“I can show you where the family is buried too,” Danny said, thinking that it would be nice to get Kara alone for a little while before she left, one last chance to spend some time with her before she disappeared from his life forever.
Chapter Eleven
***Kara***
Kara waited while Danny went to the cabin and got Molly Swensen’s diary then followed him through the forest to a little clearing. There they found five headstones, the smallest for the baby who’d only been a year old when he’d died, and her heart went out to the little family.
“Oh, it’s so sad,” she said, sinking to her knees in front of Molly’s headstone. “Was she really a witch?”
Danny handed her the diary. “It’s all in here.”
She took the diary from him, then got back to her feet and sat down on a little wooden bench someone had put up under the trees. “Jessie made the headstones and put this bench here. He found Molly’s diary tucked into the walls of the original cabin when he tore it down,” Danny said, sitting down next to her.
Kara opened the diary and began to read; before long, she was so absorbed in Molly’s story, it was like she was living it. It didn’t take her long to get to the tragic end, and when she finally closed the little book, her eyes were full of tears.
“No wonder she can’t rest; that preacher killed her family and then blamed it on her. I’d be angry too,” she said, looking over at Molly’s grave.
Danny nodded his head. “Ignorance and fear have caused a lot of heartache in the past and still do today.”
Kara knew what he was talking about, had herself felt the sting of ignorance and fear, but couldn’t tell Danny. Instead, she said, “Jessie’s life isn’t that much different than Molly’s was.”
“Sophie’s had her own problems too; she came up here because her family disowned her because she’s a wolf-shifter,” Danny said.
Kara looked over at him, “Really? I didn’t know that.”
Danny nodded. “She met Jessie the summer he first shifted on the full moon because her family sent her here hoping that her grandmother could train her to shift into something else. They were embarrassed by her.”
“That’s terrible,” Kara said. “I can’t imagine how that must have felt.”
“Sophie says that it was fate’s way of making sure that she and Jessie found each other again,” Danny said. “I never really believed in true love before I met them but being around them makes me believe that it’s out there.”
His eyes were locked on hers as he spoke, and she wondered if he was trying to tell her something. A wave of desire washed over her, followed by the urge to kiss Danny, but she resisted and instead got to her feet. She’d never believed in true love, didn’t even really believe in love; after all, love hadn’t made her mother’s life any better.
But then she thought about Sophie and Jessie; it did seem like they loved each other, like together they were stronger than alone. “I don’t know about true love, but it does seem like they belong together,” she finally said, then needing to put some space between them, walked across the clearing.
Her feelings for Danny scared her, especially since she knew that nothing could ever come of them. Her life didn’t leave room for romance or love, and Danny’s home was here; it was an impossible situation that she refused to make worse by doing something stupid like kissing him again.
Danny got up and followed her, then in almost a whisper, he said, “I hope I can find someone to love me that much someday.”
Kara’s heart practically stopped, and she couldn’t help but turn and look at him. His eyes were focused on hers, and almost instantly, her body began to respond, desire humming through her. Feeling temptation beginning to win out, she tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.
“Danny,” she said, pushing against him, “this will never work. We can’t do this.”
“I want to kiss you, Kara,” he said, his eyes locked on hers. “Can you honestly tell me that you don’t want me to?”
Kara sucked in a deep breath when she heard his question, her body throbbing with need, but she knew that she’d never be able to answer, so she turned to walk away. She only made it a step before he grabbed her and spun her into his arms, then brought his mouth down on hers.
She thought about fighting for only a second before giving in and opening her mouth to his probing tongue. As Danny deepened the kiss, she melted into his arms, all the fight gone as his tongue tasted and teased, igniting the passion between them and blocking out the world around them.
He kissed her until desperate for a breath; she pushed him away. She stood staring at him, her chest rising and falling, fighting the urge to run as she had the last time he’d kissed her. Instead, she took several deep breaths to calm herself then backed away a few steps.
“Danny, this isn’t a good idea; I’m leaving in just a few hours, so we’re only torturing ourselves,” she said, hoping he’d understand what she was trying to say.
She could tell by the look on his face that he knew exactly what she meant. “What if you didn’t have to leave? What if you could stay here?” he asked, closing the distance between them.
Kara shook her head, “Danny, you know that’s not possible. Jessie wants me gone and my stepfather isn’t going to go away.”
Danny didn’t even miss a beat. “Oh, Jessie would come around, and we can get rid of your stepfather.”
“You make it sound so easy; I’ve been trying for two years to get rid of him, so he’s not going away,” she said, backing away again because deep down she wanted more than anything to let Danny solve her problems.
“Because you’ve been trying to do it alone; let us help you, Kara. Jessie and Sophie will help if you ask them to,” Danny said, stepping closer again.
Kara shook her head. “I know Sebastian, Danny; he’s ruthless. If one of you got hurt, or worse yet, killed, I’d never be able to forgive myself. This is my problem; someday I’ll find a way to solve it, but for now, I just need you to help me get out of town.”
