“That’s kind of you,” Carter said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to get moving with things in the next few days.”
“If the bank gets your money figured out soon,” Caroline teased. “I feel like I caught myself a true mountain man without a penny to his name.”
“I feel like one.” Carter had never experienced having to ask to borrow everything he needed. On the mountain he had everything he required, and before that he had everything money could buy; now all he had was the goodwill of people he was beginning to see as friends. Good, honest friends.
“If you want a job, I can find you something,” Dylan said, joining in on the fun.
“Thank you all so much for your sympathy,” Carter said.
“You could always go back and make Space Monkeys, the Sequel,” Will suggested.
“Oh yeah,” Freyja said. “I loved you as Captain Orang.”
Caroline laughed. “You know, when I drew the short straw to come find you, I thought since you were so moody you must be a serious thespian, a poor, tortured soul. If I’d have known you made junk movies, I think I’d have let someone else go.”
“They are not junk,” Will insisted.
Caroline laughed. “I have no idea, I’ve never watched one. But it’s good to see you have such loyal fans, Carter.”
“We should watch one now,” Freyja suggested.
“We can’t,” Jamie said, “We have to go and pick the kids up. Kayleigh will be exhausted.”
“Good point,” Will agreed and got up, pulling Freyja to her feet.
“I ache in every muscle,” Freyja complained.
“You need a nice hot bath, while Will watches the kids,” Dani suggested.
“Oh no, if Will is left in charge they will never get to bed. He makes them hyperactive.” Freyja kissed Will on the cheek. “And then he sits in the chair snoring his head off and leaves me to deal with them.”
“Guilty as charged,” Will said.
Freyja groaned. “Come on. You definitely missed your calling. I could just see you in Space Monkeys Two.”
“That would be epic,” Will said as they walked off together, holding each other close. “Have a good night, everyone.”
“Night,” Freyja called.
“Night,” the rest of them chorused.
“We need to go too,” Dani said. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Caroline chuckled. “Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”
“No, it’s been good to get out together. Hasn’t it, Jamie?”
“It has.” He hugged Dani. “Not many couples have kids from the get-go.”
“But you two have made it work so well,” Fiona said.
“With all of your support,” Jamie said. “So this is us paying it back, or forward, however you want to see it.”
One by one everyone left, until it was just Caroline and Carter left. “We should go home.”
Carter stroked her arm. They were sitting side by side watching the last rays of sun disappear to be replaced by the inky blue of twilight. “I miss the stars.”
“When this is all done, let’s go back to your cabin for a couple of nights.”
“I like the sound of that. You and me.”
She sighed and snuggled into him. “It’s been a good day.”
“It has.” He sighed. “It’s given me time to think.”
“You’ve been surrounded by people all day, and that has given you time to think,” Caroline chuckled. “So that is where you went wrong. Being on your own doesn’t suit you.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Carter admitted.
Caroline sat up, studying his face, her own creased with concern. “Am I going to like what you have to say?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“Are you going back to making movies?”
He shook his head. “Not yet. But one day… I don’t know. It’s a calling. But that isn’t it, although I guess it is wrapped up in it too.”
She sighed. “Tell me.”
“I need to find Fern. Or at least find out what happened to her.”
Caroline nodded. “I agree.”
His eyes focused in on her face. “You do?”
“Yes.” Her voice was firm; this wasn’t a surprise to her. “Closure. It’s all about closure. Fern is like an open chapter in your life. It needs closing. And maybe the only way to do that is for it to be exposed.”
“Exposed?” Carter asked.
“Yes. Not hidden away. Perhaps it’s time to set the record straight.”
“Perhaps it is.” Carter kissed her. “I didn’t know you were so wise.”
“Now you do.”
“Thank you.” He kissed her, drinking in the taste of her, the smell of her.
“You don’t have to thank me. That’s what we are here for, to support each other.”
“But this is going to open up old wounds,” Carter said.
“Then let me help heal them.”
He nodded. “And then we move on.”
“And then we move on.” She took his face in her hands, her expression serious. “And then we move on. No matter what.”
He knew what she meant. He had no idea if Fern was alive or dead. He had to find out. But how?
Chapter Fifteen – Caroline
“How would you go about tracing someone?” Caroline asked Fiona. They were standing in Caroline’s small kitchen. She had invited Fiona over for a reason, but now that she was here, Caroline was not sure asking for help to find Fern might be pushing the boundaries of their relationship. Fiona worked in child services and was a stickler for protocol, and using her inside knowledge of the system might be considered wrong.
“Internet?” Fiona offered.
“Tried that. The person I’m trying to trace has no social media accounts that I can find, and no address linked to her name.”
“Maybe the person doesn’t want to be found,” Fiona stated. Caroline was sure the old dragon knew exactly who Caroline was trying to trace.
“I’m looking for Fern,” Caroline said.
“Yes. I know. Or at least I presumed. After our conversation the other day, I guessed you might.” Fiona accepted the cup of coffee Caroline offered her. “Look, Caroline. If I help you, all I will tell you is that she is OK. I am not going to disrupt a child’s life so that Carter can lay a ghost to rest. That wasn’t what I meant when I said about doing an interview. Don’t drag the poor girl into it.”
