Three Brothers Lodge - The Complete Series Box Set

by Morris Fenris

  Pine trees, mixed with bare-limbed quaking aspens, had been expertly left in place around the smaller cabins, making it appear as if the cabins were part of the natural order of things. Corrals stood off to the side of the large equipment barn, and horses wandered through the snow, tossing their heads to and fro in delight.

  She let her eyes take it all in, and she felt an ache deep inside for the eight years she’d been away from this. Home. Her heart knew it. Now, if she could just get her head to believe…What? What did she want her head to believe? That she truly belonged here? Yes! Most definitely. That the mistakes of the past didn’t matter? That too.

  She felt more tears spring to her eyes as her heart and her mind battled for supremacy.

  That was how Mason found her moments later when he opened the back door to lift her from the vehicle. Crying. Again.

  Chapter 13

  Mason leaned his arms against the top of the vehicle door, and watched her with careful eyes. When Kaillar opened the door on the other side, Mason shook his head and gave him a look that only brothers would understand. Leave. Now.

  Mason waited until Kaillar had gone inside and then he sighed, “Why are you crying? Is it your leg?” His tone of voice indicated that he already knew the answer.

  Gracie looked at him, and felt bad for putting that cautious look in his eyes. “The lodge is beautiful.”

  He watched her for a moment and then laughed softly, “You’re crying because you like the way the lodge looks?”

  Gracie blushed and nodded her head, “Sorry. Maybe the pain meds don’t agree with me? I seem to be on this emotional rollercoaster and I can’t get off.”

  She was openly crying now, and Mason wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tear-stained face into his chest. “Shush. You can get off anytime you want.”

  “Can I? I don’t think so.”

  “Gracie…let’s go inside. I know Justin is anxious to see you, and he wants you to meet Jessica. Also, just to warn you – Melanie and her husband are here as well as Becca. Let’s forget everything for the rest of the day and just try to enjoy each other, our family, and friends. Okay?”

  Gracie pushed away from his chest, and used her fingertips to wipe the evidence of her tears away. “Okay.” She took a breath and then looked up at him, “Any idea how I’m going to get out of here?”

  Mason chuckled and then nodded, “Sit tight. I’m going to pull you out and carry you inside.”

  “You can’t keep carrying me around,” she argued, wrapping an arm around his shoulders anyway.

  “Gracie, I will carry you for as long as you need me to.”

  She heard the double entendre in his words, but she chose to ignore it. “Well, I will accept that for the next little while, seeing as how I haven’t any idea of how to walk around on crutches. And frankly,” she looked around at the piles of snow everywhere, “is it even possible to walk on crutches in two feet of snow?”

  Mason laughed, “Do me a favor and don’t try? I would rather not make another trip to the hospital until your scheduled appointment.”

  “Deal. So, who is Jessica?”

  Justin chose that moment to exit the house, no doubt wondering what was taking them so long to come inside. When he saw Mason carrying Gracie, he hurried down the steps to shut the car door and grab her stuff. “Hey! There she is. How you doing Gracie?”

  “I’m going to be fine, Justin.”

  “Good to hear.” He looked at Mason and inquired, “Everything else okay?”

  Mason nodded, “Everything’s fine. Since you’re here, you can answer Gracie’s question.”

  “What question?”

  “Who is Jessica?” she asked, watching Justin’s face go soft, and a slight blush stain his cheeks.

  “Jessica is the woman I hope to marry one day in the near future.”

  “Wow! How long have you two been together?”

  Justin’s blush increased and then he cleared his throat, “There is nothing set in stone that says a couple must know each other for years before they know they’re right.”

  Gracie nodded in agreement, as Mason climbed the stairs with her held securely in his arms. “You’re right. There isn’t. So, how long?”

  “About a month.” He smiled at her, and then openly laughed when he realized she wasn’t going to lecture him.

  Gracie raised a brow and then asked, “Are you sure she’s the one?”

  “Absolutely positive!”

  Gracie smiled and relaxed in Mason’s arms, “I’m happy for you. So, can we go inside now? I’m freezing.”

  Justin and Mason both started, and she chuckled as Justin hurried to open the door so that Mason could carry her inside. “Careful, don’t bump her sore leg.”

  Mason froze, and then carefully walked them through the door frame, “Sorry. I didn’t hurt you did I?”

  Gracie shook her head, “No. I’m fine. In fact, you could put me down. I have to learn to get around on those crutches sometime. Six weeks is a long time. And before you offer, even you can’t carry me around for six weeks.”

  Mason started to open his mouth, and then he realized how silly his protest would be. He couldn’t carry her around for six weeks. He stood her up in the foyer, and then turned and accepted the crutches from Justin. They had been adjusted to the proper height back at the hospital, so all she had to do was slip them under her arms and start moving.

  Gracie took a few hesitant steps, and then she looked up and saw everyone watching her, “Hey guys! Whoever said that doctors make the worst patients must have spoken from experience. Never again will I tell someone to stay off their feet for weeks, or hand them a set of crutches and blithely send them on their way. This is horrible!”

