Down the Hidden Path

by Heather Burch

  I wish you were here.

  Jeremiah

  Miah wadded the paper and tossed it onto the bonfire he’d built in the early morning hours. It was burning down now and the sun was rising over the frostbitten trees. A voice behind him drew his attention. He angled to find Gray trekking toward him, hands slid into her jacket pockets.

  “Morning,” he said, ignoring the little jump in his heart rate. She wore snug-fitting jeans and cowboy boots, a fleece jacket, and a red V-neck beneath. She looked good enough to eat.

  “So, you’re the one who leaves these campfires burning. What would Yogi say?”

  He let out a laugh. “The bear? Don’t you mean Smokey?”

  She scrunched her face. “Oh yeah. I always get those two mixed up.”

  The wind worked invisible fingers into her hair and she fought to maintain control of the locks. He’d like to help. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

  She grinned. “Aww. Has your male ego taken a hit because the only girl who comes here does so for your brother, not for you?”

  After a few weeks, they’d fallen into a nice routine of banter, a tad bit of innocent flirting, even a moment or two of tender appreciation. Mary Grace was slowly coming around. She bent to choose a smooth rock and lobbed it into the lake. It skipped twice and went under. “Good job,” Miah said and moved behind her. “Do another one.”

  She bent and grabbed a flat stone. Miah enjoyed the view.

  “Went farther.” Then she turned to face him. “Did you even see it?”

  “Mm hmm. It was fine.”

  Silver eyes sparked. “I need to ask you a favor.”

  “Name it.” He took a stone and tossed it into the lake. It bounced three times then sank.

  “I need a few days off. At the end of the week. Would that be any problem? I can leave a list of daily exercises and things for Caleb. You can walk him through them if you’d like.” She shrugged. “Of course, he’s capable of doing them himself, but sometimes he thinks the therapy is silly. I don’t want him slacking off while I’m gone.”

  “No problem. So where you going?”

  She was midstoop to retrieve a new rock, this time bending at the knees rather than the waist so as not to give him such an obvious view of her rear. Her hand stalled over the stone for a few moments. When she leaned up, she saw that he’d moved in. “Going on a trip or something?”

  “Um.” She obviously hadn’t expected questions. That was intriguing. “I’ll be out of town.”

  He waited.

  She dusted the rock.

  He smiled.

  “I’ll be with David.”

  Of course she would. He just wanted to know why it took her so long to answer every question about her mystery man. Why her lips twitched like she was lying, why she had to rub her hands on her thighs as if they’d become instantly sweaty. She painted on a bright smile and tossed the rock. It fell with a thud and disappeared at the water’s edge.

  “Listen, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about the pool,” Miah said. She’d been so embarrassed that she’d avoided him for two days after Havinger showed up.

  “Miah, I’m still so sorry. I had no idea he’d just arrive and take over. I ran into him in Laver and, I don’t know, he somehow got a lot of information out of me in a three-minute conversation.”

  “Well, that’s what Havingers do.” Miah had lost interest in skipping rocks. “That and take over.”

  “But not when they go head-to-head with a McKinley.” Her chin tilted back in a motion that suggested pride. Proud of what? Him? The McKinley name? Maybe Gray was proud of being part of the family. She was, whether she wanted to admit it or not. She was once again, just like before.

  He nodded. “McKinleys and Havingers. Might as well be Hatfields and McCoys.”

  She put a hand on his arm. “I was really impressed with your decision to let him do the pool. It took a big man to be able to do that. I know it wasn’t easy.”

  “He just wanted to do the right thing for Caleb. So do I. So did you when you spoke to Grandfather. We’re all on the same team here.”

  “Yeah, team Caleb.”

  Miah laughed. “Don’t tell him that. He has enough of an ego. He doesn’t need to know he’s got a whole team behind him.”

  “My lips are sealed.” At the mention of her lips, Miah’s gaze went there and held. She had beautiful lips, full but not too big, a perfect frame for her even teeth and those sassy words she’d been volleying in his direction for the last few weeks. A half smile or smirk was her almost-constant companion when dealing with Miah. Caleb, of course, got the benefit of her full smile. Frequently. Miah only got half, at best, and it was usually accompanied by some snide little remark. He loved it.

  Gray reached for another stone, but jolted. “Ouch!”

  Miah moved in. “What happened?”

  “Something stuck me.” She turned her hand over to see a small brown splinter jutting from the meaty part of her palm.

  “Here, let me.” He closed his hand around her wrist and inspected the damage. “Not so deep. I think it will come out easily.” His voice was soft, barely mumbling, as he used his index finger and thumbnail to try to grasp the splinter.

  When his fingers closed around it, she jerked, but he could tell she’d tried not to.

  “You’re going to have to hold still, okay?” His gaze sought hers. But when their eyes met, he saw it. And it was everything she’d been denying between them. It was pressure and pain and excitement at his touch, and the very thought that his hand on hers could bring about such a complete and yet desperate look caused his own heartbeat to shift. Her eyes were filled with hunger, unrequited desire; it was raw and pure and honest.

