by Leanne Davis
She laughed and rested her head against his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I tell him on your behalf all the time. But Jacob Starr, you earned all of my forgiveness. And it happened on the day you first showed up here sober. That’s all I ever wanted for you. So, each day I see it, it’s like another reason for me to forgive your past transgressions.”
He blew out a breath slowly. “I’ll probably lose Luna once my history floods the media. I’m kind of shocked it hasn’t yet.”
“I’m surprised, too.”
“Honeymoon period, I guess. They want to believe all the fanfare. But now they’re running out of new, sensational things to report. They need something else, something different. So, they’re looking everywhere for it. They reported the incident from every angle, bringing in politics and experts. Then they elevated us to hero status. Then they returned to the funerals, the affected families, and the history of this town. They disparaged the café and made it all about Lester, of course. So now what? Why won’t they let it die? Now they’re planning to scoop each other over Luna and me.” Jacob rubbed hand through his hair.
“Maybe Luna’s past is fucked up, too.”
“I rather doubt it. She’s… well, she’s kind of like you. She’s got her shit together. I don’t know why I say that, but I know it’s true. She was an accountant, and she has a master’s degree. She saved up her own money, and when she realized she wasn’t happy doing the accounting work, she moved on her own. This was the place she picked to find the career she wanted. She has complete control of herself and her destiny.”
“Until fate stepped in and told her otherwise. Fate reminded her that no one really can control a single thing. Even the best laid plans can’t stop the unexpected from occurring.”
“That’s so true, huh?”
“Sometimes, fate brings chaos and tragedy like a random shooting. Other times, it can surprise you by having your brother come home clean and sober. It’s a double-edged sword.”
“Luna has no one but herself and look at what she’s done. I had everyone to help me, and look at what I failed to do. How could that ever be attractive to her? She is smart and funny and brave but, Brianna, none of those attributes can describe me.”
“Not while you were on heroin, no. But once you got off it? You were better than brave. You jumped on a gunman who was still shooting. You’re sarcastic and wry in your humor, so put a check mark on being funny. Smart? You’re always observant, and you’re also bold and honest and blunt. Jacob, give her a chance to really know you. Okay? Don’t count her out yet.”
“It’s hard to believe I might deserve a chance with someone like her.”
“Well, believe it because you do. But I’ve seen how you punish yourself. How about chewing on this, little brother? You saved a few people’s lives. Surely, that trumps screwing up all the years you were relying on heroin. Okay? Life trumps death. Hear me out. You can approach Luna like that and take that attitude. Promise me you will?”
It was touching for Jacob to respond to his sister’s enthusiasm, and to see her deep faith in him. He recalled her overall goodness and squeezed her hand as he rose to his feet. “I’ll try to. But what about Silas? I’ve put off telling her the truth and hinted that he was more of a stepbrother to me. She has no inkling I abandoned my own child or that I may have facilitated the death of his mother. I left my mother to take care of my kid and then I showed up and confused everyone.” He ran his hands through his hair. “Sometimes, I wonder if I should have ever come back.”
Brianna dug in. “You definitely should have come back, and you will stay here. You’ll just have to tell her the truth about everything. You deserve a chance with her. Just take it, okay?”
“Thanks, Bri. For handling all of the details that might come up in our absence.”
“Not a problem.”
“I know, and you really believe that, too.”
She grinned. “Of course, I do. And you know I’m always right.” Jacob kissed her cheek before he left, finding it hard not to smile. All the things he dreaded about his life were about to become public knowledge. Most of the residents in River’s End didn’t know too much about his past. He lived with his dad full time. Some might have remembered a few wild times that involved Jacob, but nothing that could hint of the debacle of his youth. The Rydells knew, but no one gossiped outside the ranch. Jacob’s history wasn’t written on the front page of the newspaper either. But he’d been in jail once, and that would soon come out. Being high with his girlfriend when she overdosed and died, along with his own overdose, were still private knowledge, however.
So, naturally the chance for Jacob to escape from media exposure seemed a no-brainer.
As soon as he got home from speaking with his sister he called Luna. “My sister is willing to face whatever else comes up, so we can go without any worries.”
She let out a long sigh on her end of the phone. “I want to. You convinced me we deserve to escape all this madness, and that it will do us some good, but my damn parents just showed up. Totally unannounced. About a half hour ago, they arrived on their way home from their winter getaway. How nice for them, huh? They didn’t even tell me.”
“The parents who wondered if they should come see you?”
“The very same couple.” Her voice was low. “I can’t believe they came.”
“I can’t believe they didn’t come sooner. It’s weird. If your kid is involved in a mass shooting, hell, you go and provide comfort to her. End of story. Always. But they waited? Asked you if they should come? And surprised you when they did show up? They’ve got some screwed-up values.”
“We hadn’t talked in two years. You see… there was a relationship. They didn’t like it. I don’t want to go into it right now.”
“You don’t have to. I’m not asking any questions. Would you like me to come over? If only to distract them? They already know about us. I mean, who doesn’t? Wait. Will they like or disapprove of me?’
