Return by Land (Glacier Adventure Series Book 2)

by Tracey Jerald

  “Yes. Of that I’m certain.” I don’t mention to her my very interesting call with Calhoun Sullivan, who assured me people who work for him at Hudson Investigations have already picked up James Wilde and presented him with two options, jail or therapy. He chose option two for an indefinite period of time. I also recall the rest of our intriguing phone call with a little trepidation.

  “Don’t worry about yourself, or your children, once they arrive on the property, Ms. Borneman. Mr. Wilde is insisting I send out Sam to install some additional security at the cottage,” Calhoun advised me.

  “Umm, who’s Sam?”

  “Sorry. Sam Akin. He’s a computer wizard who works with us at Hudson. He’ll fly out in the next few days. If you provide me your email, I’ll send you a picture so you know who he is.”

  “I’ll need to give him the codes…”

  I was interrupted by Calhoun’s laughter. “No, Meadow. You really won’t.” The amusement in his voice both terrified and comforted me.

  Wondering when I’m going to meet yet another new stranger in this place I’ve barely settled into, I bring myself back to the conversation at hand. I hold the cool glass to the side before telling my sister, “Right now, all I want is to talk with the kids. Where are they?”

  The intrigued look on Rainey’s face falls. “They’re not home, Meadow. They’re out at a movie with the Stones.”

  “Isn’t it a…damn. Tomorrow’s a teacher workday, isn’t it?” I curse myself for not calling earlier. Of course my kids would be making plans with their friends while they can.

  “It is. But I don’t know if they would have come to the phone, hon. Mitch did one hell of a number on them.”

  I bite my lip. “I spoke to him earlier as well.”

  “And that’s not what you started this with? What did Tiny Douchebag have to say?”

  I bark out a laugh. “That’s brilliant. Have you shared it with the others?” Meaning Maris and Kara.

  “No, I had to see how his new nickname fit for you.”

  “More like it didn’t always fit. Why do you think I still owned a vibrator despite being married for sixteen years?”

  The two of us are doubled over laughing. Dabbing tears from my eyes, I warn her, “Brace yourself for this, Rainey.” I then tell her what Mitch told me earlier about not being around for the next three months.

  “I’d ask if you were kidding me, but I’m not really surprised by anything he says or does anymore.”

  “I know. The problem is, they were expecting to spend time with their father once they get here. Now, they’re going to move here, school’s not going to be in session, and hey, guess what? Mom’s now going to be up to her elbows with restoring a house at least twelve hours a day. I don’t know what to do.” I drain the rest of the wine in my glass. Frowning, I look over to the counter where I left the rest of the bottle. “I knew I should have brought the bottle over.”

  Rainey chuckles before saying, “So, let them stay here for a few more months.” My head whirls around, and I gape at her. She just shrugs as if having two more people in her house isn’t a big deal.

  “Are you kidding me? No, I can’t ask that of you.”

  “Please.” She snorts. “You know they’ll love being around for all the end-of-school events, barbecues with their friends, and to be honest Elise and MJ have been a big help around the house.”

  “I remember when they were around mine,” I whisper painfully.

  “Meadow…”

  “Right now, I feel like this is a desperately needed reprieve for all of us. And what kind of parent does that make me?”

  “Human? Stop beating yourself up so much. If they knew the reason for the divorce, maybe they’d understand the choices you made.”

  “And what would that do to their relationship with their father?” I snap.

  “It would knock him from being a damn hero to being human. I’m not saying to tar and feather him, but Meadow…”

  “I know.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Let me see what I can do about flying up to see them. If I can swing that, then I’m probably going to take you up on your offer. I’m not comfortable with the idea of them moving here and then being trapped at the cottage while I’m over at the main property so much. When they get here, there’s so much I want to show them.”

  “Like what?” Rainey asks.

  For the rest of our call, I tell her about the general area around Flathead Lake that I’ve seen as I’ve driven back and forth between the Glacier Executive Leasing and Nature’s Song. I try to put words to the beauty that reminds me of home so much my heart aches.

