Protecting Tova (Iron Mountain Book 1)

by Havana Wilder

  We’re currently padding back to our seats as our food has successfully cooked over the open flames. Adi eyes us suspiciously. I just grin back at her, not letting her in on our conversation with Larson.

  Once we’re done eating and socializing, Adi weighs in, “Hey, so since y’all are going to be attached at the hip soon, I say we steal Tova this weekend for a girls outing.”

  Dani-Jo seconds the idea.

  I look up at Pierce to see his reaction. He places a small kiss on the top of my head. “Go on, babe. I just hope you actually get some sleep.”

  I pucker up and plant one on his soft lips. “Thank you. I’ll do my best to sleep at least a couple of hours.”

  33

  Pierce

  Watching the girls disappear into the woods, I turn to the guys. “Ok, now that they’re gone. I need to ask y’all something. Actually, I really need a huge favor.”

  Kage joins our little rendezvous, stroking his jaw with his finger and thumb like Dad does. “What is it, Pierce?”

  “I’m going to transform the loft of Tova’s mom’s barn for us into a living space. I need to build a hay shed first to clear the loft, then run some wire for electricity, plumbing for water, and make an area for the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. It’ll be like a barn-dominium. Do you think we can rummage up enough Protectors to join in so we can get it all done this weekend?”

  Kage declares, thumping me on the back. “Think? I know! I’ll have all the guys up at the barn by seven AM. That work for you?”

  “Absolutely, I’ll go to Mom and Dad’s tonight and update them on the new plans,” I state.

  “I’ll head to the guys’ cabin and alert them of their new tasks for this weekend,” Kage informs.

  Kole bellyaches, “Awe man, so no late-night howling at the moon, then?”

  I give him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, man, not tonight. I’ve got a long haul, but I’ll see you numbnuts in the morning.”

  Kaden doesn’t miss a beat. “See ya, Flamethrower.”

  Chuckling, I march in the direction of the ranch.

  Getting up at five AM is not my kind of Saturday. That two-hour trek on the back of a horse in the dark was hellish; I’m pretty sure I dozed off a couple of times. I yawn, rubbing my blurry eyes and stand before the barn holding the horse’s reins.

  “Guys, y’all ready to sweat?”

  A few of them yell in unison, “Born ready.”

  All the guys are wearing tool belts with all the equipment for the job at hand. They even brought piping, wires, switches, faucets, a toilet, wood for separating the living spaces, you name it… they have it.

  “Thank you, guys, for hauling all of this stuff here. I sure appreciate it. Hold on a second, I’ll be right back. I’m going to put up Ace; he lugged my ass for two hours straight. I’m sure he’s tuckered out.”

  “That’s what friends are for.” Jace thumps me on the back.

  After Ace, my stud, is stowed away, I plod back to the guys. “We need to divvy out into groups if we’re going to get this done in time. Whoever is skilled in plumbing step to my left, those proficient at electricity step to my right. Those who want to hammer away, stay right in front of me.”

  The guys shift in all different directions and after everyone has been given their assignments, we get to work.

  The shed is almost complete, I see, when I stand to wipe my brow. I catch a glimpse of Shenan out of the corner of my eye. She’s placing tablecloths along picnic tables where the farmers eat during the week. I keep hammering away but notice she makes multiple trips to the picnic tables with food and drinks, playing such a good hostess.

  Turning my attention back to the shed, I’m almost done building, swinging my hammer to drive a nail in when she sneaks up on me.

  “Pierce, hon…”

  I jump out of my skin, dropping the nail to the ground.

  She apologizes, “Sorry, dear, I just thought you and the guys might like to take a break and have some lunch.”

  Picking up the nail, I respond, “Oh, how kind, Shenan. You didn’t have to do that.”

  Swiping her hand in an ‘it was no bother,’ fashion, Shenan replies with, “I know, son. I wanted to do it to show my appreciation. Y’all have got a lot accomplished. How much more you got to go?”

  I tuck my hammer into my belt. “There are some guys running plumbing and electricity upstairs in the loft. They may be close to being done. The others are building partitions to separate the living spaces into living areas. Then we just have to put in appliances, toilet, shower, bed...then we’ll be finished.”

