“I take it no one’s here?” Di asked when he returned.
He shook his head. “It’s empty.”
I returned to the kitchen. The cereal bowl still sat there. Someone had been there. The evidence lay right in front of me. I joined the others as they all stared, but they seemed afraid to move anything, as if everything would evaporate with the slightest touch.
“Does anyone remember anything about this place?” Di asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
“Show me the basement,” Di said.
I took a deep breath. The group followed me downstairs. Coldness grew as we descended. Everyone gazed in puzzlement at the strange suits at the bottom.
“Why would these be needed?” Mica picked up a sleeve.
I shrugged. “Maybe things can’t get contaminated in there.” I nodded toward the other room.
Di walked to the door with the window, but it still wouldn’t budge when she tried the handle.
“It’s password protected.” I pointed to the keypad.
She tapped her fingers against it and frowned. Similar to earlier, light flooded the room on the other side. I guessed it had movement sensors. Di stared inside when the room was completely lit.
“Unbelievable,” she murmured.
Everyone else moved to take a turn at the window. One by one, we all stared wide-eyed.
On the other side of the door, was a huge modern lab. It was one large room with rows and rows of counter space. On the counters were beakers, petri dishes, shelving and endless amounts of machinery. Several cabinets looked like refrigerators or freezers and held jars and dishes of different liquids and solids. They were a variety of colors. I once again stared in amazement. I didn’t know what any of it was.
Di whirled around. “There’s no way we can get in there?”
“Not unless you break the window,” Flint said.
“Good luck,” I murmured. I didn’t know why, but I had a feeling it was bullet proof.
“Come on.” Flint put his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “Let’s look at the rest of the house.” She grudgingly let him pull her away.
We spent the next several hours filtering through everything. For a split second, I felt guilty about that, but my need to find answers took precedence. If this place could answer what happened to us, I’d turn it inside out if need be.
Flint stayed with me while we dug through drawers and scrolled through bookshelves. Jacinda and Mica spent most of their time in the biggest bedroom with all of the bunks, while Amber, Jet and Jasper stayed in the other bedrooms and living room.
Di, on the other hand, became obsessed with the lab. She returned to the door and spent the entire time trying different numerical passwords. Of course, none of them worked. The crowbar didn’t help either. The door wouldn’t budge.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” I complained to Flint. We stood in the living room, going through books. I pulled out a text on the history of ancient Europe. The cover showed a picture of a decaying castle. I studied it before putting it back on the shelf. “If this place does hold something in our pasts, why don’t we remember it? Surely something would trigger a memory in one of us?”
A lock of chestnut hair fell across his forehead. He was kneeling at the bottom shelf and put away a memoir from a Civil War veteran. “Yeah, you’d think one of us would remember something.”
By the early hours in the morning, we all came to the conclusion that there was nothing left for us to find. While there were endless books to read, drawings to admire, games to play and lab doors to bang our heads against, the general consensus was that there was nothing else that alluded to our identities.
“At least, we know about the symbols and the connection to our cities,” Mica said as we stepped onto the porch. Cold wind greeted us. We walked to the horses who sat huddled together.
Luckily, Amber didn’t have any problems navigating us back to the clearing, although we all agreed that our senses were completely upside down and inside out in the Forbidden Hills. I could see why they were called that. It was as if time stood still and space took on its own dimension. If I hadn’t been surrounded by everyone, I probably would have freaked.
By the time we reached the barn, tended to the horses and made it back to the cabin, a good eight inches of snow sat on the ground. I was mostly frozen. The clock chimed five in the morning, and the space heaters were turned on full blast when we all collapsed, exhausted onto the couches.
“There’s got to be another clue!” Di’s dark eyes were almost wild. The cool, composed Di I’d always known had vanished. “We’re just not seeing it!”
Jet shook his head and rested back in his chair. “Di, there was nothing else at that cabin. No names on any books, no initials on any drawings, no papers stating the deed of ownership . . . there was nothing. What do you expect us to come up with?”
“Yeah,” Jasper agreed. Amber sleepily nodded from the crook of his shoulder.
“We should go to bed. Everyone’s too tired to think of anything.” Jacinda yawned, but Di held firm. She insisted we stay up until something revealed itself.
Consequently, all of our eyes were bloodshot and gritty by the time the sun rose. It was only when I dozed off in Flint’s lap that he gently nudged me awake. Without a word, he carried me to bed. Flint’s obvious disregard for Di’s manic request was enough for everyone to follow suit.
“Come back!” she yelled. “We just need to think harder!” The sounds of doors opening and closing as the others wandered off to bed was the only response she got.
“You okay?” Flint whispered when he lifted me to my bunk.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I mumbled sleepily. “You?”
“Yeah. Sorry about Di. She can be rather hard headed when something gets in her mind.”
I smiled. “Sounds like her brother.”
He chuckled and kissed me softly on the lips. When I pulled him in for a deeper kiss, he growled. Amber had fallen asleep with Jasper on the couch. Mica was currently in the bathroom. In other words, we were alone.
“I assumed you were too tired for that,” he said.
“I’m never too tired for that. Besides, it’s been too long.” Since my accident, we’d managed to get away from the group a few times, but each time was hurried and quick since one of us had to work or someone was expecting us somewhere. Every time, we kissed and touched, and while clothes came off we’d never had sex. Birth control was not something we had. Hence, mounting frustrations.