  And I try to push aside the fact it feels like I’m holding up the weight of the world on my shoulders while my hands are sinking deeper into the earth beneath my hands.

  Kody

  “I’m certain if it wasn’t for the fact Nick is posing for pictures with all of her high school friends, Sandra would use those lethal heels she’s wearing to stab me dead on the spot.” I grin at Brad and Jennings as we wait for the group photo before we accompany my baby sister and her friends to the entrance of their prom being held at my old high school gymnasium.

  “Without a doubt, brother.” Brad claps a hand down on my shoulder. Jerking his chin over at Jennings, he practically pleads, “Can we do this next week to Kevin?”

  “No,” Jennings responds firmly. “That kid has it completely together. He’s already gone over every detail of what his plans are with me almost down to the minute. I know this sense of responsibility didn’t come from me.” A quick flash of pain crosses his face that morphs into an expression of pure devilment. “The one thing I’ll get to torment him with is this though: he has no idea that since he’s nominated to be prom king, Kara and I will actually be at the dance. Maybe I’ll FaceTime you guys.” Brushing an imaginary piece of lint off his tux jacket, he continues. “I imagine the look of horror on his face is going to be priceless.”

  “If you can’t, make sure you get that shit on camera,” I urge as I snap another picture of my sister’s mutinous face.

  “Like that was in doubt. Kara’s going to be too busy tearing up over our baby boy growing up.”

  “Like you’re not going to be struggling with that yourself?” Before Jennings can try to deny the claim, Brad plows on. “Trust me, I know what I’m saying. Mine do well at a spelling bee and I’m hooting and hollering from the back row.”

  “In other words, you’re making an ass out of yourself,” Jennings deadpans.

  We grin at each other before focusing on the spectacle occurring in front of us as Tatum and Nick pose—without my sister, I note with delight—for a few photos. “Well, that’s royally going to jerk her chain.”

  “Did you two always clash like this?” Jennings asks.

  Frowning, I give his question some serious consideration. “It’s not so much that we clash. I love her more than anything. Truthfully, she’s the baby and I have an overprotective streak. Why?”

  “If Kara and I have another child, I’m trying to prepare myself for what Kevin’s reactions are going to be since the age gap won’t be so different between them. Then again, I imagine that will depend on if we have a boy or a girl.”

  I choke on my own breath so hard, I garner the attention of a few people, including my sister. Her frown of annoyance transforms to one of concern. “I’m…fine. Swallowed…bug.” Jennings begins whacking me on the back to lend credence to my lie. Brad, the asshole, has turned his camera on the two of us.

  I can’t wait to get these pictures in email at some random moment to remember the hilarity.

  Sandra starts to laugh, sending her curtain of red-gold curls dancing. “Don’t die on me, big brother,” she calls out teasing, before turning her attention back to the antics wrapping up in front of her. Nick performs a courtly bow, causing her to flush to the roots of her hair, before escorting her back to Tatum, who holds out an arm to receive her. She turns up a beaming face at him.

  I growl at the s
ight while the two schmucks next to me laugh.

  Nick joins us, a wide smile on his normally taciturn face. “Trust me, Kody?”

  “Of course. Always.” We’re missing something vital in our tight circle on my parents’ front lawn, but nothing will break the bond between us. Over the course of four summers working in the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, these men became my brothers in every sense but blood. We worked and bunked together. Whenever we had days off, we spent time exploring Alaska together. And when the time came for each of us to continue on the paths life had already established for us to live out our dreams, we never lost what we had.

  There’s a part of me that knows if it wasn’t for Jed, maybe it wouldn’t have happened that way. Maybe we would have drifted apart and wouldn’t have been the first ones Jennings called when he purchased Northern Star Flights. Or received invitations to Brad and Rainey’s wedding—even if Nick didn’t come. We sure as hell wouldn’t have carved out time in our busy schedules for a reunion year after year until Jed fell in love with his husband and time became scarcer—at least that’s what he told us.