“Oh, they’ll like you. Trust me. They will probably love you and give you their stamp of approval. You are all they ever wanted me to be. So, if we date—”
“Is that something you want as well? Or are the warning bells going off in your head?”
He heard the strain loosen in her voice as she spoke. “I’m no teenager hell bent on rebellion. Of course, I prefer that my parents like you. As a personal issue. Not something I often try to achieve with my parents.”
“All right. Let me come over and charm them until they forget all about what’s-his-name, okay?”
She breathed into the receiver. “I shouldn’t indulge their desires. They’ll really get off on the hero status. My dad will love it to death. You and I shouldn’t need their approval. They should love me regardless because I’m their biological daughter, right?”
“Of course, that’s right.”
“Maybe you being here would help make me less nervous about seeing them.”
“Let me come over then.”
“Okay, Jacob. They’re just a lot to deal with at one time. Big personalities. Dad’s is the biggest. They aren’t very much like me.”
“I’ll be there at six o’clock sharp.”
“Be prepared to drink heavily just to get through this.”
He laughed and hung up before quickly returning home to shower and change clothes. He pushed his hair off his forehead and realized he needed a haircut soon. Throwing on a large, puffy jacket, he didn’t take long to arrive in front of Luna’s little house. He was so familiar with her house now, he realized how much it was starting to grow on him. If only the main view weren’t of the vacant, cold storefront of the café. Still unopened and dark. The soul of the building seemed to bleed out without having any people coming or going there.
He knocked and entered at the same moment, he was so used to doing so. Luna didn’t have to get up on her bad foot to answer the door if she didn’t feel like it. He found Luna in her kitchen with a large man who turned at his entrance. The slim woman with
brunette hair and dark eyes exclaimed, “Jacob!” Luna seemed much brighter than she normally was when greeting him. Her relief at his presence was palpable.
He came forward. “Hey, Luna.” She smiled, and he stepped inside. He turned toward the man. “You must be Luna’s dad. I’m Jacob Starr.”
“Jacob. We’re just getting caught up on what made you two so famous here. I’m Roger Castellanos. It’s so nice to meet you.” Roger had a booming voice, demeanor, and presence. Jacob recognized the same olive skin, dark hair and eyes that Luna had. Italian heritage? Perhaps. He was just now hearing about him and Luna? How could they not know after it received national press coverage? He gave a sidelong glance toward Luna, wondering what else she hadn’t told him about her family? How could they be so unaware? Everyone knew. He was confused and ready to ask Roger how he avoided hearing the most prevalent news story of the last month, especially since their daughter was one of the lead characters. Only Lester the gunman received more attention than she and Jacob did.
Luna must have sensed his confusion. “Mom and Dad live in Denver. They’re on their way home from Cabo San Lucas, where they spend every January.”
Everything started to click into place. Luna must have left Colorado whenever the great family feud started. He suspected that by Luna’s demeanor. And her tone of voice.
Pleasantries were passed around. “It is very nice to meet you, Jacob.” Roger shook his hand and asked innocuous questions about where he lived and how he liked it. That quickly, her dad dominated the conversation for the next hour. Her mom interjected a few statements.
Jacob was surprised by how little was said about what Luna experienced. Did they understand that she could’ve been killed? Did they know about the deaths that happened right in front of her? If Jacob wasn’t around to help her, she’d be relegated to navigating through the snow and ice in a heavy cast on which she could barely walk. She moved to a new town, and although she knew there was help out there, none of it was what she required. That never occurred to her parents. Jacob interacted easily with Roger, who was a perennial storyteller. All Jacob had to do was ask a simple question and off Roger went into another twenty minutes of monologue. They drank a couple of beers, since alcohol had never been a problem for Jacob. Not like street drugs. They talked about work and Roger told Jacob he was a plumber by trade. Roger got a little excited when Jacob said he worked at the dam. He said he couldn’t see the appeal to doing something so hard. “Physically demanding job, huh?”
“Can be sometimes. I work on the machinery mostly, but I still have a lot to learn.”
Roger was more interested in Jacob’s ridiculous job than his daughter’s condition. Luna mostly tried to lie low and kept her head down. They ate the pizza she made from scratch and a garden salad. When Luna disappeared into the kitchen to start the dishes, Jacob came up behind her and kissed the side of her face. “You okay?”
She nodded. “Yup. They really like you.”
“But what about you?” he asked softly. Somehow, he sensed that was her point.
“Not so much. You’re a real relief to them, like I can’t even describe. Sorry.”
“Who were you dating before now? A thief? I fail to see what pleases them so much about me.”
Her hands were wet and soapy, and she shook her head, letting her hair fall over her face. He could see the little smile after his comment. He squeezed her arm. “Okay then, I’ll go back to charming Roger some more.”
She turned. “Jacob?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. It’s nice of you to come and give me a buffer. And nicer still that they like you.”
He smiled warmly until she smiled back at him.
When Roger and Regina Castellanos said their goodbyes before going back to their hotel in Pattinson, there was no talk or any suggestion they would stay with Luna. And odder still to Jacob, they were done with their visit. They weren’t coming back the next day. They planned to leave tomorrow for home.
