Page 19 of An Alaskan Twin Surprise (Home to Owl Creek 2)

“You need me too,” Rachel whispered. “It’s okay to need me. It’s my turn to care for you like you watched over me when I was a girl. That’s how life works.”

“I’m so afraid, Rachel,” she cried out. “I haven’t been this fearful since I lost your father. I’ve never been a weak person, so I don’t understand why I feel so powerless in the face of all this.”

“I understand,” she said in a low voice. “Life hands us things we have no control over and it’s terrifying. But as a woman of faith you know you’re not alone on this journey.

“‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee.’” Rachel recited the verse from Isaiah.

“‘Be not dismayed; for I am thy God.’” Helene continued the passage.

“I’m here, Mama. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.” Rachel rocked her mother in her arms the same way she might soothe her own babies. She knew what it felt like to be crippled by fear. It had been a huge stumbling block in her own life, and she couldn’t judge her mother for allowing it to creep in and mess with her mind. Hadn’t she allowed fear to drive her away from Owl Creek and Gabriel?

“It’s not that I don’t want to get better. I would love to be around so I can rock my grandbabies on my knee. I’m just so frightened of what’s to come,” Helene confessed, her voice cracking midsentence.

“Let’s pray, Mama,” she said, grasping her mother’s hand and joining it with her own. “I know how prayer comforts you. Let’s pray for God to guide you out of this place of fear so you can turn inaction into action. If anyone can turn things around, I know He can.”

As they bowed their heads and offered up prayers for Helene to have the strength to face her apprehension, Rachel added in her own silent prayer that she would be able to summon the courage to finally face Gabriel and tell him her truths.

If she was asking her mother to be brave, Rachel knew she could ask no less of herself.

* * *

Gabriel stood in front of the Marshalls’ house, pausing as he prepared to enter their home so he could continue to work on the playroom. Knowing he couldn’t drag his feet any longer, he gently rapped on the door.

Helene had given him a key weeks ago in the event that she couldn’t make it to the door and he needed access to the house. She’d encouraged him to use it even if they were at home. Gabriel didn’t feel entirely comfortable doing so, especially now that Rachel was residing there. It would be awkward for both of them if he randomly entered the house.

It had been almost a week since he’d seen Rachel and Helene. He hoped things wouldn’t be tense between him and Rachel after the harsh words they’d exchanged. Even though he’d tried to keep thoughts of her from creeping into his mind, it had been impossible. She seemed to hover in the air around him even when he was miles and miles away from Owl Creek.

He’d been away from town doing what he loved best of all—flying customers all over Alaska. Although he enjoyed all aspects of being a pilot, he had to admit he truly relished exploring the rugged terrain and the raw, uninhabited places in the Last Frontier. It provided a bit of excitement in his uneventful life.

His clients had been honeymooners who’d wanted to explore the uninhabited areas in Alaska. He’d drawn up an itinerary for them that included remote areas such as Egg Island and Saint Matthew Island. He’d flown through the Merrill Pass and met up with challenging weather that might have led a less experienced pilot into a world of trouble.

It had been an exhilarating feeling, one he couldn’t quite put into words. When he was up in the sky everything seemed inconsequential. It all faded away compared to the unimaginable beauty of the Alaskan terrain. Nothing seemed impossible when he was soaring above the clouds. Being up among the clouds was living out his dreams, and if his new venture panned out, he would be taking a huge leap of faith and stretching himself as a businessman.

The door suddenly opened, and Rachel was standing in front of him with one of the girls—Faith he thought, judging by the little dimple on the right side of her mouth. He’d figured out the slight difference between the girls the other day.

“Come on in,” Rachel said, her voice not betraying any animosity. It felt warm and cozy inside when he crossed the threshold. He could hear the fire crackling from the living room.

Once he was inside, Faith stretched out her arms to him. As a safety measure, he placed his tool belt in a secure area before lifting her up and placing her gently against his chest.

“Hey there, beautiful. Don’t you look pretty today,” he told her, enjoying the way she gave him a sweet smile and a giggle in return for his compliment.

“It seems you’ve made a friend,” Rachel said. “She doesn’t take to just anybody. You must have made a good impression on her at the diner.”

“We bonded, didn’t we, Faith?” he asked, seeing the surprised look on Rachel’s face when he uttered her daughter’s name. He guessed most people couldn’t differentiate between the two toddlers.

Gabriel held Faith tightly in his arms, realizing for the first time how sturdy she was despite her tiny stature. She smelled like baby powder and lemons, and her brown curls gently framed her sweet face. Faith grinned up at him, showcasing the beginnings of her two front teeth poking through the gums. His heart lurched. He felt a strong desire to protect this little girl with all of his might. Someone so little and defenseless should always be sheltered from the storms of life. He felt fury all over again that

her father had walked out of her life.

“Okay, Faith,” Rachel said in a singsong voice, “We need to go sit back down for lunch and let Gabriel have his arms back.” Suddenly the little girl wasn’t snuggled against him any longer, leaving him feeling a bit empty.

It was a startling realization.

“I’ve been wanting to apologize to you for what I said the other day.” He shook his head ruefully. “I had no right to make that comment to you about running away from things. It wasn’t fair and it served no purpose other than to rile you up. I’m sorry.”

She nodded. “Apology accepted. I think you hit a raw nerve, but after I cooled down I realized there’s bound to be tension between us. We’re kind of fumbling around each other trying to coexist in a very small town. It was inevitable we clashed.”

“I know you’re going through a lot with Helene being so ill, so it wasn’t my place to make things harder. That’s all I wanted to say.”

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