Page 63 of 15 Summers Later

He was busy with his dig. That was important to him, an amazing chance, and she didn’t want to risk distracting him.

Besides, he had been clear that he needed breathing space, time to figure out whether he could forgive her for keeping huge chunks of her life secret from him.

That alone was exactly the reason she had to tell him now about the pregnancy. If she wanted her marriage to survive, Ava knew she had to be open and honest with him. No matter the consequences.

She studied her hand splayed over her abdomen, where no outward sign gave a clue as to the miraculous changes happening inside her.

She had to tell him now, but how? She didn’t want to go up to Ghost Lake by herself. Any mountain terrain would have intimidated her. That one was literally the stuff of her nightmares.

She could ask someone to go with her. Grandma Leona? She quickly discarded that.

What about Madison?

Ava stared at her pale reflection in the bathroom mirror. Why would her sister help her? She was more likely to laugh in her face if Ava asked.

It was a ridiculous idea, wasn’t it?

Maybe, maybe not. Madi had been gracious enough to invite her to be a volunteer at the shelter. Ava knew Madi had a hard time refusing any creature, animal or human, who needed her.

With fresh resolve, she gathered up all the pregnancy tests, threw them in the bathroom trash, then pulled the liner bag out, tying it securely and carrying it out to the bin herself. She didn’t want anyone else discovering she was pregnant until she’d found the chance to tell Cullen. This was his child. He deserved to know first.

Keeping that information from Madi might make it difficult for Ava to persuade her to go with her up to Ghost Lake, but she had to try. She was going over to the shelter later that day to fill out the volunteer paperwork. If the opportunity came up for her to ask her sister, she would.

If not, she would simply have to face her fears and figure out a way to make the trip by herself.

Determination stiffened her spine. She and Cullen may not have planned for this baby, but Ava intended to do everything possible to give their child a loving, stable home, no matter what might be required.

“You want me to what?” Madi stared at her, mouth suddenly agape.

Ava wanted to disappear. She should have known better than to ask her sister anything. Yes, they had engaged in an almost civil conversation the night before. That didn’t mean Madi was ready to move on from her anger.

“It was a dumb idea. Forget I said anything,” she answered quickly.

“Why do you need to go to Ghost Lake?” Her sister’s voice dripped with suspicion. “More research? Don’t tell me. You’re writing a sequel now.”

“No. This has nothing to do with any book. I need...I need to see Cullen. I...have to tell him something and I don’t feel good about waiting until the weekend, when he comes to town for supplies.”

“It must be important, for you to ask my help.”

“It is.”

Madi eyed her with an expectant expression. She clearly wanted Ava to give her an explanation about why she suddenly needed to head twenty miles into the mountains, to a place she had always vowed she would never revisit.

“I can’t tell you why I need to talk to Cullen. Not yet. I will, though. I promise. After I’ve seen my husband.”

“You want me to go with you back to a place we have both tried to avoid for the past fifteen years, but you can’t tell me why.”

She twisted her hands together in her lap. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

“You seem to be sorry about a lot of things these days.”

Oh, her sister didn’t know the half of it.

“Will you help me?”

When Madi remained silent, Ava mourned afresh the erosion of their relationship. “You don’t have to. It’s fine,” she said quickly. “But can I borrow Grandpa’s pickup truck? And do you know where I could find an all-terrain vehicle?”

“An ATV?” If Madi looked surprised at her request to go with her into the mountains without explanation, now she looked completely thunderstruck. “Why do you need an ATV?”

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