by A. J. Wynter
Dumpster and I had kept the trail system cleared, and without my snowmobile, the ancient snowshoes had come in handy. It felt good to clear the cobwebs from my head and get out into the fresh air every day. Keeping the snow clear was my workout, the same way gardening was in the summer, and hunting in the fall. This year was different though. I kept the radio on twenty-four hours a day, easy listening music my constant companion. Without the sound of another voice, my cabin just felt lonely. Bringing Emma here had been a mistake on so many levels. Her deception, of course, was the biggest one, but her absence was weighing heavily on me. I had spoiled my isolation with the energy of another person and now without it, I felt more alone than ever.
I’m not a man who believes that things happen for a reason. My life has been too harsh for that, but while Emma was here, I could’ve sworn that she was meant to be here. She just, fit.
I had cleaned my cabin with a fury after I kicked her out, ridding the place of any sign that she had been here. I threw out the candles we burned in the bathroom and any clothes of mine that she wore, were hand washed to get her vanilla scent out of them. The empty box of condoms - I burned that. We had used every single one of them and I swore that I wouldn’t buy any more. I wouldn’t need them. Never again would I let anyone else come into my life. The condoms had been tucked away in one of my bags when I moved in – which I realized was ten years earlier. A quick glance at the box told me that they were long expired. I breathed a sigh of relief. We were lucky that none of them broke. I thanked my lucky stars as I watched the faded box go up in flames.
Titan Industries had been on my mind for the past two weeks, ever since I found out about its changes. That was the only reason I trudged to the forestry road every day on the snowshoes. As soon as the road was clear, and I could get out of here in my truck, I was going to head to the city to sign away all of my rights to the company over to my brother.
Part of me hoped that it would make him hate me less. That it was a way I could make up for the past. I knew deep down that it wouldn’t, but I was going to do it anyway. It was the least I could do for him.
I had just gotten back from my daily trek to the forestry road to find it still under snow. If it wasn’t cleared by December fifteenth, just over two weeks from now, I was going to pack up my bags and snowshoe to the main road. I threw a log onto the dwindling flames and hung up my outdoor clothes when I heard the unmistakable sharp echo of a low flying helicopter. The sound wasn’t that uncommon, the forestry service flew low, and with the increase in helicopter skiing in the area, some of those operations had been scouting for new locations.
The hair went up on the back of my neck, however. Something was different. This chopper was flying in a grid pattern, lower than any helicopter had ever flown by my cabin. The hackles went up on Dumpster's shoulders and he let out a low growl. As the sound of the helicopter grew louder, Dumpster ran to the window and started losing his mind, scratching and barking at the trim. The cabin shook with the close proximity landing.
“Who the hell?” I growled and threw on my canvas work coat and shoved my feet into my boots. This kind of invasive trespassing was unacceptable, and whoever it was, they were going to get a piece of my mind.
As the blades slowed, I opened the door and Dumpster shot out like a rocket, barking at biting at the chopper. The snow was swirling and as it settled, I saw the gold trident, Titan’s logo, on the doors of the helicopter. I was trapped. There was nowhere for me to go.
“Fuck.” My chest grew tight. I was prepared to go and meet Titan’s lawyers but on my terms. Not have the fuckers land in my front yard.
When the engine shut off, the door opened, and a pair of furry topped boots stepped out. Women’s boots. She was wearing a hat, but I could see the blonde hair that I had spent days sweeping out of my cabin, sticking out from the bottom. ‘That woman had a lot of nerve,’ I muttered to myself. The other occupants I could see, the shadows of the pilot and two other passengers, stayed in place.
“Dumpster,” she smiled and the ferocious guard dog of mine practically wagged his tail off at her. She bent down and hugged him.
“Dumps,” I yelled and whistled. “Get over here.” My dog turned and then looked back at Emma.
“Go.” She patted him on his rump.
She walked steadily toward me, but as she reached the steps to the cabin she slowed, raising her hands in front of her like she was in a stickup. “Chase.” She stopped just close enough so that she didn’t have to shout at me.
