Reunion Pass: An Eternity Springs novel (24 page)

“Nicholas and Ava didn’t stay planted.”

“Don’t worry about other butts. Worry about your own.” Chase’s gaze shifted from Trevor to Ava to Nicholas. “Nicholas, would you sit beside Trevor, please?”

“Yessir,” Nicholas replied. A little color had returned to his cheeks and he didn’t seem to be watching Captain so intently.

While the boys settled, Lori crossed to the bench and took a seat. A smile hovered on her lips as she watched Chase work with Ava. He really was good with children, maintaining the perfect balance between encouragement and teasing and teaching and discipline. Using Captain as an assistant, Chase managed to coax little Ava into the water waist-deep. When he dared the little girl to put her face in the water to finish out her turn, Lori honestly expected her to do it.

It might have happened, too, had Captain not exited the pool to investigate the beetle crawling across the ground and, in doing so, scrambled across Trevor’s lap and onto Nicholas’s.

The eight-year-old let out a shrill, terrified scream.

*   *   *

Chase watched the sun sink behind the mountains in the west and exhaled a sigh of profound gratitude. Thank God this day was over. Dealing with his own demons was challenge enough. Seeing them in eight-year-olds was a kick in the junk.

He sat on the swing on Lori’s front porch, sipping from one of the cups of iced tea he’d purchased at the Taste of Texas Creamery along with a half gallon of Rocky Mountain Road ice cream and a package of cones on his way to Lori’s. He’d arrived early. She’d warned him she wouldn’t be home before eight-thirty, but he didn’t mind waiting. Something about this porch, this swing, helped him unwind in a way that he’d never expected.

Lori’s front porch was peaceful with the hummingbird feeders hanging from the rafters, the pots of red geraniums decorating the steps, and the scent of fresh-cut grass perfuming the air. Something about this place fed his spirit even more than being up on the mountain. He could sit here and relax and drink tea and not feel quite as … what … empty? Alone? Damned?

He dragged the toe of his hiking boot against the porch floor and sent the swing swaying. The chain squeaked. The scent of grilling steak drifted on the air from one of the neighbors’ backyards. Stretched out beside him sleeping, Captain let out a little snuffle, and the tension that had hummed through Chase since the moment Nicholas let out his shriek slowly drained away.

The sight of Lori’s SUV coming up the street had his pulse speeding up. He knew the moment she spied him on her porch because she abruptly applied the brake. He gave a little wave, and when Captain lifted his head, Chase scratched him behind the ears.

A moment later, she’d parked in her drive and exited the SUV. “Chase. What are you doing here?”

“You asked me to tell you how Nicholas was doing.”

“I asked you to call.”

“This is better. I brought ice cream from Taste of Texas.”

That stopped her scowl mid-formation. “What kind?”

“Rocky Mountain Road. It’s in your freezer. Brought some cones, too. They’re on the counter.” He reached into the sack at his feet and pulled out the cup of iced tea he’d brought for her. He hadn’t forgotten that Lori always wanted something to drink along with her cone.

“You went into my house?” she asked, accepting the cup.

“You wouldn’t leave it open and unlocked if you didn’t want people going in and leaving you ice cream.”

“True.”

“I had to thank you for coming up to camp today. If you hadn’t been there to watch the other two kids when Nicholas ran off, I’d have been in a bind.”

“I was glad I could help. I want to hear everything. I hated having to leave before things settled down. First, though, how many scoops?”

“Two, please.”

She nodded and the screen door banged behind her as she disappeared inside the house. A slow smile spread across Chase’s face. He found it infinitely reassuring that some things … some people … didn’t change. Lori Murphy might not be his lover anymore, but she would always be his friend.

When she joined him on the porch swing a few minutes later, she carried two ice-cream cones. She handed the large one to him and took a seat beside him. “Tell me what happened with Nicholas.”

“Why don’t we eat our ice cream first? The story will spoil your appetite.”

“That bad?”

“I haven’t had Taste of Texas ice cream in years,” he said, avoiding the question.

Lori took the hint. For the next ten minutes or so, they ate their ice cream, rocked on the porch swing, shared the deepening twilight … and little, if any, conversation.

Chase was as content as he could recall being in a very long time.