  And it was for him.

  In that moment, it didn’t matter what kind of relationship she was in. It didn’t matter what kind of man was waiting for her down the road. It was Miah she wanted; the truth was clearly written on her face no matter how much she denied it. The night they were together rushed like wildfire into his mind. It took no prisoners and left no survivors. As a teenager, he’d not been able to process what had happened as he’d held her in his arms. How she’d felt, so warm, so sated. She’d been like a drug for him, and now, in this moment, he was returning the favor.

  He spread his legs a bit, shifting his weight so that there was more room for her to get closer. With each breath, she warred—and he could see it—fighting her desire and whatever unnamable obstacle that lay between them. But the obstacle had a name. It was David.

  Painfully slowly, Miah lifted her hand closer to his face.

  Her breath froze, chest filling with both anticipation and apprehension; this, he saw as plainly as neon signs flashing every emotion she felt.

  A half smile curved his lips and instead of grasping the splinter with his fingers, Miah closed his mouth over her flesh and used his teeth.

  A tremble ran over her and a sound that wasn’t exactly like the previous ones slipped from between her lips. He plucked the splinter from between his teeth and held it out to show her. “See it?” He made no motion to let her go.

  “Uh-huh,” she uttered, face flushed, chest rising and falling with a few labored breaths.

  “Better?” His thumb made tight little circles around the wound.

  “Yep.” Her gaze had gone wide, frightened and excited all at once. The eyes of a doe getting ready to either become a hunter’s prey or to bolt into the nearby woods. “All better,” she said and took a complete step back.

  Miah let her, but the satisfaction was sweet, and no matter what Mary Grace wanted to claim about her mystery man, old flames died hard. And maybe sometimes, they were unable to die at all.

  She walked away from him and paused so close to the water’s edge, the tips of her boots got wet. Across the way, McKinley Mountain watched over them. “Oka
y, so I can count on you two boys to take care of things while I’m gone?” Her brows rose high on her forehead and Miah realized she needed to redirect the conversation, so he’d let her.

  “You can absolutely count on us.”

  Her hands landed on her hips. “I mean it. I expect you two to get all of your work done.”

  He had to chuckle. She sounded like a mom scolding . . . not scolding exactly, but certainly warning her boys to toe the mark while she was away.

  Her chin rose. “I need to hear it from you.” She’d oh-so-quickly left their moment behind. But that was okay. Miah knew it had happened. And he also knew what it meant.

  “Yes, ma’am. We will do our homework and keep the house clean and we won’t have any wild parties or anything.”

  Her face split into a grin, a full one this time, and Miah relished it.

  “Lord help me, but I’m going to trust you.”

  “Two soldiers with no supervision.” He shrugged. “What could go wrong?”

  She pointed a finger under his nose. “You take care of my patient.”

  He gave her a mock salute. “Yes, Dr. Gray.”

  “I’m not kidding, Miah. He’s made great progress.” When he angled toward the house, she fell into step beside him.

  “Good Lord, woman. What do you think we’re going to do? Go skydiving?”

  She laughed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Things are just going so well right now and I’ve found that sometimes when things are going well . . .” The wind caught her hair and threw it into her face.

  She tried unsuccessfully to corral the strands. Her head dropped, but it didn’t stop Miah from seeing what lay inside. Fear, in her eyes, flashing from her being.

  He turned her to face him. “When things are good, what?”

  She tipped her head back and examined the sky. “Something always seems to mess it up.”

  He used his hands to help her corral the hair. “That doesn’t sound like the Gray I know.”

  She nodded. “Used to know.”

  “She’s still in there.”

  “No, Miah. I’m a different person now.” It almost seemed as though she were pleading with him to understand.

  “We change, we grow. We don’t turn into someone else.”

  She drew a breath. “I did.”

  “Yeah, a mom.”

  Horror shot into her gaze; her face paled.

  “Gray, I just meant that you sounded like a mom warning her kids earlier. I didn’t mean anything by it.” What the heck was that?

  She swallowed, mouth a straight line. “No. It just surprised me. You know, I’m not the motherly type.”

  Well, that was debatable. But he’d obviously said the wrong thing. Maybe Gray had lost a child. He didn’t know; she was so mysterious about the past several years. He’d try to find out more once she got home from her little trip with David. Until then, he’d just have to wonder.

  Gray gazed out the kitchen window of the lovely four-bedroom house. It sat in a gated community in Laver, where the sky above had started dropping beautiful, fat snowflakes. The scent of fresh cookies filled the kitchen while the oven timer counted down the minutes to hot snickerdoodles.

  David glanced up from the table. “Do you think it’s too early to start looking at colleges?”

  Gray stopped at his chair and peered over his shoulder. “You’re twelve.”

  “So that’s a yes?”