“I have something to tell you, and I need you to hear me out before you say anything.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I crossed my arms. “This is my property. You are trespassing.”
“I know.” She lowered her gaze. “Please, please hear me out.”
“You’ve got five minutes.” I shut the door behind me and leaned into its frame. I wasn’t inviting her in again.
“Okay,” she lowered her hands. “This is going to take a minute. I have a lot to say.”
“Then I suggest you get started, you have four minutes and fifty seconds now.”
“Right.” She nodded her head and kicked at snow-covered steps with the toe of her boot. “I’ll cut right to it.” She stopped kicking the step and looked directly at me. “You didn’t kill your parents.”
My jaw dropped. “Wha—”
She interrupted my question. “I went to see Mr. Murphy, the man who bought your parents’ car. The one from the crash. Chase,” she paused. “The brakes... a squirrel or something had chewed through the brake line. That crash was inevitable, whether you were there or not.”
I uncrossed my arms and subtly gripped the doorframe with my right hand to steady myself. It made sense. The fact was that there were no brake marks where the car had left the road.
“Why didn’t... how...? what...?” I stammered.
She seemed to know what I was asking. “The owner, he didn’t report it because he wanted the car.”
My world was spinning. I lost control and my back slammed against the door. I could feel the wood catching on my jacket as I sunk to the ground.
“Chase.” Emma jogged up the steps and pulled me up by my arm.
“I—I’m okay.” The horizon righted itself and the whooshing in my ears was gone. “Who is in the helicopter?” I asked.
“Don’t be mad,” she said. “It’s your brother and Sadie.”
“My brother...”
“He knows the truth, Liam. He doesn’t blame you anymore. Neither does Sadie. They wanted to come here to tell you in person.”
“They didn’t just come here to get me to sign some papers?”
“You can talk about that with them. They just wanted to see you – to apologize to you in person.” She turned and waved to the helicopter. The other door opened, and a man jumped out. He was bigger and more filled out, but without a doubt, the handsome man was my little brother and behind him, Sadie.
“Chase,” he shouted and took a few steps towards me and then stopped.
Emma stepped aside and I walked to the edge of my porch. It was like two ghosts had just shown up in my yard. Ghosts I never expected to see ever again. “Liam?” My voice wavered. He smiled and then my voice found its strength, “Liam,” I shouted. He started to run towards me, and I leaped down the three steps into the snow to embrace my little brother.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I know it wasn’t your fault.” We held the hug for a minute longer and when we pulled back both of us had tears in our eyes. “Do you remember Sadie?” I looked past Liam and saw Sadie, her bottom lip quivering.
“Chase,” she whispered. Liam turned and Sadie strode over to me. She kissed my cheek and then hugged me tightly. “We’ve missed you.”
“Oh, God,” I managed to choke out. “I’ve missed you guys too.”
Sadie reached out her mittened hand and pulled me in close. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.” She shot her eyes to the porch where Emma stood, her h
and on Dumpster’s head. “She did this. For you.” Then she leaned in even closer. “She loves you.”
“She lied,” I tightened my lips and whispered.
“I made her,” Liam’s voice rang out. “She wanted to tell you the truth, but she couldn’t. And Chase,” Liam pulled me in tightly to him, our backs to the cabin, I’ve learned a little something about grudges and forgiveness. You need to forgive her.” Then he added, “But, it’s your choice.”
I turned slowly. My desire for Emma was intense, but the wounds from her betrayal were still fresh. And Liam was right. I could choose to hold a grudge.
I started walking back to the cabin thoughts racing through my head, but as I reached the steps, I opened my arms wide, opening myself and my heart to her. Instead of a grudge, I chose love. “I love you, Emma.” My voice cracked.
“Oh, Chase.” She flew down the stairs and I grabbed her as she launched herself into my arms. “I love you too,” she said, her breath warm on my neck. Her feet were dangling above the snow, but I wasn’t letting up my grip on her. I turned slowly, my heart pounding in my chest and just held her tightly. I set her down and moved in to kiss her, but she turned her face away and proceeded to throw up.