Danny opened his mouth to argue with her, so she did what she’d been wanting to do since he kissed her and turned and ran back down the path towards the cabin. She didn’t stop until she got to the front door, then took a second to catch her breath before going inside.
***Danny***
Danny let Kara go even though he wanted to follow her. His emotions were jumbled, part of him disappointed that once again he’d let Kara get away from him, another part overjoyed that she felt the same way he did. As he walked to the cabin, he realized that this might have been his last chance with her; once it got dark, they’d have to head to town to get her car.
But he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face and decided right then and there that he wasn’t going to let Kara disappear from his life quite that easily. There had to be a way to keep her here in Gypsum Creek, a way to get rid of her stepfather so that she’d be free to stay for a while.
Then it hit him; they’d use Kara’s cell phone. It was so simple, he wondered why they hadn’t thought about it before. Once they got her car and escaped from town, they’d head straight to Nashville; then they’d pop the battery back in and turn it on. After a few hours, they’d put the phone in a padded envelope and mail it somewhere across the country.
It was such a perfect plan, would mean that instead of going on the run, Kara could come back here for a while. He wanted to jump with joy, but held his excitement in, knowing that he’d still have to get everyone else to agree.
He was all set to tell everyone his plan when he walked into the cabin, but when he opened the door, David was there, and from the look on his face, it wasn’t with good news. His heart sank, the last thing he wanted was to have another fight on this mountain; they’d won the last time, but they’d been much better prepared.
“Why do I think you don’t have good news?” Danny asked after he shut the door.
“Because I don’t,” David sa
id, gesturing for Danny to sit down. “I spent most of the afternoon hanging out at the diner watching those men, and it was pretty clear that they’re not going to leave town without Kara. I overheard a phone conversation and whoever they were talking to made that perfectly clear.”
“So, they’re staying in town all night? Where?” Kara asked, her face turning white.
Danny reached over and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “They can’t be planning to sleep in their car,” he said.
David shook his head. “No, they convinced Jack to let them sleep in the office where they can watch your car,” he said.
“Then that’s going to make this that much more difficult,” Jessie said, getting up to pace around the room. After a few minutes, he turned to David and asked, “Where did they park their car?”
“It’s hidden behind the garage.”
“Okay, we’ll use the car as our distraction. Sophie and I will mess with it somehow, set off the alarm or something to get them to come to the back of the garage,” Jessie said.
“And then we’ll get Kara’s car and drive it out of town,” Danny said, excitement flooding him.
“You won’t have much of a head start, but if you let Danny drive, it should be all you need. Once you hit the main road, head for Nashville and don’t look back,” Jessie said.
“What about Danny? I can’t just leave him by the side of the road,” Kara said.
“That’s where I come in; I’ll find you guys in Nashville. Call me when you get there. I’ll bring Danny home,” David said.
Kara looked around the table. “I don’t know how to thank you all for doing this for me. If it wasn’t for you, well, I don’t know what I would have done.”
“We’re always on the side of the underdog,” Sophie said, then added, “Don’t forget that, if you need us, we’ll be here.”
There was a long silence in the room, then Jessie said, “It’s going to be dark soon. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think we should eat something before we have to leave.”
Everyone laughed, and before long they had a meal spread out on the table, and for a few minutes, they pushed aside what was ahead of them to just enjoy the meal. Danny should have been sad to be sharing his last meal with Kara, but he wasn’t; instead, he was imagining the moment when he told her his plan.
He couldn’t wait to tell Kara that she didn’t have to leave after all, that she could spend as much time here on Swensen’s Mountain as she wanted. Visions of the crisp fall days turning to winter with Kara by his side filled his mind, making him feel warm all over.
Those visions were quickly followed by thoughts of her warm in his bed each night, and to his embarrassment, he felt a tightening in his groin. Hoping no one noticed the blush that warmed his face, he tried to turn his thoughts away from Kara in his bed.
But sitting next to her, it was impossible, so he pushed his chair back from the table and said, “I guess I should get a few things from my room in case I don’t get back here right away.”
“We’ll meet you at the top of the trail in ten minutes,” Jessie said.
Chapter Twelve
***Kara***
Since David had taken another trail down the mountain, it was only the four of them quietly making their way to town. When they got to the main road and saw the garage across the street, Jessie and Sophie took off on their own.
Hugging the shadows, they made their way behind the garage to where Sebastian’s men had parked their car. Kara’s car was right in front of the garage just as Jack had promised, and hopefully, the keys were right where he’d left them on the right front driver’s side tire.
Waiting nervously in the trees across the street, ready to run the moment the men were out of sight, Kara shifted from one foot to the other. Nerves racing, the seconds began to feel like minutes when there was a loud crash and the wail of a car alarm split the air.
Only seconds later, the door to the garage flew open and the two men came running out. As soon as they were around the corner, Danny and Kara sprinted for her car. Kara headed for the passenger side, more than willing to let Danny drive, especially now that her blood was filled with adrenaline.
