by Linda West
She cried as Summer held her close.
Summer was a good hugger.
She was the type that when you hugged her she held on a long time, as long as you needed. Most people let go.
Just can’t go that emotional distance.
But Summer didn’t let go, and oh how Elle needed someone not to let go.
Chapter 7
Jason landed the Cessna skillfully on the landing behind Eagle’s Peak Lodge.
Dappled in sun specks the lodge looked beautiful and stately. The mountain was alight with the summer afternoon sun, which made the grass a special shade of green.
Dayton got out of the plane and smelled the clean pine smell of the air.
The sun felt warm and good on his face.
He closed his eyes to feel the peace of the moment. He had learned to cherish each of those fleeting moments of peace, if not happiness.
His reverie was broken by a low growling sound. “War Hero” had not been happy about his traveling case cage he had been forced into.
Jason came around the side of the plane holding the case at arm’s length. “You got yourself a wild dog in here, Dayton!”
Dayton grunted. “We’re stuck with each other. Both so cantankerous no one wants us. So here we are.”
Jason laughed. “Well, we want you Dayton. You might scare the young girls with that beard, though,” he joked good-naturedly.
Dayton’s hand pulled at his grandpa like beard that hung down to his chest. No one would ever have guessed he was only 22.
He had seen more than his share of things in life and he came off as much older than he actually was.
Now, with his body looking too thin and clothes obviously a few days worn, it was unthinkable that a young vibrant man lived inside this outer shell of a man.
Jason couldn’t help but feel worried at the sight of Dayton.
He had certainly wasted away since Jason had last seen him a year ago.
He hadn’t sounded good on the phone, and he had heard that he had become a hermit, but he hadn’t been prepared for the sight of him in this condition.
Jason hoped that in the days to come preceding the wedding that he might help Dayton back to himself again.
He’d been a scrapper. A survivor since childhood and the ultimate survivor in Afghanistan coming out as a hero and helping others survive.
If anyone could make it back it would be Dayton.
“Hey, maybe I can give you those flying lessons you were always bugging me about?”
Dayton nodded and Jason slapped him on the back. That was as enthusiastic as Jason had seen him since he picked him up.
Jason feared it was going to be a long road of healing ahead for his friend.
“In the meantime,” Jason said as he handed Dayton the dog’s travel case, “I’ll let you do the honors of dealing with your wild animal in here. That is not a friendly dog.”
Dayton took War Hero’s case, “It’s not a friendly world.”
Chapter 8
Dayton sat down on the four-poster bed with the big white quilt, looking out of the large picturesque windows at Eagle’s Peak mountain. It was incredibly beautiful. The sun was setting, the last rays of light dipping over the horizon.
On the bed table beside him was a vase filled with fresh yellow daffodils. The smell was heavenly and full of the essence of fun summer days. A small fire burned in the fireplace as the night was cold in the mountains, and it gave the room a cheery warmth and glow.
War Hero sat curled up deliciously in front of it. His broken tail jig sawed out to the side. Well, he was happy, Dayton thought to himself, and that was never an easy feat.
Dayton gazed at the natural beauty of the mountain and then around him again at the lovely place they had put him to stay in during his visit.
He thought how different this place was from his dingy dark and hoard filled one room apartment in NY.
Somehow in all its darkness and hopelessness the room matched him.
He felt the dinginess and unworthiness of himself even more in this beautiful love filled room.
Good people lived in places like this.
He didn’t belong here.
He wasn’t good.
He caught sight of his image in the mirror.
A shadow in the light.
He suddenly realized it had been days since he had showered and how he must have appeared to Jason.
He pulled off his shirt and grungy jeans and headed for the shower when something on the mountain caught his eye.
A red flamed object roaring down the mountain.
He watched it coming closer and closer toward the lodge.
Intrigued, he moved to the window and peered through the twilight.
Below he could see a man by the stable gathering hay while he conversed with an older gentleman. It looked to be Earl the lodge keeper that he had met when he first came in. Nice guy. Straight forward. Big heart.
Dayton had learned to pick up people’s real self and pin a person straight away as part of his survival skills.
Each day growing up at his home was like walking on eggshells to see which side of his father’s personality would show up. The drunk, the sober, the angry, the beater?
He had learned early on to read the subtle cues. He knew when to hide and wait out the storm when he saw one coming.
Just like in the war.
They never saw the enemy coming, but Dayton had.
He’d been training his whole life.
When he was able to stop the rest of the troops from falling into the trap it had just come second nature.
NO. DON’T GO. NOT SAFE.
The land mines had started exploding like the fireworks on the fourth of July. But he had turned around and gone back in anyway.
It was a death wish.
He should never have made it out.
But he did, and he pulled out five wounded and saved hundreds more their lives.
They gave him medals. Now he was a hero. Life was really funny.
The red rocket burst into view now and in the last of the golden dawn Dayton saw it was a woman on a horse.