When she popped the last bite of sugar cone into her mouth, she licked her fingers and all but purred. “What that man does with sugar and cream is sinful. You should see Michael when Mom and Dad take him to the creamery. Remember Cookie Monster on
Sesame Street
?”

“Om nom nom nom.”

Lori laughed. “That’s my little brother. Only it’s not chocolate or strawberry or cookies-n-cream that sends him into orbit. The boy goes bonkers over orange sherbet.”

“How’s all that going these days? The family dynamics.”

Lori shrugged. “Okay. For the most part, okay.”

“What’s the ‘for the most part’ part?”

“We’re adjusting. This is the first time I’ve actually lived in Eternity Springs since Mom and Dad got married. Sometimes I’m not really sure where I fit in with their new family. Especially with Dad. He knows how to be a father to Devin and Michael. Sometimes, he’s at a loss with me.”

“I imagine that’s the way most fathers are with their daughters. My dad is certainly that way with Caitlin. You’re the beloved eldest child, the only daughter. You have a special place in Cam’s heart.”

“I know. I love him, too. It’s just sometimes I’m sad for both of us that we didn’t get to share my childhood. As much as I loved my granddad, I really would have liked to have had Cam with me at the school Daddy/Daughter dance. But enough of this. I sound like a whiny girl. I have him in my life now and I’m grateful—especially when I hear some of the stories of our campers. So tell me, what’s the deal with Nicholas?”

As Chase finished off his ice-cream cone, he recalled the moment that afternoon when he chased after the boy and found him with his arms thrown around the trunk of a tall pine tree, sobbing. He’d had to pry the boy away from the tree, and when the little arms came around him and the story began pouring from Nicholas’s mouth, Chase had been horrified.

Slowly, he shook his head. “The poor kid. His file didn’t say anything about his having a fear of dogs. I never would have asked you to bring Captain if I’d known.”

“Of course not,” she murmured. “But what I saw today isn’t a normal fear of dogs.”

“Wolves.”

Lori’s eyes went wide. “Wolves?”

“I knew the bare facts from his file. Nicholas added to them when I chased him down in the forest this afternoon. His parents had an ugly divorce, and it was his father’s turn to have Nicholas for Christmas.”

The memory of sitting outside his parents’ house and staring at the Christmas tree flashed through Chase’s mind. He’d thought about the twinkle lights and ornaments and angel topper when he was alone in the mountains of Chizickstan. He’d found comfort in thoughts of faith and family and home.

What, he wondered, did poor Nicholas think when he saw a Christmas tree?

“The poor kid’s mother basically kidnapped him,” he said flatly. “She was in Idaho, driving through the mountains, and there was a storm. She wrecked the car and died at the scene.”

“Was Nicholas hurt?”

“Not physically, no. But he was stranded with the body. The best guess is three days.”

“Oh, no. Oh, Chase.”

“When I chased him down today, he talked to me about wolves. Red eyes and gray fur. I guess they circled the car. Kept him trapped inside with his mother’s body.”

“That poor, poor little boy.”

“Yeah. He was pretty shook up today. Captain took him by surprise. From what he told me, when the pup’s sharp claws scratched him, it triggered a flashback. He tried to get out of the car once. Got one leg out and a wolf went after it. He has scars on his ankle, Lori. Dogs bring it all back. Dogs and Christmas.”

“Christmas?”

“Carols. I guess his mother played a Christmas station after she snatched him. She sang along. After the wreck, the radio kept playing until the battery went dead.”

“Oh, no. How long would that take?”

“The file estimates eighteen hours.”

Lori closed her eyes and shook her head. “These kids who come to the Rocking L … I don’t know how Cat and Jack manage to wade through all the applications. Their stories are truly heartbreaking.”

“I don’t know how Nicholas will ever get over it.”

Lori studied him for a long moment, and when she spoke, Chase knew she was talking about more than Nicholas. “He’s lucky that he’s found his way to Eternity Springs. This place … the people who live here … we can help him heal if only he’ll let us. Look at the events of today. You helped him today.”

“I scared him to death.”

“You helped him face his fears.”

“He screamed bloody murder.”

“Sounds to me like his experience earned that sort of response. He verbalized it. Since it wasn’t in his file, maybe he verbalized it for the first time. That’s a giant step toward healing.”

