Page 9 of Cozy Cabin for Two
Daisy moved in slowly and got hold of the halter. “She hasn’t received much kindness from people. So I don’t want to push her too fast. Maybe in a couple of weeks if you’re still here visiting…”
“Willow says we’re staying and never going back to California,” Ro dropped the words like a bomb.
Staying?
More of Willow? Here?
I caught her eye from over at the UTV and hesitated. Time to face facts. There was no avoiding her or the past anymore.
SIX
Protected
WILLOW
I pacedthe length of the cabin for the better part of an hour, wearing a path in the hardwood while my injured ankle throbbed in protest. Every few minutes, I’d pause at the window that faced the barn, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ash. But he’d made himself even more scarce after Ro’s bombshell announcement about us staying in Montana.
I hadn’t exactly planned a permanent move, but simply had told her if we liked it we’d stay. To an eight-year-old mind that had suddenly found pure joy riding a pony, she took my words literally. But it all depended on so many things, like my finding a job, finding a new place to live. And Ash…
That was Saturday, this was Sunday, and I hadn’t seenhim since. Daylight wasted away quickly this afternoon, and I was desperate to speak with him.
My fingers drummed against the windowsill as I spied Knox and Colt working with Daisy and Juniper in the distance, with Ro watching intently. Even from here, I could see the beautiful mare’s defiant spirit. She reminded me of myself—trapped in the past, but desperate for a brighter future.
My reasons for coming here were many, the primary one being Ash, the man who seemed to avoid me.
I limped back to the kitchen and grabbed my phone from the counter, scrolling through various emails I’d sent Ash over the years. Dozens of them. Ro’s first steps. Her first word—"Dada," not “Mama.” Her first day of school. The first Christmas morning without Scott. All these life moments Ash had missed out on and why?
Scott used to mention that Ash asked about us sometimes, in those rare phone calls between the brothers. Was I a fool sending pieces of my heart in emails, hoping he’d show me some kind of feeling back?
The worst part? I had convinced myself I was doing it for Ro’s sake. So she’d know her uncle cared,even if he couldn’t be present. But deep down, I knew it was all about me. Ash and me.
Now that Scott was gone, I needed to find out if there was even a shred of hope for us. I couldn’t move past my inexplicable feelings for him, ones that had never faded over the years. So, I came here searching for answers. I knew the path ahead wouldn’t be an easy one, not with the amount of love and guilt in Ash’s heart for his brother, still after all this time.
Who could blame him? But one look in his eyes the day I stepped off the bus and I recognized the torment within him, the pain he’d kept bottled away. Could I help him heal… and find a way forward together?
My thumb hovered over Ash’s contact information. We’d exchanged numbers yesterday when he’d insisted on setting up an emergency protocol, in case we saw a bear.
Well, if that’s what it took to get him here. I texted him.
Me: Bear!
Ash: I’ll be right there.
I waited for him to arrive. Within minutes, his truckskidded to a stop at the front of the cabin. The sound of heavy boots pounded up the porch steps. My heart leapt into my throat as I unlocked the door and flung it open.
Ash filled the doorway like some kind of hero, rifle in hand, hard brown eyes scanning the room with military precision. He slammed the door behind him.
“Are you okay? Did the bear give you a scare? Where is it now? Did you see which way it went?” The barrage of questions was followed by his checking that every door and window were closed, and peeking out the sliding glass door toward the shed and the tree line behind the cabin.
I pressed my back against the log wall, suddenly realizing how insane my plan had been. Terrifying and magnificent, he fell into full protective mode, coiled tight for action. His broad shoulders strained against his black and white flannel shirt, and the controlled way he moved must have been drilled into him as a soldier.
“I, um…” My voice came out smaller than I’d intended.
He stepped in front of me. Dark and stormy eyes narrowed as he took in my complete lack of distress.
The rifle lowered slowly. “There is no bear?”
I lifted my chin, forcing myself to meet his stare. “No.”