  “That sounds like a huge feat, but I know you boys can do it. I’ll plan on making y’all lunch tomorrow, too. I bet y’all will be done by tomorrow afternoon if you keep going at this pace.”

  Leaning my head down to my shoulder I use my shirt to wipe away sweat from dripping into my eyes. “Yes ma’am, that’s the goal.”

  Shenan motions her hands for us to come on, insisting, “Why don’t y’all take a break and come eat? I’ve got sandwiches, water, tea, and fruit. Plus, y’all can cool off for a minute.”

  Taking off my tool belt, I place it on the top of a pile of wood. “I’ll round everyone up. Thank you again for everything.”

  Looking pleased, she responds, “No problem at all. Happy to do it. If y’all need more to drink, just holler at me, Ok?”

  “Yes, ma’am, will do.”

  34

  Tova

  I cough up the remaining blood that’s choking me and grasp at the floor. The shadow steps closer to me and straddles me as I dig my nails into the wooden floor, gritting my teeth through the pain. “I won’t let you touch them,” I scream as I look to the corner of my dark room where Adi and Dani-Jo are cowered down.

  Another shadow appears at my side and crouches down beside me, taunting, “Look at you, tears streaming down your face and blood oozing from your mouth. Y’all won’t survive this.”

  Both shadows stand and loom toward my best friends, and I scream, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

  I vaguely hear Adi’s voice at a distance as she cries, “Tova, wake up! Wake up!”

  My eyelids feel weighted down with iron and lined with sandpaper. Forcing my heavy lids open, I see a blurry Dani-Jo standing nervously in front of me, visibly upset. She’s biting her trembling bottom lip, and I feel Adi at my side, stroking my back. I blink my eyelids, attempting to clear my hazy vision, my limbs can barely function as my muscles shake like Jell-O when I reach for them.

  Realizing it was only a dream, I begin to weep and wobble up to a sitting position in my bed. “Oh my God, you’re ok! You’re both ok.”

  Dani-Jo is unable to contain her emotions and speaks through her sobs. “Tova, those nightmares are torture. I’m so sorry you deal with this every night. You’re screaming scared me so badly, I thought you were dying.”

  “Yeah, they are, but honestly, as bad as they get, I’m glad they’re only dreams and not reality.” I reach for both girls and embrace them.

  Adi voice is scratchy as she declares, “We’re all three sleeping in this bed tonight. It’s only two AM, and I want you to know we’re here with you.”

  “Ok, we’ll all be burritos, exactly like we used to be when we were little. That may help me sleep better, knowing y’all are right beside me.” I remove the covers, letting them slide under with me.

  It can’t be any later than seven AM. Adi and Dani-Jo are hounding me to get up already, “Good gravy, after last night's escapade and the fact that it’s Saturday morning, you girls want to rise and grind? What’s wrong with y’all?”

  Dani-Jo teases, “Haha. What do you mean, what’s wrong with us? We just want to get this day started already. Now get up, Sleeping Beauty.”

  Adi insists, “Yeah, we want to spend as much time with you as we can before you’re no longer an unattached woman. So, get up.”

  Grumbling, I sling my legs over to the side of the bed, “Fine.” I stand elongating my arms and arching my back in a str
etch, I ask, “What do you girls have up your sleeves that requires me getting up so dang early?”

  Dani-Jo squints while rubbing her hands together. “Oh, you’ll see.”

  I pout. “Ugh, I hate surprises.”

  Adi mocks, “We know, that’s why we’re not telling you anything, but we need to bring a towel, pack food for lunch and dinner, and wear some good hiking shoes.”

  Raising one eyebrow, I counter, “Um, a towel? What about a bathing suit or a change of clothes?”

  Dani-Jo jests, “Unnecessary.”

  Rolling my eyes, I stand to get ready. “If you say so.”

  Everything’s packed and ready to go. All three of us don backpacks full of the necessities they instructed me to bring. Trudging down a path leading to who knows where, we walk down memory lane.

  Adi reminisces, “Remember when we were all about twelve or thirteen, and hiked up to the highest point that we could on this mountain, just to test how far we could see?”

