I’ve known Katie for a long time, since school, but we really became friends the past few years in Lee Vines.
“I think we should. Dexter has his own life in Lee Vines, running the shop, and there are just too many difficult memories for us here. It’s a good home to raise a family and neither of us are in that position right now.”
She walks in and I place the bag of cleaning supplies on the coffee table. “It doesn’t look like it’s in terrible shape. Shouldn’t be hard to sell, right?”
I grimace. “The HVAC needs replacing and the bedrooms all need a paint job. The kitchen is a little outdated and frankly, I need to get everything out of here. Dex and I were so shocked after my parents died that we didn’t do the clean-up we needed to.”
She rests her hand on my arm. “I’m here to help you with anything you need, got it?”
“Thanks,” I reply. I don’t plan on asking for help. Not from her or Dexter. This is something I feel like I need to do myself. I’ve carried the baggage of the past around with me for too long. It’s time to let it go.
“How does it feel to be back?” she asks.
“Weird not to be in Lee Vines, but I want to get this finished before I go home.” I’d spent the last six months traveling—mostly around the Southwest. I hit a few Supernatural conventions, hanging with other fans. That felt good, but the whole time I knew I had to come back here and deal with everything. That time has come.
“How’s Robbie?” I ask, knowing they’ve been dating a while.
“Good. He wanted to know if you’ve talked to the Rangers.”
The park rangers. Robbie is a ranger in Yosemite, and at Christmas introduced me to three of his friends. I knew the guys that worked for the parks department were athletic and outdoorsy, I just didn’t know they built them like, well, like Smith, Holden, and Adrian.
We’d hit it off and it was nice being around guys my own age, instead of the hormonal stink of teenagers. God, so many showers. So much laundry. So much angst.
At first, things went okay. At least with Holden and Adrian. They were nice. Hot. I could see myself having fun with them.
“No, but it’s not surprising that I haven’t. I kind of took off right after the New Year. They probably forgot all about me.”
She shakes her head. “Don’t count on it. Robbie says they still ask about you.”
“All of them?”
She smiles. “Two of them, at least. You made an impression.”
I know which two. Or rather, I know which one isn’t interested. Smith and I didn’t really hit it off, or rather, I’d burned that bridge right out of the gate. “Yeah, well, they did too, which is why I wasn’t keeping up with the boys on New Year’s. Look how that turned out.”
Another court hearing. Losing my foster care license. Everything falling apart.
Her hand covers mine. “In the long run, it turned out fine. They’re doing really well.” The churn of guilt still tightens in my stomach, knowing I should have been there. “Have you told Dex you’re here?”
“Not yet.” I give her a pleading, tight smile.
“I won’t tell him.” She gives me a side look. “Just like I won’t tell you that he and Starlee shack up at the campground when they need a little privacy.”
I clamp my hands over my ears. “No! I do not want to know that! They’re eighteen. Graduated! Not my business anymore.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. I promise I won’t tell them you’re down here until you’re ready.”
“Thank you.”
“But you need to get ready. This is his house, too.” She checks the time and stands. “I’ve got to get back, with Mrs. Nye on her honeymoon and Star working the coffee shop, I’ve got a lot more responsibility at the lodge.”
“That’s great.”
She heads to the door. “So if the Rangers ask about you?”
“Tell them I�
��m not available.”
“What about Smith?”
I pause, thinking of the tall, broad-shouldered park ranger with crystal blue eyes and a jaw made of steel. I wrinkle my nose and shake my head. “Especially Smith.”
2
Sierra
“The HVAC can be repaired, which is cheaper than a full replacement, but you’ve also got to fix that leak in the bathroom along with the damage that it caused on the wall behind the sink. I think you need to get an exterminator out here. Critters like to move in when a house is empty. I found some droppings in the back closet.”
I wrinkle my nose, as much at the extensive list the inspector is giving me as at the information about droppings.
“Great.”
He jots a few more things on the list. An outlet needs to be repaired in the kitchen. A hole in the roof along with the flashing by the fireplace chimney. A sinking feeling threatens to pull me under as I watch him scribble notes.
What have I gotten myself into?
“If you need some referrals on contractors and repair people, I’ve got some,” he says, handing me a card along with the paperwork.
“How much do you think all of this will cost?”
He rests the clipboard on his slight stomach paunch and he runs a hand through his graying hair. “Don’t hold me to it, but with paint and hauling out everything you don’t want, you’re probably looking at ten-to-twenty thousand.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”
He gives me a sympathetic grin. “Yep. But the more you can do yourself, the cheaper it is. Grab some friends and family and put them to work.”
When my parents died, they left a life insurance policy that helped me cover the cost of the house in Lee Vines and the attached coffee shop. There’s money in a trust for Dex when he turns twenty-one. This house is paid for, but I’ve had to pay the taxes and for upkeep over the last five years. There’s a little money left from the insurance fund, but not much. That money will have to stretch to cover the upgrades on the house.
“You could always just sell the place As-Is. There’s no shame in that. You’ll take a bit of a hit, but it takes the responsibility off of you as a seller for any problems.”
“I’ve considered that.” But it doesn’t feel right. My parents provided a safe, comfortable home for me and Dexter. I want to offer that back to whoever buys it in the future. Also, I do feel shame in letting the place fall apart so badly. I owe my family more than that.
“Thank you,” I tell him as he packs up his supplies. I watch him head down the stairs and out to his car. Feeling the wave pulling me under. I take a long deep breath, trying to settle my nerves, and look around the house.
There’s so much work to be done and I’m resolved to do it.
But not today.
I do what I’ve always told the boys to do when they feel overwhelmed. Get outside and get some air. I grab my hiking boots, a bottle of water, and my backpack.
I’m headed into the Sierras.