  “David, you’re going to get a full ride from whatever school you choose. You’re super smart. But a lot of factors can change between now and then.” Colleges? Really?

  “Like what?”

  “Your interests.”

  “Gray,” he deadpanned. “I’ve loved science and space travel since I was a kid.”

  She bit her cheek. He was still a kid, but she saw no reason to mention the fact. “I think you’ll always love it, but you may like other things as well.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. Hey, I ordered a charm bracelet for Mom for her birthday next week.”

  “Great idea. She’s been dropping hints for months.” They were planning a small party to mark the occasion. Gray and Bill were handling the arrangements.

  “Yeah. She’s all about subtle.” He popped a hunk of cookie dough in his mouth.

  “Raw eggs, David. Don’t make me hide the dough from you.”

  “Don’t make me wait so long for cookies.”

  “These are for your folks. Remember?”

  His grin was quick and sly. “Of course. It was my idea to make cookies. All for them.”

  She pointed the spatula at him and closed one eye. “You know, the older you get, the more devious you seem to become.”

  A knock at the front door ended the conversation. Gray hurried to put the spatula on the counter. “Must be them.”

  “Nah. They wouldn’t knock. They’d just come in.”

  She was getting ready to argue that perhaps they’d lost their house key when David pulled the door open to find a police officer standing on the other side. He smiled, but Gray froze in place. When the officer removed his hat from his head, Gray took a firm hold on the doorframe. Her heart pounded in her ears and cold wind rushed in, slamming her in the face. Her hand instinctively came around David’s shoulder.

  He peered at the officer, then asked, “Is this about the kids down the road? My mom called you guys last week. They were drag racing in front of our house, but I didn’t think it was any big deal.”

  The officer smiled. “No, son.” His eyes trailed to Gray. “Is this the Olson residence?”

  “Yes.”

  He was holding something in his hand. It looked like a driver’s license. When he tapped it against his other hand, Gray saw that it was Bill’s. Oh no.

  “May I come in?”

  She moved out of the way and wasn’t sure if it was better for David to be there with her or not. But her fingers were in a vise grip on his shoulder. “Has something happened?”

  “Yes, ma’am. There’s been an accident.”

  The contents of Gray’s stomach began to churn. She looked at David.

  His face clouded, the heaviness of the moment settling in. “Did someone get hurt?” David asked. His eyes, now filling with fear, shot from Gray to the officer and back again. “Are my mom and dad okay?”

  “Your mother is in the hospital, son.”

  “My dad?”

  Words were useless when the officer’s demeanor said everything he wasn’t. “I’m very sorry. As a result of his injuries, your dad died at the scene.”

  CHAPTER 6

  “My dad’s . . . dead?”

  Gray sucked a sharp breath. This . . . this was how tragic news was delivered to a twelve-year-old? David’s face turned white, ghost white, and Gray was scared to touch him for fear he might shatter.

  But the horror of what the police officer had said caused her to reach out and capture David in a hug. He didn’t hug her back; he felt stiff, in shock, not even breathing.

  The officer pointed to his car. “I’d be glad to drive you to the hospital. Mrs. Olson was asking for David. I think it’d be good for him to be there. Also, she said you have a temporary guardianship document? Please bring it if you don’t want CPS involved.”

  As he spoke, she had to decipher each word, break them down syllable by syllable as if English were a second language. “Yes. Of course.” She stumbled to the small table to the right of the front door, her gaze narrowing to a tiny tunnel before her. Temporary Guardianship. It was a paper they were never supposed to have to use. The wooden drawer groaned as she pulled it open and retrieved the paper that gave her guardianship of David in an emergency. She stared at it blankly. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was for a worst-case scenario. She sucked a full breath when she realized this was exactly that. Gray tried to focus. There were other th
ings she’d need. A purse, keys. For some reason, all of that escaped her as she attempted to pull things together enough to get David to his mother. It was a good thing the officer was there. She’d never be able to drive right now. “I just need . . .” She glanced around the room as if it would anchor her and tell her what to do.

  David moved to the officer’s side. His eyes were wide, an unnatural line drawing his mouth tight.

  The officer pointed down. “You’ll want your shoes, ma’am.”

  Gray looked at her feet. Socks, no shoes. She had shoes. Where were they?

  As if she were a robot, she gathered her things.

  “I smell something cooking. Is the oven on?” The officer was patient, but the strength of his voice helped power her, her body having gone on complete shutdown.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  David absently tugged his coat from the hall closet and the officer wrapped it around him. “We’re making cookies for my parents.”

  Tears began to flow unbidden down Gray’s cheeks. The streams of moisture created a sort of cocoon, refining her scattered thoughts. Basic necessities flashed through her mind. She needed to turn the oven off. Gray disappeared into the kitchen and returned with the oven mitt still on her hand. David removed it for her and placed it by the door. With the policeman at their sides, they walked to the squad car. When David was tucked inside the back of the patrol car, Gray caught the officer’s arm as she closed the car door. “What happened?” she whispered.