  I grimace, “Oh yeah, I remember. How could I forget? We had to cross that dang river to get to the other side, and I fell off of it three times because my balance sucks. I should’ve just swum to the other side after that third backflip off that dumb tree.”

  Dani-Jo chuckles, “Oh, but not you. You and your determined self were going to cross that tree, come hell or high water.”

  Rubbing my temples in a circular motion, I wish I could forget. “Yeah, but even though I finally got to the other side, with the help of a tree branch balancing me, I still fell at the very end of the log, trying to get onto land…” I then slap my palm to my forehead at the memory. “I face-planted into the bank and blacked out for a split second.”

  Dani-Jo marvels, “One thing’s for sure, if there’s ever an obstacle presented before you, you’ll go over, around, or under it, just to conquer it. That’s what I love about you. You never see an impossibility. You always see a way.”

  I burst out laughing, “I just hope and pray that my relentless ways aren’t the death of me.”

  Adi cracks, “Are you kidding me? You’d stare at death straight in the eyes and say, ‘You can take my lungs, you can take my heart when you pry it from my cold dead hands,’ and you know it.”

  “You’re probably right. I’m too stubborn to die.”

  Adi flatters, herself. “Probably? Yeah, right! It’s a fact.”

  Almost missing the path I had no idea we were supposed to take, Adi falters, “Oh… Oops, turn here.”

  Slipping from the mushy mud as I twist to go in the right direction we were supposed to be traveling, I beg, “Where exactly are we going?”

  Dani-Jo answers, “Girl, you’ve got to learn patience.”

  “So, a simple inquiry is impatience? Good to know.” I watch my footsteps, trying not to stumble again, and dig, “It’s damp in these woods from the morning dew and lack of sun rays beaming through. If I knew where we were going, I wouldn’t have almost busted my ass trying to get back on the correct path.”

  Adi stops for a minute and places a fist on her hip. “Oh, if you fall, you’ll just get back up again, dust yourself off, and keep right on going. So, stop trying to get me to tell you where we’re going.”

  Crossing my hands over my chest. “Ha, and y’all say I’m bullheaded. I may have learned it from y’all.”

  Looping her arm in mine, Dani-Jo nudges, “Maybe we all have a stubborn streak. It’s not a character flaw.”

  “I never said it was. It’s probably why we’re all best friends because we’re all so similar.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.” Adi encourages us forward.

  Climbing another thirty to forty minutes, we finally near a clearing in the woods. Taking in the most beautiful meadow of wildflowers I’ve ever seen, I let out a deep exhale, “How in the world did y’all know about this place? It’s spectacular.”

  “When you were out with your injury, Adi and I ventured out here with Larson, Kage, and a couple of other guys. This isn’t even the best part.” Dani-Jo beams, tugging me into the field.

  Closing my eyes, I take in the fragrant aroma. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  She guides me through the field of flowers until we get to the clearest cirque tarn. It has three different streams running into it from the mountains. Letting my arm go, she plops down her backpack.

  “This is our destination for the day.”

  “Girls, I have to say you may have outdone yourselves.” I say, dropping my bag to the ground.

  Pleased with herself, Dani-Jo straightens out her towel on the ground. “Right? It’s the perfect place for a picnic. You’re still in for another surprise. This still isn’t the best part yet. We brought supper for a reason.”

  “Hmmm, let me guess,” I ponder, tapping my finger to my bottom lip, “the sunset is going to be breathtaking, too?”

  Laying out her food on her towel, Adi retorts, “You guessed it. We know how you relish lovely sunrises and sunsets.”

  Once our lunch has been consumed, Adi stands and removes her shirt and pants.

  Stunned, I cover my eyes. “What the heck are you doing, Adi?”

  “Oh girl, you didn’t think we were coming up here without swimming, did you?”

  “Well, I didn’t think we were going to because you said no swimsuit was needed before we left the cabin.”

  “What kind of fun would we have if we didn’t go skinny dipping at least once in our lifetime? We’re not holding anything back. You only live once. Not to mention, there’s not a male in sight that would see us.”

  Giving in to her peer pressure, I shimmy off my pants and top as I grunt, “Oh, alright.”