The horse was outstanding. A bold black thoroughbred full of spirit and galloping hard toward the barn.
But the woman riding the stallion was even more breathtaking!
She was laughing and smiling and her red hair was flying out in the wind behind her like a mad hatter.
An extremely beautiful mad hatter.
She pulled the horse to a stop but it continued to prance and pull up onto its two feet full Zorro style. She handled him flawlessly, leaning into him with her weight to push him down and all the while laughing.
Dayton was amazed at her bravery!
He would have been scared to bits if a horse ever acted like that when he was on it!
Some big hero.
Earl obviously felt the same way and came over to help the girl with the horse. He grabbed the reins and pulled the horse’s head down until he calmed him down. Then he led him quietly toward the stable.
The redheaded girl slid off the horse effortlessly and walked alongside Earl into the stable, still smiling!
Earl didn’t seem so happy about it.
Suddenly, as if drawn by his stare, she turned and looked right up at Dayton in the window. Her flashing green eyes seemed to look right into his dead brown orbs.
Dayton pulled away from the window as if he’d been caught.
He sucked in his breath.
He thought he had never been quite so impressed by any other woman.
Chapter 9
It was Wednesday at the Eagle’s Peak Lodge Inn Restaurant and Elle was hiding in the kitchen wringing her hands. Darn her Grandpa Earl making her work for him. Of all the days!
Today was Euchre day and all the seniors in Kissing Bridge came to the Eagle’s Peak Lodge for their weekly Wednesday game and lunch. Euchre meant Todd’s parents. They were fiercely competitive when it came to Euchre and they never missed a Euchre We
dnesday.
She couldn’t be angry with her Grandpa for anything, let alone covering for him so he could take Ms. Landers out for a picnic. Goodness knows she was thrilled that they had found love at their age when at nineteen she was not doing so well.
But she had forgotten it was Wednesday!
She just wasn’t ready to face Todd’s parents.
Buzzy and Lulu Vanderling.
They always dressed alike.
Often in pale pastels. They both were both very elegant and tall and had matching platinum blonde hair. They were quite the couple.
She had thought they would be her family some day. In fact, the family holidays and events she had shared with Todd and his family almost made it feel like she had one of her own.
She had Grandpa Earl and God knows she loved him more than anything, but she still found herself longing for a big family.
She still yearned for the family she lost and siblings she never knew. For a while that wish had been filled by the Vanderling family adopting her like one of their own.
There had been the camping vacations. The late night scavenger hunts. Teaching the twins to ski – that had been a trying event! And of course the Fourth of July fireworks celebration.
The Vanderlings were in charge of the most explosive event of the year. The Fourth of July fireworks in Kissing Bridge.
Fireworks on Kissing Bridge were a huge event. The festivities started early in the day at a big cookout on top of the mountain. The Eagle’s Peak Lodge always hosted a big clambake and everyone in town brought a dish to share. By sundown everyone would gather to sit down and watch the fireworks together.
The Vanderlings were in charge of the firework presentation every year, and every year they sought to outdo themselves.
They really did a fabulous job and the family put a lot of time and effort into finding just the perfect ones.
The Vanderlings loved to travel the world and they did so often. While on their travels they would search out the most unusual and spectacular fireworks and then bring them back for the Fourth of July extravaganza.
Every one always looked forward to see what type of fireworks the Vanderlings would bring next.
Last year the finale had exploded into a complete zoo – there had been bright red monkeys, yellow parrots, orange giraffes and even a purple elephant.
The group of thirty Euchre players had arrived and Elle could see that Lulu and Buzzy Vanderling were seated smack in the center of the table.
She couldn’t keep hiding back in the kitchen forever, unfortunately. She was going to have to make an appearance and, worse yet, take their order. There was no way around talking to Todd’s parents.
Elle checked her teeth to make sure nothing was in them and raised her head high. Todd’s parents adored her, she reminded herself. Todd’s future bride or not, they would still think of her as another daughter. Surely?
She came around the corner with a fake, bright smile on her face. The Vanderlings did not meet her gaze. She swallowed hard and started at the end of the table and took the first person’s order.
Egg Salad for Madge.
Tuna on Rye for Stan.
Dolores wanted a ham sandwich minus the ham with extra cheese no mayo.
Why weren’t the Vanderlings looking at her?
Old man Jennings and Carol Landers were now dating and as new lovers do, wanted to share everything, fruit plate with cottage cheese with an extra plate.
Joe will have the Rueben.
Why weren’t Todd’s parents even acknowledging her?
Now she was in front of them. She managed a light smile hoping they wouldn’t mention Todd or the breakup.
She needn’t have worried.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Vanderling,” she said, trying to make her voice as cheerful as was humanly possible. “It’s so nice to see you!” She smiled as sincerely as she could manage, hoping they wouldn’t see how hurt she was. How much she just wanted to be back as part of the family again.