Danny reached down, triumphantly held up the keys, then they both jumped into the car. He started it and quickly threw it in reverse, not even bothering to fasten his seatbelt before flooring it. The car did a big backward turn, then he threw it into drive, and gravel flying, roared down the main street.
Once they’d driven through town, Danny turned on the lights and pushed the gas pedal just a bit harder. “Put on your seatbelt,” he said, his eyes focused on the road. “This is our only chance to put some space between us.”
Kara buckled her seatbelt, wondering if she should just close her eyes and hope for the best. But in the end, she discovered that Danny was an excellent driver, and he knew the road like the back of his hand. Before long they’d put a few miles between themselves and the men, and Kara began to relax, thinking that they’d outrun them.
But when they came down off the first pass and she turned to look behind them, instead of the dark forest she’d been seeing, there was a pair of headlights in the distance. “They’re behind us, a long way behind, but I can see their headlights,” she reported to Danny in a tight voice, her fear trying to break through.
“The pass will slow them down; they’ll have to slow down with that big car of theirs,” Danny said, giving her car a little more gas.
Kara grabbed onto the door and the seat, not feeling quite as confident as she had before. “Don’t worry, Kara, I’ve got this. I’ve driven this road a hundred times in the dark,” Danny said.
She tried to relax but couldn’t help but feel that something was going to go wrong, just like it had been ever since she’d come up here. She looked back over her shoulder again and saw that the lights had faded. “It’s okay they’re falling back,” she said.
Danny had just let up on the accelerator to slow down when a deer suddenly jumped across the road in front of them. In a split second, the deer went flying, and the car began to slide sideways down the road. Danny managed to retain some control, but not enough to keep them from going off the road, their momentum carrying them hundreds of feet, bumping over bushes and nearly hitting several trees.
When they finally came to rest, the car was leaning to the driver’s side, and the hissing of a tire going flat was the only sound in the quiet night. Danny looked over at Kara, “Are you okay?”
She nodded, then took a deep breath, noticing a tightness in her chest. Unhooking the seat belt, she took another deep breath, relieved to find the tightness gone. “I’m okay. Are you?”
“I am, but I don’t think the car is. I’m sorry, Kara, I wasn’t ready for that deer,” Danny said, opening his door.
Kara opened her door and stepped out, wincing when she heard the hiss of the air escaping from another one of the tires. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to change those here,” she said, looking around her, trying not to panic.
Danny got out of the car and walked around it twice before blowing a huge breath through his nose. “I can’t believe I was so stupid; I just wasn’t watching close enough,” he finally said.
Kara wanted to scream at him, at the car, and at the life that just couldn’t seem to give her a break but knew that it wouldn’t do any good. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed away her frustration and said, “What are we going to do now? We can’t just stand here until Sebastian’s men catch us. I knew I never should have gotten you involved.”
Danny looked around them, then back towards the road. “The car is far enough off the road that they probably won’t see it,” he said, pointing to where the road curved away from them.
“So, they might just drive right past us,” Kara said, then asked, “But how long will it be before they realize that we’re not in front of them?”
“Long enough for us to lose ourselves in the forest,” he said, looking around trying to get his bearings. �
�If we head directly east, we’ll run into a trail that will eventually take us to Jessie’s, but it’s a good two-day walk from here.”
Kara looked around her, realizing that her only other option was to take the road and hope Sebastian’s men thought they were already in Nashville. She quickly abandoned that idea when she saw how dark it was. “I’ll follow you,” she finally said.
***Danny***
“We should take anything with us that might help; it’s kind of a hard climb back up the mountain,” Danny said, popping the trunk of the car.
Kara walked back over to the car and dug around in the glove box and pulled out a flashlight. When she shined it in the trunk, Danny looked at her in amazement. “You’ve got just about everything we need in here. Are you always this prepared?”
She shrugged, then looked embarrassed. “This is pretty much everything I own.”
Danny immediately felt bad. “I’m sorry, Kara, I wasn’t thinking. But all this is going to make our little hike a lot more comfortable,” he said, pulling stuff out of the trunk.
By the time they walked away from the car, Sebastian’s men weren’t far away, and they were both weighed down with packs full of the essentials. Danny would have taken on more of the burden, but Kara insisted that she could hold her own, and to his amazement, she did.
When he looked at her in shock, she said, “I’ve been backpacking a few times. Why do you think I had all this stuff?”
Danny shook his head. “You never stop surprising me, Kara,” he said. “We’d better go; you can tell me about your travels while we hike.”
They hiked through the dark of night, stopping only as the sun began to climb into the sky, and then only because they couldn’t move another step. “I’ve done my share of hiking, but never at night. I’m exhausted,” Kara said when they found a little rock overhang that would give them some protection.
Triumph: Wolves of Gypsum Creek (A Paranormal Romance Story) Page 7