  Dani-Jo, doffing her attire, adds, “Fair warning, it’s colder than a witch’s boob in there.”

  Huffing, I say, “Just fanflippingtastic. We have no clothes to change into. I’d better not catch pneumonia right before our vows. I will not miss out on my first sexy, steamy, lovemaking sesh because I’m sick.”

  Wide-eyed, Adi delves, “You mean to tell me that you two haven’t had sex yet? Even with him staying with you all this time?”

  I shake my head. “Nope, we sure haven’t. He’s chivalrous and wants to wait. We’ve done other things, just not that.”

  Dani-Jo shoves her fingers into her ears. “I don’t need the details.”

  I grab her forearms and pull her hands away. “Oh stop, I’m not giving you insight on our love life.” Turning to take a plunge into the pond, I ask, “How deep does this go? I can see clear to the bottom.”

  “It’s at least twelve feet deep. You can dive if you want,” Dani-Jo offers.

  Alone in the middle of a picturesque meadow with my best friends, all of us in our birthday suits, I take in a big gulp of air. “You must have read my mind because the only way to get into frigidly cold water is just to do it and get it over with.”

  I dive into the freezing pool, then scurry to the surface. Pushing up above the water, I rasp, “Cheese and rice! This is worse than bathing in ice water.”

  Both Adi and Dani-Jo leap in. Rising to the surface, I wallop water at Dani-Jo’s face.

  “Hey, that’s no way to show gratitude to your friend for a fun-filled day,” she sputters.

  Laughing and giggling, we dash, spray and splatter, soaking each other. I nod in Adi’s direction in the center of the pool where she’s still immersed underwater. “Show off.”

  Starting to shiver, Dani-Jo and I retreat from the pond. Dani-Jo deliberates as she grabs her towel, “I wonder how long she can stay submerged?”

  Wrapping my towel around myself and stuffing the corner between my breasts to secure it, I answer, “If she can breathe under there, then probably a while, or at least until she’s a prune and wants to surface. But with as cold as this water is… I’m guessing only a few minutes. I bet we’re about to find out.”

  We sit at the water’s edge, both of us admiring Adi and her blissful underwater pirouetting. I lean back onto my hands, propping myself up. “She look
s so peaceful.”

  Dani-Jo agrees, “She really does, doesn’t she?”

  Dani-Jo peers up to the clouds as she lays back onto the grass, and points up “Look! An elephant.”

  Resting my head close to hers, I reply, “Gosh, I’ve not made objects out of clouds since we were kids.”

  “I know, I miss the simple life.”

  Furrowing my brows, I say, “Me too, but I’d never go back to those days.”

  Turning her head toward mine, she answers, “Tova, I’d never wish that on you. I’m so sorry you went through hell growing up. I’m so glad you’ve found your happy place.”

  “Thanks, Dani-Jo. Speaking of a happy place… inquiring minds want to know, what’s the deal with you and Kage? You two sure have been hanging out a lot lately.”

  Heat flushes her cheeks. “Oh, I’m not sure it’s anything. I’m not expecting him to see me as more than friends. He sees you with Pierce, Adi with Larson, and I think he feels sorry for me. He’s just being a friend and doesn’t want me to feel like a third wheel.”

  I tilt my head upward to meet her eyes. “Do you feel like a third wheel?”

  She shakes her head. “No, not really. But if Kage wants to be nice, then who am I to stop him.”

  I grin. “You two make a cute couple. I know you’re shy, but don’t let that stop you from allowing yourself to be vulnerable to falling in love.”

  She rolls onto her side, props herself up on her elbow and rests her head in her palm, careful not to let her towel come unwrapped. “He’s gorgeous Tova, I’m sure he could have anyone he wants. Not sure that’s me. I mean, have you seen me? I just don’t want to shrug him off and have him think I’m a jerk. I don’t have any expectations for this to develop into anything.”

  Mirroring her, I prop myself up too. “Dani-Jo, you understand that you’re only one decision away from a totally different life. You don’t have to end up lonely. That doesn’t have to be your destiny. You are in control of your future. Now take pleasure in the ride and stop thinking that you’re not ‘pretty enough’ for him. Girl, you’re beautiful. Any guy would be blessed to have you.”