  Everyone in the room started laughing and the tension dissipated that fast. Melanie and Becca both came over and hugged her, being careful not to disrupt her fragile balance. “I’m so glad you’re going to be okay.”

  “I’m going to be fine. How are you?” She watched Becca blush and slip a glance towards Kaillar, but then she ducked her head and answered softly.

  “I think I scared him by freaking out, but I’m fine now. A good night’s sleep helped.”

  “Good. I have something I want to talk to you about before you guys head back to Denver.”

  Becca nodded, “We’ve been invited to stay for Thanksgiving dinner, so we aren’t going back until Friday morning. Justin said you and Mason might be coming back then as well to get the rest of your things?”

  “That’s the plan.” I have some thinking to do before then, and I really need to talk to Doc. I want this to work. Maybe he’ll have some great advice for me.

  “Good.”

  Justin walked over with a beautiful blonde’s hand in his own, “Gracie this is Jessica Andrews. Jessica, this is Gracie Shelton.”

  Gracie smiled at the woman, and juggled her crutches until she could shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “You too. Justin has lunch ready. Are you hungry?”

  Gracie looked up and then asked, “You cook?” She looked at Mason and shrugged her shoulders when he raised an eyebrow. “Fine. I admit it. I thought you were joking about Justin cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and I really was expecting freeze-dried turkey and stuffing in one of those little foil bags.”

  Justin smiled and waggled his eyebrows at her, “I am a man of many talents. Come on. Get situated on the couch, and I’ll have Mason bring you a plate.”

  Gracie followed his advice, and just like that, she felt the heavy burden of knowledge fall away to the back of her memory. She was going to live in the moment. At least for today.

  Chapter 14

  Wednesday morning…

  Becca had just finished helping Gracie get dressed in a pair of borrowed sweat pants and a long sleeved t-shirt when they heard someone holler up the stairs that breakfast was ready. The two women made their way slowly into the large living area to see both Kaillar and Justin
sitting at the table, along with Jessica, while Mason continued to make stacks of pancakes.

  “You girls ready for breakfast?”

  Gracie stopped and stared at him, “You cook?”

  Mason smirked at her, “Thought you knew everything didn’t you? And yes, I can cook. Have a seat.”

  Gracie looked at Justin, and shared a grin with him, “I kind of reminded him about his adventures in Home Ec while we were up in the shack.”

  Kaillar burst out laughing, “Oh man! I remember that. Uncle Jed was completely at a loss for words…”

  Justin joined in and then whispered loudly, “We all started learning to cook right after that. Uncle Jed had several of the women from town come up and give us cooking lessons on the weekends and school vacations.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Gracie told him. She looked at Mason as he set a plate of pancakes in front of her, “How come I didn’t know that?”

  Mason tapped her on the nose, “There are lots of things you didn’t get to know.”

  Gracie shook her head at him, “There can’t be that many. From the time we were ten until I moved away, I practically lived up here.”

  Justin grinned, “Uncle Jed didn’t seem to mind. He loved having you around. So, how is your knee this morning?”

  Becca answered before she could, “She needs ice and elevation. She also needs some pain pills but after she eats.”

  “Are you my mother now?” Gracie asked on a laugh.

  “No, but you’ve taken care of me enough times, I thought it was time to return the favor. I saw some board games on the bookshelf last night. Maybe we could play one after breakfast?”

  “Monopoly?” Gracie asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

  Becca groaned, “Sure. Why not? I like to lose.”

  “Do you guys have room for another player?” Jessica asked.

  “Sure.” Gracie looked around and then asked, “Where are Melanie and Michael?”

  Justin grinned, “We set up the honeymoon suite for them. They have an entire cabin to themselves. Seemed only right to give them some quiet time together.”

  Gracie’s heart melted and she reached across the table and covered Justin’s hand with her own, “Thank you. I know that will mean the world to both of them. Before he came back to the States, Melanie did her best to stay positive, but every time there was another report of American soldiers dying, she would withdraw just a bit until the names were released. Then she would breathe easy for another few days, or weeks, and go through it all again.”

  Jessica shook her head, “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been on her.”

  “But it all has a happy ending now. She’s going to work for her dad in Florida, and Michael got his discharge, so they can be together now.”

  “More pancakes, anyone?” Mason asked, a spatula raised up above the skillet. When no one answered him, he turned the gas off and started cleaning up. Their Uncle Jed had been one smart cookie, and he’d quickly realized that boys who cleaned up after themselves in the kitchen learned the art of economy and multi-tasking with the cookware and utensils. The lodge had many modern appliances, but a dishwasher hadn’t been added until Justin came home from the Middle East and the brothers decided to build their futures in Silver Springs.

  Justin and Kaillar headed for the back door, grabbing jackets and gloves on their way out. “We’re heading down to start the walks. Join us when you’re done.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll just make sure that the girls are set and be right out.”

  Becca, Jessica, and Gracie had already moved to the large couch, and were in the process of setting up the Monopoly board when he tossed the dish towel onto the hanging rack and joined them. “So, you girls need anything before I head outside?”

  He’d watched Gracie shut down after she’d mentioned Melanie going to work for her dad. Could this all have something to do with her father? She said she’d been fighting with him.