  Last year, we mourned together when we learned of Jed’s death after he and his husband were killed in a pileup on an expressway. And the secrets Jed had been hiding for the last few years finally began to shake free.

  Nick’s voice pulls me from my memories into the present. “Then let your sister and her friends go on with their original plans.” Leaning forward so he can’t be overheard, Nick confides, “Tatum isn’t stupid. Maybe in a few years you’d have something to worry about. Not tonight.”

  Casting a glance over my shoulder, I catch the joy and eager anticipation on Sandra’s face and the tender amusement on the young man standing next to her. “No, I guess I don’t have to worry tonight. Instead I’ll just have to pick up the pieces tomorrow.”

  Jennings declares, “Is there any way if I have a second child to ensure it’s a boy? Because right now, I’m glad I have a son.”

  Brad snickers. “Do you think their sex makes a difference? They’re your kids, Jennings. If they’re hurting, you’re hurting.” Suddenly, the phone in Brad’s hand rings. “It’s Rainey. Hold on a second.” He steps away to take the call while the rest of us watch the flurry of activity as kids climb into limos and parents blind them with pictures like they’re secretly paparazzi out for a million-dollar shot. Just as the last door closes, Brad’s voice gets louder. “Wait, what happened? Tell Meadow to calm down.” A pause. “No, it’s not her fault she arrived and the place looked like that before she ever took over. Covington can’t hold that against her.” His eyes bug out. “Holy hell, it was that property? Christ, Rainey. No, I’m not worried about her, I’m worried about who she’ll be able to get to fix it.” A longer pause before he sneers. “Of course they jacked the bids. I’m glad you called, sweetheart. Let me see what I can think of. I’ll call you back.”

  Before I can open my mouth, Jennings asks, “What’s wrong with Meadow? Is there something wrong with the Montana job?”

  “Wait? What’s she doing in Montana?” I demand.

  “That’s just what I was going to ask.” Nick folds his arms across his chest.

  Brad and Jennings exchange confused glances. “How do you not know? It’s all Kara’s been talking about for the last couple of months,” Jennings asks, truly confused.

  Grasping for patience to tamp down a rising anger, I remind Jennings, “I don’t have the direct connection into the goings-on now that Jed died, you dick. Remember? He’s the one who used to talk about everyone.”

  “Except Kara,” Jennings tacks on grimly.

  “Well…yeah,” I agree helplessly, not going into why. Jennings’s relationship with his now wife first began when we were all in Alaska together seventeen years ago. After Jed’s funeral, they worked through the barriers keeping them apart and are now blissfully happy together in Florida.

  “Back to the topic at hand, I get your point, Kody.” Brad passes his phone from one hand to another. “With Rainey filling that spot for me…”

  “And Kara for me,” Jennings jumps in.

  “I never noticed the void in hearing about what was happening in lives of all the other people we knew,” Brad concludes.

  “Like Meadow,” I deduce.

  “Or Maris.” Nick’s jovial expression is gone, replaced with something so ferocious, we all take an instinctive step back.

  “Right.” Brad clears his throat. “Well, Meadow is living and working in Montana. There’s been a problem on the jobsite…”

  I cut him off. “Why? What happened to Mitch’s job on the force in Juneau?”

  Brad and Jennings exchange another unreadable look. “I swear to God, if someone doesn’t tell me what the hell is going on…”

  Jennings clears his throat. “Kody, this isn’t the place to go into why, but…”

  “But what?”

  He takes a deep breath. “Meadow and Mitch are divorced. It became final about two months ago…” His words trail off when I shove him. Jennings falls back a few steps with the force of the move. Fortunately, our antics aren’t noticed by my parents or the parents of my sister’s friends.

  Jennings narrows his eyes. “Carrying a torch much?”

  “Are you kidding me?” I shout. “That’s what you have to say?”

  “No. I just didn’t think you still harbored these kinds of feelings for Meadow after all these years,” Jennings retorts.