My father is the one that taught me nature has healing properties. Getting out in the sun, away from electronics and people and day-to-day stressors. Finding water is even better—a creek, river, or waterfall. He’s the one that showed me the trail I’m on right now. The winter snow has melted, leaving the grassy areas green and lush. I follow the path, and I hear the water before I see it. I take a deep breath, sucking in the cool, early summer air, and spot the clear stream ahead. I find a soft patch of grass on the bank and spread out my jacket to sit on. Once I’m settled, I unlace my boots and dip my feet into the water, feeling the shock of chill.
I let them stay under the water, turning numb.
After my parents died, I didn’t come out here for a long time. It hurt too much. I was dealing with Dexter and his anger issues. Then bringing in the other boys. Their masculinity had reached toxic levels. My brother was angry and depressed. Jake hid his learning disabilities behind a violent sport, and Charlie and George were traumatized by an abusive father. That’s when I realized that no matter how much it hurt, they needed the outdoors. They needed to exercise. To breathe. To heal.
They did it. Some of it through my efforts, a lot, admittedly, through their relationship with Starlee. That girl is a gift.
A rustle in the trees draws my attention away from my thoughts and I sit straight, looking for the source. It easily could be another hiker or wildlife. A dark shadow moves behind the trees.
Or a bear.
Fuck.
I don’t move, thinking if I just stay still, it will be fine. Bear attacks in Yosemite are very rare. But this bear is obviously thirsty, and it stumbles downstream, falling in with a splash. Two smaller bears follow.
Fuckity-fuck.
The baby bears amble around, splashing in the water. It gives me an opportunity to lift my feet out. They’re numb—half frozen—and don’t cooperate as I try to gracefully stand. I reach for my boots and my pack, easing backwards. A branch snaps underfoot, loud and unmistakable. The bear snorts, looking in my direction, baring her teeth.
I’m too close to the babies, and the mama doesn’t like it.
She growls and I startle, dropping one boot, and it splashes into the water. I grab it as the bear ambles forward, water dripping down my body. There’s no other choice but to run and I don’t hesitate, rushing through the trees. The sound of the growls fades with distance, and I don’t hear anything but the sound of my heart and my breathing. I don’t look back, not until minutes have passed. Not until I realize I’m off the trail. Way off the trail.
I lean against a tree, trying to catch my breath. Trying not to panic.
I reach in my pocket and pull out my phone, shocked to see I have service.
I call the one person that I know that can help me.
“Katie,” I say, voice wobbly and out of breath, “I’m lost. Can you call the ranger station?”
3
Adrian
I’m already in the northeast corner of the park when my walkie talkie crackles.
“Adrian, you there?”
“Yep,” I reply to Robbie. I pick up a piece of litter that most likely blew away from the campground and stash it in my pack. “What do you need?”
“We have a hiker that got lost just off Tiga Creek. Sounds like she got stumbled on by Big Brown and her babies.”
“Gotcha. I’m not far. Any landmarks?”
He lists a few that she described to a friend. She’s lucky she still has service. It can be spotty in the park. I cut east toward the creek and see prints in the soft dirt. They’re deep, and the tread is clear, implying they’re fresh. I mark my trail and follow them, taking care to look for any further footprints or impacted wildlife. At a clearing, I pause and call out. “Anyone out there? It’s Ranger Brooks!”
No response.
I cross the empty space, scanning the area. Robbie had mentioned a large rock outcropping, and it sounded like Buck’s Rock. I see the rocks in the distance and head that direction, calling out once more.
I wait a beat and then hear a faint voice call back. “Here!”
Relief settles in my chest, and I stride forward, heading off the path.
“You there?”
“I’m here! Can you see me?” Her voice is louder.
“Stay tight. I’ll be there in a second.”
I climb over fallen limbs and muddy low spots. I climb up a small rise and see the flash of a blue T-shirt. A coffee cup sits in the middle with rays shooting out of it. The Wayward Sun. I’ve been to that place—up in Lee Vines.
A figure sits on an outcropping of rocks. Dark hair wound in a braid, fair skin. She looks up, and I see familiar steel gray eyes.
“Sierra?” I say, her name popping into my head instantly, even though I haven’t seen her in months. Thought about her—yes. Seen her—not once.
Her eyes brighten when she sees me, but quickly the expression of relief twists into something else. “Adrian? Well, this is humiliating.”
I can�
�t help but laugh. “It’s not humiliating. People get turned around out here all the time.”
I scan her body, looking for injury. Her boots are soaked, soles muddy. Her raven hair has slipped from her braid. Sierra is a sturdy woman, athletic and strong. Her legs are shapely and fit. She not only looks okay, she looks perfect. Just like I remember.
“Maybe not for them, but I grew up out here.” Something in her expression wavers, and she blinks rapidly.
“What happened?”
“I ran into a mama bear and her cubs. I just got out of there as fast as I could.” She frowns down at her wet clothes and boots. “I realized pretty quickly I got off the trail. Since I had service, I called Katie and stayed put.”
“You did the right thing,” I say walking over. As I get closer I see a streak of blood on her elbow. I hold my hand out. “Can I check that?”
She lifts her arm. “Oh, I didn’t even realize…I guess I ran into something; a bush or tree.”
I reach into my bag and pull out my small first aid kit, picking out a package of wipes. I take her arm gently and wipe away the blood. She flinches. “That hurt?”
“Stings a little.”
Carefully I clean the wound. “It doesn’t look too bad. I think a little ointment and a bandage will work.”
Our eyes meet. Hers are a color I’m not sure I’ve seen. Not quite blue, but gray.
“So,” I say, looking away. I pull out the supplies I need. A packet of ointment and a large adhesive bandage. “It’s been a while, how are you?”