“Oh, no,” she said still hunched over.
“Are you okay?” I rubbed her back.
“The helicopter ride. I got motion sickness, but I thought it was gone.”
“Let’s get you inside.” I helped her to stand upright. “All of you, please come inside.”
Chapter 24 – Chase
CHRISTMAS DAY
Are you sure you don’t want to tell them? I asked as we bumped down the forestry road. It was now regularly plowed by Titan Industrial but was still rough. The day Emma moved in with me, I knew that being able to come and go from the cabin was going to be important.
“No, not yet.” Emma smiled and rubbed the front of her coat. “I wonder when I’ll start showing?”
“Probably around twelve weeks,” I said as we turned onto the highway. “I’ve been reading the books,” I grinned.
“I’ll tell people then.” She reached behind Dumpster, who had reluctantly given up the passenger seat for Emma and claimed the center spot and grabbed for my hand. The houses of Windswan came into view and Emma read off the address from her phone: 189 Cherry Street. She helped me navigate through the town to a cul de sac, a cute white house with a red door, sat at the end.
We got out and she rang the doorbell. “It’s a nice house,” Emma mused. “I didn’t know they made them this nice in Windswan.”
“It’s time for this town to come back to life,” I replied.
“Hiiiiii,” Sadie opened the door wearing a green apron, tied over her huge baby bump. “Liam is just basting the turkey. Come in, come in.”
We shuffled into the entryway of my brother’s new mountain home. While they weren’t here permanently, they planned to spend a significant amount of time in Windswan. Especially, while the new Titan assembly plant was being built.
“This house is beautiful,” Emma gushed.
“Thanks,” Sadie smiled. It has good bones, doesn’t it? We looked around in awe of the high ceilings and ten-inch baseboards. A chandelier hung over a traditional dining room.
“Do you have Martha Stewart locked up in your basement?” Emma joked. The table was adorned with several floral arrangements, and each place setting had a name tag, and of course, all the napkins and table linens were color-coordinated – red and gold.
“I’m nesting,” Sadie joked.
Dumpster and Tripper were running up and down the curved staircase and almost slammed into Sadie. “Easy guys,” then she yelled to the kitchen, “Liam, can you let the dogs into the backyard?”
We heard Liam call the dogs and then he emerged from around the corner, his arms widespread. “Welcome to Cherry Street,” he said with a huge grin. He took both of us in his arms and offered us a drink. Emma looked at me with panic in her eyes. I shrugged, I was bursting at the seams with the news, but ultimately it was her decision. Not only had I gotten my family back, but I had also created a new member. “I’ll take a beer if you’ve got it.”
“Em?” Liam asked.
She handed Liam the bottle of red wine we brought, along with the sparkling water. “I’m parched, I’ll just start with the water.”
Sadie raised her eyebrows at Emma.
“Just water?”
“For now,” Emma laughed. “I’m easing into the holidays.”
Sadie ushered us into the front sitting room, “We’ve got a bit of time while the turkey rests,” she said. Liam joined us, handed us our drinks, kissed Sadie on the cheek as they sat together on the love seat perpendicular to the one we were on.
“To family,” Liam said raising his glass.
“Family,” we echoed, and all took a sip.
“And to the new CEO of the Windswan Solar and Wind project,” Liam continued.
I still wasn’t used to the fancy title and at work, I made sure that all the staff called me Chase. I had fully planned to give up my half of the company to Liam, so he could continue to do good things with it, but instead, he came up with an even better plan. Together, Liam and I are going to bring Windswan back to life – the abandoned buildings were perfect for our expanding solar operations, and the placement of the valley made it perfect for wind farms. Real estate was dirt cheap, and many of the hires who couldn’t afford rent in the city were moving to Windswan to start up their new lives as homeowners.
“How’s the book going?” Sadie asked.