Cold? Abhorrent? Jacob was aware of all the wrong ways a parent could treat a child. Yeah. Jacob never saw parents treat their daughter like that, especially one who is kind, brave, good, smart, funny, independent, and moral, which were all the things that Luna was.
She waved at them from her doorway before closing it to keep the frigid cold out. He stepped behind her and wrapped his hands around her. “You okay?”
“I’m okay.” She turned to his embrace. “I’m very glad you were here, though. They are so un-parental, you know what I mean?”
“I saw what you mean.”
“Yes, and when they leave, I usually feel worse. Sadder. More hollow. And I expected it to be much worse. But having you here, and knowing you get it, really helps. A lot.”
“Let’s get out of here. Tomorrow.”
She stared up at him with big eyes. “Are you serious? What about your job?”
“I told them we needed to get out of the public eye in order to rest and recuperate and they were all for it. So-o-o now that we have their blessing, we can go. Why did your dad seem to love my menial job so much?”
She cracked up and replied, “Because it’s so manly. Macho. He values masculinity more than everything else in life.”
“That’s a rather odd barometer since it doesn’t address things like personality, integrity, trustworthiness, all the things he should want for his daughter.”
“He should. But being manly is better. Best of all. Yes, I’ll go away with you. After this little incident, I can’t think of anything better we could do.”
“I can’t either. Maybe the change of scenery will ease the anxiety. The fear. The—”
“Insanity?”
“No, the trauma, which needs more time and care if we expect to get through it with our wits intact.”
“Crazy. That’s a lot easier to say.”
He leaned forward and kissed her, essentially shutting her up. And she grinned around his mouth.
Chapter Sixteen
JACOB’S SUV PLOUGHED THROUGH the snowy road, pushing the small drifts of snow off to the side as he moved forward. Chains were necessary and the only reason they didn’t get stuck in it up to their knees. They first hit the snow when they were about halfway up the mountain, which was several miles back now. It started lightly, sitting like a shawl or a mist on the treetops. Then it dropped lower and hit the ground until it started to pile up in lovely drifts. An inch fell, then two, then three as they ascended the mountain.
“Jacob? Are you sure there is some place to stay up here?”
“I’m quite sure. The road was plowed earlier today. This is just a backroad to it.”
“What is it?”
“That.” he said, pointing out through the windshield. He was leaning forward to stare out, so Luna did the same, tugging on her seatbelt to allow her more room.
“Oh. Wow.”
The view was stunning. A large building on a mountain ridge came into sight. It was a glorious building of huge wooden beams and glass, reminiscent of an airy, open outpost in the snow. Blue sky and blinding sun sparkled off the sheen of white and Luna reached for her sunglasses, so she could take it all in. It sparkled like fairy dust on the trees and distant mountain tops. It was like the world was wrapped up in a magical scarf of white diamonds.
“Oh, my God.”
“We’re not staying at the main hotel, the Sun Ridge Lodge. I rented one of their outlying cabins for us. They are more secluded and have a full kitchen, so we can eat our meals there. Privately. We can stay inside and be as together or alone as we want for the whole week.” He reached over, took her hand and squeezed it as he said the words.
Tears filled her eyes again. No one ever put her ahead of themselves. They shared a tender look, and she squeezed his hand. “That sounds… just perfect.”
They passed the parking area of lodge and kept driving, turning a few more times while Jacob followed a handwritten map. Luna was thrilled to hear that cell phones didn’t get reception up there. “Wh
en I say no one can get to us, I mean no one can get to us unless we call someone. There’s only a landline number here, and we’re completely off the grid.”
“In the lap of luxury.”
“Well, relative luxury, I suppose. Of course, having a source of heat when it’s barely twelve degrees outside is a necessity more than a luxury. I’m not a fan of camping off the grid.”
They pulled up to the small, single-story cabin. Two feet of snow had piled up in huge, puffy, marshmallow mounds, which extended to the front door. Someone had already shoveled fresh paths, and the roof was also relatively clean. Jacob assumed the maintenance crews had to do this on a daily basis up here. A peaked overhang on the cabin covered the front stoop and the green front door. It matched the dark green roof and cedar siding, which imbued the cabin with a yuppie vibe. They entered to find a small living room and kitchen combo with a private bedroom in the back. A surprisingly elegant bathroom had its own soaking tub for two.
“Can we afford this?” she asked. Using her crutches to make her way around the cabin, she checked everything out while Jacob dragged their bags in. Luna did her best to avoid sprawling on the ground.
“Yes.”
His tone sounded slightly off. She glanced back, and he shrugged before he smiled. “Well, Brianna actually made the arrangements, and she may have taken advantage of our celebrity around here and—”
“She told them to let us stay here for free?” Luna’s eyebrows shot up, and her mouth dropped open. “Your sister convinced them to do that?”
“She could sell snow up here, and people would start a bidding war. It’s why she could retire today if she chose to. Anyway, yeah, she did. I’m sorry. They guaranteed they’d keep everyone far away while we’re here. And to tell you the truth, I honestly can’t afford it. I had some tough times prior to my arrival here. I’m just beginning to get my finances together. And since your whole source of income is currently shut down…”