  “We’re fine, thank you.”

  “Good. If you need anything, just let Jessica know. She’s been up here enough that she knows where most things are located.”

  Gracie watched him from beneath her lashes as he slipped his jacket on, and then grabbed his gloves. He gave her one last searching glance before shaking his head and stepping outside.

  “What was that all about?” Jessica asked once he was gone.

  “What are you talking about?” Gracie asked.

  “Come on. We might not know each other, but I do know some of Mason’s tells. What’s with all the looks? At times Mason looks completely happy, and then he watches you and looks like someone kicked his new puppy.”

  Gracie dropped her eyes, “It’s complicated.”

  Jessica nodded her head and then suggested, “So uncomplicate it.”

  Becca took her hand, “Do you remember what you told me? After the…” She cleared her throat, glanced at Jessica, and then finished her sentence, “After I was attacked?”

  Gracie shook her head, “Not really.”

  “Well, I do. I kept saying that it was all my fault. That I should have been more careful, and you got mad at me. You were almost yelling at me because I wouldn’t listen to you. You said…you said that I didn’t make the choice to be attacked. I made the choice to walk through the parking garage to get to my car. A perfectly normal activity that should have been safe.

  “But the men who attacked me, they also made a decision that night. One that ended up hurting me and costing them their freedom. It didn’t take right then, but over the next few days, I kept hearing you telling me that it wasn’t my fault. That I didn’t do anything to deserve getting attacked.”

  “Do you believe me now?” Gracie asked, her voice full of compassion at what Becca had gone through.

  “I do. Now, I want to return the favor. Tell me what’s going on between you and Mason. Please let me help you.”

  Gracie sighed, the board game forgotten. She looked up, and then shook her head, “Nothing’s wrong.” She’d enjoyed breakfast, the easy banter between her and everyone else. She wanted to continue basking in the warmth and love the Donnelly boys offered, and thoughts of the past would ruin that.

  “Let’s play,” she said a bit too gaily. One more day? Please God, just one more day before I have to start thinking about the future.

  Chapter 15

  Mason grabbed a snow shovel, and started in on a section of the walkways that was still covered in snow. He could see Justin and Kaillar up ahead, and made it his personal goal to finish before them. Even though he’d gotten a late start.

  That’s how it had always been. The three boys challenging each other to be better, faster, smarter. Everything had been turned into a competition, and their Uncle Jed had been an expert at harnessing that competitive spirit and teaching them how to win and lose with grace.

  Mason tossed his hands up as he finished two shovelfuls ahead of Justin, and five ahead of Kaillar. He and his brothers headed to the equipment barn, with Mason pulling out three sodas from the fridge kept there.

  He popped the top, and hauled himself up to sit on a hay bale. “So, Becca seems more stable today.”

  Kaillar nodded, “Yeah, she slept well the first night, and seems to be handling being around me a little better.”

  “That’s good news. Any idea of what happened to her yet?”

  “Melanie kind of filled me in. She was attacked a few months ago in a parking garage. The attack stole her confidence, and Gracie diagnosed her as suffering from PTSD. She refuses to get some help, and according to Melanie, she refused to call her parents and tell them what had happened.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “No. It isn’t. But I’m not going to worry about it. I could see myself getting to know a girl like her, but she lives in Denver, and I already know I’m not up for a long distance relationship. Besides, she needs someone who’s going to be around all the time.”

  Mason an
d Justin nodded, in agreement with his assessment. Changing the subject, Mason asked, “You up for a trip to Denver Friday morning?”

  Justin nodded, “Yeah. Jessica will probably want to tag along as well.”

  “Good. I figured we’d take the small trailer and bring back whatever belongings she’s bringing here.”

  “That’s doable. You planning to spend the night?”

  Mason shook his head, “I wasn’t really planning on it.”

  “Well, do so. You in, Kai?”

  “No. I’m scheduled to act as ski patrol all weekend. You guys go and have fun. I think Melanie and her hubby are heading out Friday morning as well. That probably means that Becca will be out of here as well.”

  Justin nodded and then turned to Mason, “So what happened up at the hospital?”

  Mason looked up at the rafters and then shook his head, “Wish I knew. Something about mom.”

  “Whose mom?” Justin asked for clarification.

  “Our mother. Gracie told the nurse that she is responsible for mom’s death.”

  Justin said nothing and then he suggested, “Think she needs to talk to someone about the thoughts in her head?”

  “You mean like a shrink?” Mason asked, already shaking his head, completely against the idea.

  “No. Like a pastor. Or Doc. Both men could provide an unbiased ear to listen. As well as some valuable insight and good advice.”

  Mason thought for a moment, “That’s not a bad idea. Doc was alive when mom was growing up and Jeremy wasn’t. That would provide Gracie with two different viewpoints on whatever’s bothering her.

  “I told her she never had to tell me whatever it is. She seems to think it will change how I think about her, but I’ve assured her it wouldn’t. I don’t think she believes me.”

  Justin smiled, “Leave it to me. Jeremy and his family are already planning to join us for dinner tomorrow. Doc Matthews already had plans, but I could probably get him to drop by and visit his replacement later this afternoon.”