“I’ve been writing every day. Now that Chase is working, the cabin is the perfect writing retreat.” Emma smiled and popped a puff pastry from the appetizer tray into her mouth.
“Are you ready for that wine yet?” Sadie asked her smile, not unlike the Cheshire cat’s.
“In a bit,” Emma said and snapped up another appetizer.
“Mmhmm.” Sadie nodded.
Liam leaned back and draped his arm around Sadie’s shoulder. “Leave her be,” he whispered.
“Speaking of family,” Sadie said, her voice serious.
Liam withdrew his arm from her shoulder. “I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to talk about this over the holidays,” he said quietly.
“I know,” Sadie tucked her feet up under her. “But they are family.”
“Not my family,” Liam said. “And I think that Chase agrees with me.”
Sadie and Emma had pieced together the information about our half brothers. I have been going back and forth about whether to approach them, but Liam is dead set against it. “I think that we all agreed that this, um, subject, would be tabled until the new year.”
I could tell that Liam and Sadie were not in agreement on the subject, and while Emma had urged me to reach out to my half brothers, I was willing to wait until Liam was on board. The silence in the room became slightly awkward as we all sipped our drinks thinking about the two half brothers that were out there somewhere.
Emma cleared her throat. “Speaking of family,” she said, this time the words were said with reverence. She looked at me and grabbed my hand, but before she could continue Sadie jumped up.
“I knew it,” Sadie said.
“What?” Liam looked at me.
“Are you?” Sadie practically squealed.
Emma nodded. “So much for keeping it a secret,” I said and smiled at my glowing girlfriend.
“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Liam’s eyes were wide as he munched on a cracker.
“You’re going to be an uncle.” I smiled.
“Are you serious?”
I nodded. Liam stood up too, “I’m going to be an uncle,” he shouted. We all hugged. Sadie was practically jumping up and down with the news. I was thankful for Emma’s well-timed announcement. The subject of our brothers was temporarily swept under the rug.
“That wasn’t motion sickness in the helicopter, was it?” Sadie grabbed Emma’s arms.
“Nope,�
�� she grinned.
“Turns out you can’t really trust expired condoms,” I whispered as I elbowed Liam.
“I was just going to ask,” he whispered back. “Congratulations, brother.”
I looked around at the smiling faces against the backdrop of perfect cedar garlands and shimmering white lights, I decided now was the perfect time to make one more change.
Clearing my throat, I reached for Emma’s hand. She looked to me and smiled, but when I dropped to one knee on the floor, her mouth gaped open. The room went silent as Liam and Sadie saw me on the floor with Emma’s hands in mine.
Emma’s eyes were wide, “What are you doing?” she whispered.
I rubbed the back of her soft hands with my thumbs, “Em, I knew from the moment you stepped into my cabin that you were meant to be there, with me.”
“Chase,” she whispered, her eyes shimmering with tears.
“You brought me back to life - you gave me my family. Now I want you to be part of that family too,” my voice cracked. She was nodding, fat tears falling down her cheeks. I pulled the ring box out of my pocket and opened it up to reveal a marquise cut diamond ring, the first expensive thing I’d purchased in ten years. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes, Chase. Yes,” she said. I slid the ring onto her trembling hand and stood up, pulling her from the chair. She reached her hands around my neck and the world around us disappeared as we kissed.
When we pulled back from our embrace I glanced over to Liam and Sadie, they were holding hands, both of them crying like babies.
“Get over here you two.” Liam gestured and pulled Emma and I in for a group hug. Stepping back, Liam raised his glass. “I’m so happy for you,” he said. “To our new family.”
As our glasses chimed, I looked around the room and felt a warmth from within as tears ran freely down my face.
“Are you okay?” Emma whispered.
“Never been happier, babe.” I pulled her in and kissed her cheek.
I had started the year a bachelor, a hermit, a lost and lonely soul. Now, I’m a brother, a brother-in-law, an uncle, and soon to be – a husband.
