by Carol Ross
At that point Claire had called Bering.
Right now, Janie forced herself to think like Gareth. Her mom’s house was only a half mile from her own. If he was running from something that he felt was extremely serious, Bering was right to think that his instincts would propel him to take off into the wilderness. His biggest problem would be transportation. Janie figured Gareth would head for home to get some supplies first—especially since he knew no one was there. Janie would be willing to bet that when they got there his bike would be gone. And then he’d...
“Bering, did you check and see if any of your ATVs are missing? Or even a boat? My guess would be he’d take off on a four-wheeler—that would give him more options.”
“Yeah, I checked. That was one of the first things I did when Mom called this morning. Then Emily and I loaded up Violet and came straight here, but...” Bering looked thoughtful for a moment before emitting a groan of frustration. He tapped his fist on the table. “He was probably at our place already watching and waiting for us to leave.”
“Exactly,” Janie said. She stood and moved into the kitchen. She took a travel mug out of her mom’s cupboard and filled it with coffee. She turned back toward Bering. “Let’s go.”
* * *
GARETH STEERED THE four-wheeler down the trail toward the river. By now his absence would have been noticed. Grandma would be worried, and probably Uncle Bering and Emily. He wasn’t sure what time his mom was due back but hopefully not before he finished. He would be done with this part of his mission soon.
He was fine with taking the rap for “assaulting” Harmon. He was already in trouble anyway, but there was no way Marv Vetcher was going to get ahold of his letters.
* * *
AIDAN DIDN’T REACH the same conclusion as Janie. He had a different perspective of the two boys. He’d witnessed their camaraderie, their brotherly bickering and their love for one another on a different level. Aidan went straight to Reagan, who was now safely ensconced at his house with his grandmother and little brothers. He asked Claire if he could speak to Reagan and she readily agreed.
Aidan found him sitting on his bed in his and Gareth’s bedroom, a notebook open in front of him. Aidan decided his best approach with Reagan would be the most direct one.
“So, Reagan, what do you think? Where would Gareth go?”
Reagan glanced down and Aidan could tell he was battling over how to answer the question.
“Hey, I get that you don’t want to betray your brother. But we can’t help him unless we find him.”
Reagan met his eyes but remained silent.
Aidan changed his tactic. “Were you there when Gareth beat up Harmon?”
Something flickered in Reagan’s eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Reagan, I don’t know what you’ve been told, but Gareth isn’t only in trouble for leaving school and possibly having drugs. The police also want to question him about assaulting Harmon.”
Reagan gaped at Aidan. “But Gareth didn’t touch him!”
Aidan knew what Reagan was going to say even before the words came out of his mouth.
“I did. Just like you taught us, Aidan. It was awesome. And I didn’t start it, either—also like you told us. I waited for him to touch me first. Harmon cornered us in the locker room. He grabbed me by my hair and was going to make me eat dog vomit.”
Reagan relayed the entire story. Aidan listened and the relief he felt caused beads of sweat to break out on his forehead. Of course he’d hoped that Reagan wouldn’t have to use the skills he’d taught him, but he was perfectly okay that he had. Because the most important result was that the balance of power had finally shifted.
“I’m so proud of you, Reagan. Why didn’t you guys tell me?”
“Gareth thought it would be better if we didn’t drag you into it. We felt pretty certain that Harmon wouldn’t say anything because he got beat up.”
Aidan told Reagan about Marv’s story.
Reagan smiled. “He told his dad it was Gareth, because he was embarrassed to say it was me.”
Aidan agreed this was probably the case. “We need to find Gareth, Reagan. We need to clear all this up. Do you want to help me?”
“Yes, and I want to talk to the police. Gareth doesn’t need to protect me anymore.”
Aidan could not imagine feeling more pride for another human being than he did in that moment. A knot of emotion gathered in his chest. He reached out to grip Reagan’s shoulder and Reagan launched himself into Aidan’s arms.