“We won’t. That is not what I am asking you to do. I mean, I am asking you to find her. But really an alive or dead, happy or sad will suffice.”
“Are you sure Carter would want to live with the guilt if Fern is either dead or depressed?” Fiona asked. “Thinking you want to know something, and actually knowing it are two different things.”
“Listen, if you can find anything out, then tell me first and I’ll decide.”
“And if it’s bad news and Carter finds out you hid it from him?” Fiona asked.
Caroline sipped her coffee; it was hot and burned the tip of her tongue. “I’ll figure something out.”
Fiona put her coffee down on the counter and moved to stand in front of Caroline. “I’ll do what I can. But Fern is over eighteen, I may not be able to find her.”
“But she would be in the system?” Caroline asked.
“Yes. I believe so. The suicide attempt would have been logged.” She pressed her lips together in disapproval. “Which is why I am going to help you. Or help Fern.”
Caroline frowned. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is, as news of Carter’s return spreads, more people will be after a piece of him. And that might lead them to Fern. I would rather find Fern first and be there to support her,” Fiona said.
“Thank you, Fiona. In a way, that is all we need. Carter doesn’t necessarily want to talk to her, not if she doesn’t want to see him. He doesn’t want to dredge everything back up, but he does want to make sure she is OK.”
Fiona picked up her coffee c
up and drank it down; the heat didn’t seem to matter to her. “I’ll get on it right away. I have to go into the office. I’ll see if there is a last known address.”
“You know, Fiona, you are a good person,” Caroline said.
“And so are you, Caroline.” Fiona smiled, a gentle smile that reached her eyes, leaving them misted. “I am glad you are happy. Being alone in this world is no way to live.”
With that, she put her cup down and left the kitchen. “Thank you,” Caroline called after her, in a bemused voice. “She is one strange woman.”
“I heard that,” Fiona shouted as she pulled the front door shut behind her.
“It’s the truth,” Caroline muttered.
She washed the cups up, before grabbing her purse and leaving the house. Carter had already left; he and Walt were working long hours to clear the grounds, and were almost finished. They planned to dig over the ground and then start installing supports for the hops to grow upward. The arrival of a new debit card yesterday had sent Carter on a spending spree. All in all, he was like a kid at Christmas, who was buying his own gifts!
She smiled to herself as she walked along the street; it was another beautiful day, which was one of the reasons Carter wanted to work so hard. If they had a lot of rain, the grounds of the house would end up like a quagmire. It was good he had something to do, and great he had Walt as a sidekick. They had spent hours poring over catalogs and researching the best hops to plant.
Tonight she had promised to help him sit down and begin the torturous process of applying to be a brewery. Carter had also spoken to Dylan about some of his men coming over and putting a new roof on the barn he planned to use for housing the equipment.
Caroline let out a sigh. They were busy, but happy.
“Caroline, isn’t it?” a voice called from across the street.
Caroline stopped, recognizing the voice at once. “Hello, Teagan. What brings you here?” She smiled as Teagan ran across the road to her.
“I was in town.” Teagan sipped a coffee-to-go. “I’ll be honest, I fell in love with the place when I was here before. Fiona talks about how friendly everyone is. And I figured I’d treat myself with coffee and cake, and a run over the mountain.” She gave Caroline a knowing smile.
She’s a shifter, her bear said in Caroline’s head.
But was that all she was there for, or was she here because of the sightings of Carter?
“I’ve lived here all my life, at least until I joined the army,” Caroline informed Teagan. “Do you want some directions to the best spots on the mountain?”
“No. I don’t want to trouble you. And part of me likes to simply go into the wild and find my own way,” Teagan said. “But thank you.”
“No problem. How is the article coming along?” Caroline asked as they turned and walked together toward the center.
“Good. I wanted to send you a copy before it goes to print. Let me know if I’ve left out any details.” Was Teagan fishing for information? Was it possible she was behind the article on the internet?
“That would be great,” Caroline said.
“Good. Listen, I’d love to stay and chat, but I want to see how much I can explore today. It helps to clear my mind, and then tomorrow I am going to reread what I’ve written in my article and finish it up. Look out for my email.”
“OK. Good to see you, Teagan.”
“You too, Caroline.” Teagan walked toward the footpath leading up into the lower slopes. “And Caroline?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t include anything about Carter. I know he’s back, rumors get around, you know. Anyway, it must have been difficult for him.” She stopped and turned back to Caroline. “I just want to say… If ever he wants to do an exclusive interview, you know, set the record straight, I’ll do it, and won’t ask difficult questions. Especially about Fern.” She smiled sadly. “I know I’m not very experienced, but I’d love to do it. We were all young once, we all did stupid things. It’s not fair to hang someone out to dry because of it.”
“Thanks,” Caroline said, pleased Teagan had enough decency to not try to further her career by digging up Carter’s past. However, until Fiona reported back with news on her search for Fern, there was not going to be an interview.