Losing Todd had been hard but not having a connection with the adopted family she had come to love would be unlivable for her. At least she still had them.
But they just kept talking to other people like she never said a word.
Were they shunning her?
No, they just must have not heard her.
She summoned up her courage with even more gaiety. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Vanderling!”
NO REPLY.
Oh, goodness! They were shunning her purposely.
Elle thought her heart might just plop right out of her body and onto the table right then.
She wondered if they would say anything to her if her heart actually did suddenly plunk down onto they’re butter plates and slither around the white tablecloth.
Would they talk to her then?
Elle took a deep breath and tried again. “Ahh okay, anyway, do either of you want to order?”
Lulu was acting like a real diva jerk and just pointed to her husband Buzzy without even looking at Elle.
Buzzy finally blurted out, “We’ll both have the beef on weck.” Then just as abruptly dismissed her with a flick of the hand and started a conversation with Carol Landers.
Carol Landers at least had the heart to notice how rude Buzzy was being and she stopped him mid-sentence and turned her attention to Elle. A softness of understanding filled her eyes and she looked deeply into Elle’s green ones.
“Thanks for filling in today for your Grandpa, sweetheart. My sister Ethel was thrilled about going on a picnic today with him. You’re a good granddaughter. And I like your hair.”
Elle self-consciously reached for her hair and then realized Carol was joking, being a fiery red head herself.
Carol winked at her and adjusted her signature large red beehive.
Elle found herself laughing and thanked God for Carol Landers saving her from falling through the cracks of the lodge floor in complete embarrassment.
After what seemed like a lifetime to take the Euchre club order, Elle put the ticket in for the cooks.
Joe the cook looked at her oddly. “What’s up with you today, Elle?”
She shook her head. If she started talking she just might start crying again.
She put her hands on her head, defeated, and sat down on the chair in the back by the door looking glum.
This was turning out to be one of the worst days ever.
What was she supposed to think?
Why should they be angry with her when Todd was the one who broke her heart?
What was wrong with the world lately why did everything seem so upside down?
She considered smoking. Smokers always had a smoke at a moment like this. They just pulled out a smoke and by the end of it they had everything figured out. Cool and precise one cigarette solution.
Of course she would never take up smoking because she was a health nut. Still it was nice to think about.
A thin man with a weird beard walked into the restaurant and looked around, unsure and hesitant.
Elle didn’t recognize him. Not a local. Maybe day worker? Definitely different.
“Hello, I’m Elle,” she said in her best server voice. “Sit anywhere you want. Menus are on the table.” She motioned to the open booths.
He looked right at her but he didn’t say anything. He just walked away without a word and sat down at a corner booth far away from the other customers and the frenzied euchre players.
Great, Elle thought. I’m batting zero today in the popularity department. Was ‘hello’ too much to ask for these days?
Those darn cell phones!
She laughed in spite of herself.
Her Grandpa Earl always blamed everything on cell phones. It was like a get out of jail free card but with cell phones.
“It was all better before cell phones,” he always said.
“We didn’t have these new world problems before cell phones,” he said.
Because of cell phones we had no morality, and worse yet, no mystery.
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Now he would randomly blame every calamity on cell phones!
Electricity is out. Cell phones did it.
Late storms breaking. Cell phones did it.
Todd broke up with me and now his parents won’t even look at me. Cell phones did it.
Gosh darn it.
Ouch. Getting slighted by the Vanderlings really hurt.
Elle felt like just going up to her room and just hiding away from the world, but she had to go take the order from the strange weirdo guy with the long beard.
This was just not turning out to be her day.
Chapter 10
By the time Earl came back to relieve her of her duties, Elle was ready to run for the hills. She pulled on her boots, tossed her waitressing sneakers under the desk and headed for the door.
“Do not ride Lightning, Elle,” Earl said sternly. “Sal says he’s had a demon in him lately. Nearly broke his nose this morning trying to get a bridle on him.”
“Okay Grandpa, don’t worry.”
Elle went down to the stable and saddled up Tomico, a beautiful Arabian who was her favorite horse. She loved to ride Tomico and run off, leaving the world behind.
Galloping through the countryside always made the world drop away.
By the time she and Tomico made it back to the barn the sun was going down and her mood had lifted.
When Elle pulled into the pen to unsaddle Tomico she found the weirdo guy with the beard from the café looking at the horses.
She got off her horse and led her over to get some water.
The guy with the long beard said nothing as he watched the horses.
He really seemed to enjoy them.
Elle pulled out a piece of a carrot from her pocket to give to Tomico as a treat.
“Good boy. Good boy.”
Weirdo guy watched silently as the horse nibbled the treat from Elle’s hands and she petted him affectionately.
She noticed him staring and tried to be nice.
“Do you want to feed him one?” She offered.
He looked startled to be spoken to, then just backed away quickly and walked away without a word.