Aidan held him tight as Regan said, “Thank you, Aidan. Thank you for everything.”
After a moment, Reagan pulled away and reached over to pick up a framed photo from the nightstand. He turned the frame so Aidan could see the photo of the boys with their dad. They were sitting together on top of a huge rock that jutted up out of a river smiling for the camera.
“This was our favorite spot. We loved to ride four-wheelers to this place. Captain’s Rock—that’s what we named it.”
“It looks like a beautiful place, Reagan.”
Reagan grinned. “It is, but that’s not why I’m telling you, Aidan. This is the place where we spread our dad’s ashes. Gareth took the letters and this is where he went. I know it.”
* * *
JANIE AND BERING found Gareth’s bicycle behind an outbuilding on Bering’s property as Janie had predicted they would. A quick check revealed that one of Bering’s four-wheelers was missing. The tracks led toward the mountains, but once he hit the ATV path that Bering and his guides used to access some of the wilderness areas, the tracks would mingle with the countless others already there. Two of Bering’s guides had used the trail that day, so discerning which direction he’d gone would be difficult.
Janie tried desperately to keep her panic at bay. She stood facing the vast expanse of forest and wild country that abutted Bering’s property and realized that she’d never felt so small and insignificant in her entire life.
She couldn’t seem to stifle the sob welling within her as she looked at her brother. “He could literally be anywhere. Bering, what are we going to do?”
* * *
“THIS WOULD BE faster on four-wheelers,” Reagan explained as he instructed Aidan to slow down to make an upcoming turn. “But this will get us there. We’ll have to hike to the river from the road and it’s steep and brushy.”
Aidan pulled the pickup over and he and Reagan climbed out. He grabbed his day pack, checked to make sure he had water, bear spray and an EpiPen. Reagan slipped his own pack onto his shoulders.
There didn’t appear to Aidan to be much of a trail, but Reagan took off through the brush like he knew exactly where he was headed. Not for the first time he marveled at the intelligence, resilience and self-sufficiency these boys possessed. He reassured himself that Gareth was using all of these traits now.
* * *
GARETH WAS SITTING on a tall rock that jutted from the edge of the riverbank. A sense of urgency had overtaken him when he’d found out the police wanted to talk to him about Harmon in addition to his taking off from school, and now drugs had been found in Aidan’s place? Marv Vetcher had probably put them there. He was crazy and there was no way Gareth would allow him to see these letters. They were his private words to his dad and if that meant he would be in extra trouble for destruction of evidence or whatever—fine. He’d take it.
He’d also gladly take the heat for Reagan drilling his stupid son, too, but not before he told everyone what Harmon had tried to do first.
Gareth had finished burning the last letter and sat thinking about his dad when his eye caught movement emerging from the brush. His first thought was a moose, but another flash of brown fur and a yearling grizzly cub emerged from the brush. Adrenaline shot through his bloodstream and his pulse began to pound because he knew the mom couldn
’t be far away.
He looked around, thinking quickly, like his dad and Uncle Bering had always taught him. He was a good fifteen feet above the ground and maybe forty yards away from the bear, although he knew his perch offered no protection from a grizzly. They were crazy fast and could jump and do incredible stuff. He glanced behind him, judging the distance to his ATV—at least twenty yards. And by the time he got there, started it up... It was no good; he knew the grizzly could be on him before he even reached the four-wheeler. He was going to have to be as still as possible and hope they moved on.
The huge sow emerged from the brush with her nose tilted high in the air. Gareth’s heart nearly stopped as he realized the extent of his danger. Gareth wasn’t sure how much time passed, he was barely breathing. His legs were falling asleep now and his toes hurt from crouching for so long on the rock. Thank goodness the breeze was in his favor, but if she kept coming this way...
