“Wonder what happened to turn him into such a monster.”
“Who knows? Abused by his adoptive father. Bullied at school. He ran away when he was maybe in grade nine and got in with those bikers. Going to jail didn’t do him any good, either. Then getting involved with the Children of Noah, first here and then in Dark River...”
“The family business, I guess?”
Yes, Kathy thinks, my family both on my mother’s and father’s side. Maybe I would have been better off thinking that although my mother was insane and a murderer, at least I had a good father.
The door alert chimes and there’s the sound of footsteps coming through the house. Ryan appears in the doorway.
“Hey, here you are.” He comes and gives Sarah a kiss.
“Grab a beer and join us,” Kathy tells him. “Rick should be home before long.”
“I saw his truck at Al’s. He might be late.”
“I guess he’s getting his Big Al fix before we leave. He’s really going to miss that place,” Kathy says; she frowns, then sighs.
“Good thing they don’t have rooms upstairs like in the old days, or he might never come home,” Ryan opines.
Sarah gives Ryan a sharp look; he shrugs, then turns and goes back into the kitchen.
“Tsk!” Sarah takes her bottom lip in her teeth, then turns to Kathy and says, “don’t worry about Dad. Why don’t you come to our place for dinner? I’m getting pretty good at making vegan spaghetti sauce. Even Ryan likes it. And if Dad comes home in time, he can join us.”
“Thank you, that sounds great! Can I bring something? Salad?”
“No, I’ve got a salad ready, just waiting to be tossed. Maybe you could fix the garlic toast while I do that.”
“Sure thing.”
Ryan comes back to the table with his beer, slides into a chair next to Sarah, and takes her hand. As Kathy takes in the look they exchange, she can’t help envying them. High school sweethearts, so in love, starting a family. They talk about getting married, but it’s some time off in the future. Right now, they’re fully committed, without ink on paper as they say.
Kathy and Rick do have ink on paper. Does it make a difference? Are they more committed because of it? More and more she’s coming to believe their commitment is fragile, a gossamer fabric, easily torn. Ink on paper hasn’t made it strong.
Would Rick have even considered moving to the Lodge if it wasn’t for the wealth she inherited because Max had no will and no other living relatives? She’s moved so often she can’t quite understand why it’s such a big deal for him, no matter how many times she tells herself it’s because he’s firmly rooted here, as established as the Lombardy Poplar surrounding the yard, whereas she is cottonwood fluff, going where the wind blows ever since she was seventeen.
Maybe a change of scenery, especially being away from that pub that consumes so much of his time, will be a good thing. He’s a good manager. He can really get his teeth into the new business. They will work together to weed out the members whose main interest is the so-called Gentlemen’s Club, and build a new clientele. Maybe no members at all, just a destination resort.
Will the challenge be enough to keep him there? Will their marriage be enough of an anchor?
When she wakes up at three a.m. and can’t get back to sleep because of her stampeding fears, she sometimes wonders if she even wants to keep him there. I do. Of course I do. He’s the love of my life. It’ll be better when there’s no more Big Al’s.
She looks across the table at the two faces watching her with puzzled expressions, musters a smile and says, “okay, then! I’ll bring my wine.”
Author’s Notes
I hope you enjoyed The Bear Mountain Secret, Book Three of the Secrets trilogy. Unlike my other books, it didn’t begin as a short story. Instead, the characters from The Pillerton Secret and The Dark River Secret kept talking to me. I thought The Bear Mountain Secret would put an end to that, but I think you’ll have realized from the last few pages, Kathy, Rick, Astrid and Denver aren’t done with me yet. Remember, Lisey has brown eyes.
If you have a few minutes to write a review on Amazon or Goodreads or any platform you are familiar with, it would be a great help. It takes only a few minutes and doesn’t have to be lengthy, just a few words will do. Here are links to Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PRDDVY9
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07PRDDVY9
It is much appreciated. Thank you.
Gayle Siebert, May 2019
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