  I remember the way Meadow tried to ignore me at Brad’s house when we saw each other after Jed’s funeral. It took about two minutes of being in the same room as her again for me to realize I’ll never feel this way about anyone else. Ever. And neither did I give a damn she wore another man’s ring on her finger. All I saw was Meadow. If she had asked me to walk out the door with her, I would have. I’d have chucked years’ worth of morality away without looking back. I’d have said to hell with my business and anything else standing in my way. That’s what this woman means to my heart.

  All I say is “I would have wanted to know.”

  Jennings studies me for a moment before nodding. “Fair enough. But honestly, Kody, until you said something it slipped my mind that it was Jed…”

  Fiercely, I remind all of them, “We promised in the back of the car before we walked into Jed’s wake we’d never leave him behind because to do so is to forget everything about the crazy bastard we loved. We’re doing that by forgetting everything he did for us.”

  Nick comes up and throws an arm around my shoulder in support before suggesting, “Why don’t we get out of these monkey suits and get caught up? Then Brad—” He pins our friend with a stare. “—you can tell us what kind of trouble Meadow’s in and how we can help.”

  Thoughtfully, Brad’s rubbing his thumb back and forth across his lips. “Actually, I think it’s all going to work out just fine because the only person who can help her is Kody.” With that ambiguous statement, he turns and heads for my parents’ front door to get changed. Jennings isn’t that far behind him.

  Nick sums it up beautifully when he says, “And you were worried about your sister? I think you might have bigger problems coming your way, brother,” before he heads in the same direction, leaving me gaping after all of them in a tux in the rural Iowa sunshine.

  Kody

  I splutter my beer down the front of my shirt at what I hear Mitch did to Meadow. Mopping it up, I threaten, “I don’t care if he’s now a federal agent. I swear if I see him, he’s a dead man.”

  “Calm down, Kody,” Brad warns me. “I didn’t tell you all of this to—”

  “He cheated on her!” I bellow.

  “We know.” Jennings tries to calm me down.

  “Well, I’m so glad that some of you knew and didn’t bother to share with the rest of us. Is there anything else you forgot to mention? Like is Maris pregnant or something?” I bite out acidly.

  Nick spits his beer everywhere at my off-the-cuff commentary. I’m pleased to see the majority of it land
s right in Brad’s and Jennings’s faces. Serves him right for trying to hold himself back from a good woman who wants nothing more than to love him, I think. Out loud, all I say is “So, let’s do a little post-game catch-up. From the beginning, what the hell happened?”

  “Meadow didn’t say anything until after Jed’s funeral,” Brad hastens to tell me.

  “I figured as much.” Or I likely would be throwing another punch.

  With a heaving sigh, he takes a long swig of his beer before admitting, “Meadow told Rainey not long before a barbecue we had when Kara and Kevin were visiting. It was tearing her apart.”

  “How did she figure it out?” I demand.

  “She went into his work bag to dig out his dirty work laundry, T-shirts, socks, crap like that, because the lazy son of a bitch didn’t do it. Motherfucker had used condoms thrown in there—likely forgot to throw them out.” Brad’s voice is filled with disgust.

  I surge to my feet after putting my bottle down on the nearby end table. My mother won’t appreciate if I hurl it in a fit of temper. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I begin to pace back and forth.

  “No.”

  “What did Meadow do?” Nick asks.

  I pause and wait for an answer.

  Jennings’s smile is nothing short of evil. “Well, let’s say that Meadow’s been all over the stages of grief. But that morning she shot straight to anger. From what Kara told me, she also found a box of unused condoms. She proceeded to cut open all the unused ones with scissors. Then she gathered them as well as the used ones up before waking Prince Charming up by setting off the alarm to the house.”

  “What was she thinking? He’s a damn cop!” I bellow.

  “Oh, Meadow had a rule for Mitch,” Brad reassures me, taking my anger down a notch. “All of his weapons had to be locked up the minute he hit the house. He had a biometric safe where his service weapon was stored on the nightstand as a compromise. But Meadow’s one sharp woman; she had already moved that.”