That’s when he heard the sound of voices over his shoulder. He turned his head very slowly, saw his brother and Aidan emerge onto the four-wheeler trail. Brush and the rock prevented them from seeing the bear—and vice versa. Except the bear heard, or smelled, them first, and she stood on her hind legs.
The sow dropped and charged like a brown lightning bolt in Reagan and Aidan’s direction. Gareth had no choice. He jumped to his feet and screamed, “Bear, Reagan, bear!” He threw his backpack at the bear and she slowed her charge for a millisecond, before changing her direction to the most immediate threat—Gareth and his rock.
His canister of bear spray was ready and his last thought before his perch somehow flew out from under his feet and the world went black was that his dad would be proud because he’d saved his little brother.
* * *
AIDAN HAD KNOWN terror in his life. An angry baboon was terrifying. Fire ants were horrifying and the pain from the sting of a jellyfish had scared him so badly he’d thought he was going to die. But the sight of the bear charging full-tilt toward him and Reagan on the riverbank made all of his previous wildlife encounters seem like child’s play.
His bear spray was at the ready in his hand. He popped the safety valve off the top, all the while moving around Reagan so the child would be positioned behind him. Suddenly the bear shifted directions and charged toward the large rock where Gareth stood.
As Aidan shouted and sprinted toward Gareth his brain registered the cloud of mist erupting from the rock. Suddenly the bear seemed to catapult backward. After somersaulting a few times, she came to rest on her feet and shook like a giant dog. She growled and pawed at her face, flopping her head one way and then the other. Her cub watched, pacing nervously. She finally moved rapidly away into the brush, the cub following.
Aidan realized that Gareth must have sprayed the bear. The relief he felt was almost overwhelming, until he noticed that Gareth was nowhere to be seen.
“Gareth?” Aidan yelled.
“He fell off the rock,” Reagan said. “He was spraying the bear when his feet somehow slipped out from under him.” Reagan ran around him toward the rock and Aidan followed.
They found Gareth crumpled on the ground at the base of the rock. Blood oozed from a small cut on the side of his head, where a large lump was forming. He was conscious—barely.
“Gareth, you’re going to be fine, buddy. Stay with us, okay?”
Reagan grabbed his hand. “Gareth, you kicked that bear’s butt. She’s gone and we’ll get you out of here.”
Aidan debated about what to do. He knew you weren’t supposed to move trauma victims but he also knew it could be a long time before help arrived. He handed his phone to Reagan before scooping Gareth up in his arms. “As soon as we have a signal, call your mom and tell her to meet us at the hospital.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
JANIE HELD HER breath all the way to the hospital—or at least it seemed like that. Bering parked and without speaking they exited his pickup and ran to the emergency room door. They walked quickly down the hall until they saw Aidan standing near the nurses’ station.
He hurried toward them. “Janie, he’s going to be fine. The doctor says it’s a mild concussion. Nothing broken.”
Janie was profoundly grateful. She reached out a hand, placing it on the wall beside her. “Where is he?”
Aidan pointed at the adjacent door.
Janie rushed in and found Gareth propped up in bed with a white bandage on his forehead. Reagan sat in a chair by his side. They were both smiling.
“Hi, Mom,” Gareth said.
So many words, so many thoughts, flashed through her brain, but Janie found that she couldn’t speak even one of them. She stood silently and let her eyes take in the precious scene of her two oldest boys—whole and strong and mostly healthy. She cupped a hand over her mouth as hot tears clouded her eyes.
Then she walked over and hugged them both.
* * *
THEY KEPT GARETH overnight for observation. Janie insisted on staying with him even though he informed her that it wasn’t necessary. The next morning Claire picked them up and drove them home, where she learned the whole story of the fight from Gareth and Reagan. Reagan had been the one to punch Harmon, but clearly he had been defending himself.