They both knew that Lori was talking about more than only Nicholas now. Defensively, he asked, “Are they teaching psychology in vet school these days?”

“Pets can’t tell us where they hurt, Chase. We learn to read nonverbal cues.”

“How about we leave that for another time and concentrate on swinging. I need me some porch-swing peace.”

Lori shrugged. “Since you brought me Rocky Mountain Road…”

Neither spoke as the shadows lengthened, the only sounds the rhythmic squeak of the swing, the occasional snore from the dog, and the call of mountain cicadas hidden in nearby trees as twilight finally slipped into night.

Chase let out a long sigh. “Nicholas and I talked about the dog thing. He’s okay with Captain now, but he’s still worried about other dogs. Since our swim lessons are at the same time as your lunch break, we’re hoping you might volunteer to join us two or three times a week and bring other dogs to visit.”

She didn’t answer right away and he found himself anxiously holding his breath. “Nicholas was on board with this?”

“It was his idea to begin with. He doesn’t want to be afraid. He liked dogs before the accident, but they do remind him. He watched Ava work on getting over her fear, and he wants to do the same. He just needs work. They all do.”

“Okay, then. Yes, I can do that. Maybe I won’t bring Dad’s dog, though.”

“That’s probably a good plan. At least at the beginning. Mortimer is infamous. Has he slowed down at all in the past few years?”

“A little. He’s still a challenge.”

“Well, watching that little guy today … I think he’ll do it. He’s gutsy. I’m gonna bet right now that when camp is over and his father comes to pick him up, the first thing he’s going to do is ask for a dog.”

“I like the way you think, Timberlake.”

“Maybe the thing to do is save Mortimer for a final exam. If Nicholas can give that crazy dog some love, I think it’ll be safe to say that he’s conquered his fear of dogs.”

“That will be a nice summer’s work,” Lori observed.

“Wish I could think of something to do about Christmas.”

Acting instinctively, Lori reached out and laid her hand atop his. “Healing occurs in stages, but the process is a dynamic one. It’s critical to remember that it’s not linear. Wounds can progress both forward and back through the phases depending upon internal and external forces at work within the patient.”

Chase turned his hand over and threaded his fingers with hers. “What are you trying to tell me, Dr. Murphy?”

“Don’t forget you’re in Eternity Springs. It takes longer for some than for others, but I have yet to run across a broken heart that has failed to heal.”

“Are you talking about me or about a little boy who is afraid of dogs?” Immediately, Chase wished he’d kept his big mouth shut. He didn’t really want to go there.

And yet, Lori was the one person he thought he could possibly go there with.

Lori smiled and stretched out a leg and gave the swing a push. She didn’t respond to his question, and Chase was relieved.

Especially since she didn’t pull her hand away from his, either.

Eventually, Captain stirred and hopped down from the swing, and Chase knew he’d better go. He had to be at the Rocking L early in the morning. “Thanks for sharing your porch swing,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Thanks for bringing me ice cream.”

As they stood, Captain managed to wrap himself around Lori’s ankles and she stumbled forward. Chase’s hand shot out to catch her … steady her. He caught her around the waist and pulled her against him.

“Time stood still” might be a cliché, but that’s damned sure how it felt to Chase. As if time
had
stood still. For just a moment, with Lori in his arms, he felt young again. Clean again. Innocent again. Though in truth, little he’d felt for Lori could be termed innocent.

Which was why it felt as natural as sin to lower his head and kiss her.

Chapter Fourteen

Lori’s heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings when Chase’s arm slipped around her waist and they somehow ended up plastered against each other.
Home. It’s like coming home.

Only you don’t live there anymore!

Jerking away from him before she could make a fool of herself and lift her face for his kiss—
his kiss? Holy moly. Had he been about to kiss her?—
Lori said, “Whoa. Sorry about that. Clumsy of me. I’ll … um … see you … um … not tomorrow. Probably not tomorrow. The day after.”

She would need a day to recover from this.

“G’night.” She fled. Ran like a Heisman trophy running back heading for the end zone. The screen door banged behind her before he’d taken two steps.

His voice, soft and a little gruff, floated in from the porch. “Good night, Glitterbug.”