Chapter Sixteen – Carter
Carter woke early in the morning. Caroline was the first thing he saw, which was all right by him. He was slowly getting used to sharing his life with another human, after all those years alone in the mountains.
Yesterday, to protect the person he loved, and the people he counted as friends, Carter Eden had come out of retirement. Or hiding, however you wanted to look at it. Newspaper reporters were invading Bear Creek, and he didn’t want them to ruin the town by asking questions that shouldn’t be asked, and digging dirt on residents. He was going to have to face this head on and deal with it. He just wasn’t sure how.
All he knew was there would be no more hiding away. He was done with that.
Kissing Caroline on the cheek, he got out of bed and hit the shower. He had a shipment of timber arriving at the house today. And appliances were being delivered, which meant he and Caroline would be able to move in soon. But he was going to miss Caroline’s little house. In truth, he was happy here. It was small, but had everything they needed and was easy to maintain. Carter had never been the kind of guy who wanted to be tied to a house.
A wave of nostalgia hit him along with the water from the shower. He missed his cabin. He missed the solid wood furniture he had made with his own hands. He’d sourced the wood, dried it, and then carved it.
Although this life had its own perks, like hot water. He washed his hair and his beard, he was going to have to shave it off soon, it was hot and scratchy when he had been working all day. Carter got out of the shower, and stared at himself in the mirror while he ran a comb through his hair. He was almost unrecognizable compared to Carter Eden the movie star.
Was this the man he wanted to be?
His hand gripped the comb tighter, and he leaned on the wash basin. If he was truthful, he wanted to have it all. He wanted to make beer and be a business man, but Carter Eden, actor, was still inside him too. When Will and the others talked about his movies, an overwhelming urge to be that man again swept over him. It hadn’t all been bad, and the distance his time on the mountain had given him had finally made him realize that.
A knock on the door made him jump guiltily over his thoughts. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
The door opened and Caroline stood there looking sleepy, her face pale. “Someone wrote an article.” She held out her smart phone for him to see.
Carter leaned forward and looked at the photo of the two of them kissing, that accompanied the headline, Finding Eden.
“It’s a good photo,” Carter said, trying to make her smile. It didn’t work, it was as if whoever took the photo had tried to capture them at their worst. It was a zoomed in image of them working in the grounds of the house. Both of them were hot and sweaty, and looked like hobos. Ironically that was one of the things he loved about Caroline the most, she got on with the job, no worries about breaking nails or if her makeup ran. To Carter, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on. Strong. Determined. His. “Hey, we’re strong enough to take it,”
She pulled her phone back toward her and scrutinized it. “I look terrible, I have my work clothes on and my hair is pulled back, I look like a man. I can imagine all your fans asking what you see in me.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Don’t even say that.”
“It’s true though, without the mating bond a man like you wouldn’t take a second look at a woman like me.”
“Proves what a fool I was,” Carter said, his heart aching for Caroline. “I love you, Swanky Tanky, just the way you are.”
“You don’t have to say that,” Caroline replied.
“I know. And I didn’t say it because I had to. I said it because I wanted to
. I need you.” He reached out for her, and pulled her into his arms. “We are meant to be together.”
“I love you too,” Caroline said. “I never thought I would.”
“Love me?” he asked.
“Love anyone. I never thought I would want this kind of life. The army was always it for me. You know?” She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, and he inhaled the scent of her. She was more delicious than honey beer. “I was happy serving my country. I loved driving tanks. I loved making a difference. And when I left, I was as scared as hell I wouldn’t fit in.”
He chuckled, his hand stroking her back as he soothed her. “You fit in perfectly here. You know how much Will respects you. And how much your brother loves you.”
“I do. Although I try to brush it off.” She lifted her head and looked at him earnestly. “I’m not very good at showing my emotions.”
“Oh, I don’t know…”
“Not those kind of emotions,” she said, batting his hand away. “I mean love.”
“Want to know something?” Carter asked.
“Do I?” she asked warily.
“Yes. You do.” He stroked her cheek and then kissed her lips. “You are the first person, besides my folks, who I have ever said I love you to.”
“Really? Not even in Space Monkeys?” Caroline asked. “You weren’t in love with Sergeant Chimp or anything?”
He chuckled. “Spoiling the moment here…” He bent down and picked her up, carrying her back to the bed, fully intending to show her just how much he wanted her, just how much he needed her.
“I never learned all that romantic stuff,” she said, as he kissed her mouth.
“I can teach you everything I know.” He pulled the T-shirt she wore to bed over her head, his hand cupping her breast. “I learned from an expert.”
“One of your movie scripts?” She gasped as he sucked her nipple into his mouth, and rolled his tongue over it. “I didn’t know you were a porn star.”
He held his laugh inside until it faded away, as his own arousal became painfully hard. Carter slipped his hand along her thigh, and found her heated sex wet and ready for him. He pushed two fingers inside her, pushing deeper, in and out, stroking her inner walls. Caroline eased her thighs apart, and he moved, nestling between her legs, and guiding himself into her.
Mountain Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 2) Page 9