Officer Adams paid them a visit later that day to question Gareth and Reagan about the “assault.” He spoke to Janie privately and revealed that he had also questioned Riley Shriver; he had corroborated Gareth and Reagan’s account of the events. Officer Adams was troubled by the details of Harmon’s bullying and told Janie he was going to recommend counseling for Harmon—and speak to his commanding officer about doing so for Marv as well. Officer Adams didn’t seem intimidated by Marv Vetcher in the least and Janie felt a renewed confidence in Rankins’s police force.
Janie had learned from Shay the night before that the drug matter had been cleared up as well. There would be no charges against Aidan and the specimen had been returned to Blake. Aidan still planned to do an analysis. She was so grateful to Jonah for advocating on her boys’ behalf, in addition to helping Aidan.
Aidan. Janie could only imagine what he was thinking. She hadn’t seen him yet, aside from the brief exchange in the hallway outside Gareth’s room the night before. Janie was afraid he’d finally had enough of them all...
Later that afternoon while the twins were napping Janie peeked in their room to find Gareth, Reagan, MacGyver and Crosby all asleep on their bedroom floor. The tender sight warmed her heart and she considered joining them, when she heard a soft knock on the front door.
She found Meredith on her porch, a file folder in her hands and what looked like a laptop case slung over one shoulder.
“Janie, hi, can I come in?”
“Yes, of course.” So much had happened recently that Janie had nearly forgotten her prior visit last week. Had it only been a few days?
Janie led her toward the living room.
“Mmm, smells good in here. Cinnamon?”
“And nutmeg. I just took an oatmeal cake out of the oven. Can I get you a slice?”
Meredith smiled. “Thanks, maybe in a minute.”
They sat on the sofa and Janie waited politely for Meredith to get to the point.
“Before I show you what I’ve been working on, I want to say that you seem like such a nice person. Aidan deserves to have someone like you.”
“Meredith, Aidan and I aren’t—”
Meredith interrupted her with a grin. “Yes, you are. Or you will be.” She pointed at Janie’s knitting basket. “Is that an ugly Christmas sweater you’re working on?”
It was. Janie had started it for Aidan. The pattern featured flowers and a bee wearing a Santa hat. Janie adored it already and no matter what happened between her and Aidan she planned to send it to him—wherever he happened to be when she finished it. But how would Meredith know about her ugl
y sweaters?
Meredith opened her laptop and fired it up. “Do you think you could do one with a Chiweenie on it?”
“I’m sorry—a ch-what?”
Meredith fiddled with her phone and then handed it to Janie. The screen held a photo of an adorable brown dog. “A Chiweenie—this is my Chihuahua-dachshund mix, Bellini. I’d love to place the first special order.”
Meredith turned her laptop screen toward Janie.
The top of the screen read Jane E. Knits & Designs. Above that in smaller letters the following words stretched across the screen: knits, ugly sweaters, designs, order, special orders, about me, faq.
Meredith clicked on the knits icon. A photo of Meredith wearing one of her sweaters popped onto the screen. There were also photos of baby Violet and the twins, Gareth, Reagan, Shay, Jonah, Emily, Bering and even Blake—all wearing garments that she’d made.
“Meredith, what is this?”
“It’s your website. Aidan had me do it. Now, keep in mind there was only so much I could do without your knowledge and approval. So, this can all be changed. But you get the gist of it, right?”
Janie stared at the screen. “No one is going to buy this stuff. They can make their own and besides...these prices—no way.”
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. I don’t want to make my own, Janie, but I want one. And this is the price I’d be willing to pay. Trust me, this is part of my job. I did my research.”
“How did you get the stuff?”
“Aidan did that part.”
Janie peered closely at the photos and recognized some items as those that Emily had put up for sale at the tourism office. There were also garments that she had made over the years that she kept in the closet in her sewing room. Her mom must have given them to Aidan.
Janie stared in disbelief. “People are buying these?”
Meredith grinned and clicked on something else on her computer. She pointed. “This is what has sold...” She clicked on something else. “And these are all the inquiries you’ve received about special orders.”