“In that case . . .” he murmured.
A whoosh of air and he was on top of me. I pulled him eagerly into another kiss as he pushed my shirt up. Cool air washed over my abdomen. My nipples hardened which caused a murmur of appreciation from him. Since we had no idea when Mica would be back, it was another hurried moment where we explored one another as fast as we could while making sure to keep most of our clothes on in case someone burst through the door. I could feel Flint’s desire. Once again, raw, hot energy poured off him. His need consumed me, making me long for him even more as the familiar ache grew between my thighs.
When voices sounded outside the room, Flint pulled back. I huffed in annoyance and smoothed my shirt back in place.
“Are they coming in?” I asked quietly.
“Not sure.”
It sounded like the twins but eventually the voices passed. They’d obviously moved on.
Flint sighed harshly. “I need to get you alone, in a hotel, for a week, before I’m going to feel like I’ve had enough of you.”
He climbed off the bunk. Bringing up his forearms, he rested them on the frame. I admired their deep, tawny color and the way his muscles rippled beneath them.
“Only a week?” I teased, tracing a finger along his skin.
“Minimum of a week, and that’s just to work out the initial frustration.”
“That sounds better,” I mumbled sleepily, my eyes closing. “Count me in.”
He was kissing me softly when Mic
a entered. Wet hair dripped down her back as she clutched a towel around her. An annoyed grumble was her greeting before she stalked to her dresser. Flint took the hint.
“Goodnight,” he whispered and disappeared out the door.
PETE WOKE US around lunchtime. He didn’t comment that it was past twelve and all of us were either in bed or sprawled on the furniture. Well, except for Di.
I stumbled out to the living room when I heard the commotion. Bright sunlight streamed into the room. Pete stood by the door, his hat in his hands. A light dusting of snow covered the floor around him. Di stood by the window, staring out into a sea of white. I wasn’t sure if she had let Pete in or not. She seemed almost catatonic.
Amber yawned and rubbed her eyes. Jasper sat beside her on the couch, doing the same. Jacinda was the only one presentable. In a long silk nightgown with her hair perfectly styled, she stood at the small kitchenette making coffee. I could only imagine what I looked like. The stray snarls of hair curling around my face resembled a poorly constructed beehive.
Fresh scents of coffee soon filled the air. Pete cleared his throat. “Well, the reason I came down was to make sure all of ya were all right. And also to let ya know the girls are takin’ off today.” Pete addressed Jacinda. “Haley’s gotta get back to work and Shelby and Fiona need to get their boys back to school. Haley was hopin’ to see ya before she left.”
Jacinda smiled. “Of course. I’ll get dressed and be right up.”
Pete turned and tucked his cap back on his head. Warm air flowed through the door when he opened it. It had to be at least fifty degrees. It seemed the freak blizzard weather had ended.
I watched through the window as he trudged up the drive. At least a foot of snow sat on the ground. The entire outdoors blazed brightly, like a white frosted quilt had settled over the landscape. It was so bright it actually hurt my eyes.
Squinting, I turned to the bathroom only to see the door close. Jacinda had beat me to it. In other words, I wouldn’t be getting in there for at least an hour.
“Did you sleep last night?” I asked Di.
She still stood at the window, not moving. I had to ask her again before she turned.
“Oh, yeah, a little,” she replied quietly.
With crossed arms, she continued gazing out the window. A slamming door from somewhere outside sounded. A moment later, Flint and Jet appeared through the window, walking in the snow toward our cabin. Flint hadn’t bothered with a jacket. Clad in only a T-shirt and jeans, he trudged through the snow. Tawny forearms and broad shoulders made my pulse quicken. I made myself take a deep breath.
They entered without knocking. Another warm breeze trailed inside.
“Morning,” Flint said to everyone.
Jet pointed at the clock. “I believe the technical term is afternoon.”
Flint ignored him and glanced at Di. With a furrowed brow, Flint approached me. “Hi.” He leaned down and kissed me softly on the mouth.
My hands clenched his T-shirt as he pulled away.
“Sleep okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, but coffee still sounds good.”
In lightning fast moves, he poured cups for everyone. It was a miracle it didn’t spill, although the liquid did slosh a few times.
“Di?” Flint nodded toward the bedroom she shared with Jacinda. “Can I speak with you?”
She followed him mutely. I sipped my coffee, watching them disappear behind the closed door. I had a fairly good idea what they were talking about.
The cabin.
WE JOINED THE Henderson family and cowboys for a late lunch. Tears were shed and lots of hugs went all around when Pete and Val’s daughters left with their families. When the last vehicle drove down the driveway, we all waved.
“When will they be back?” Jacinda asked. Her long hair flowed around her shoulders in the warm breeze.
“For Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Pete replied. “We’re fortunate to have all our girls close. The McCormacks, they own the ranch west of here, only see their kids once a year if they’re lucky. Their kids have all gone and moved outta state.”
Flint put his arm around me. I settled against him as thoughts of our families and beginnings once again sneaked to the front of my mind. The cabin in the Forbidden Hills held something in our pasts. I was sure of it. Now, it was just a matter of finding out what.
“I’ve got coffee and tea brewing,” Val said. “Let’s all move back inside.” She bustled everyone to the front door.
As soon as the door closed behind us, Flint nodded in the direction Pete had gone. Before I could ask what was going on, he and Di left the entryway. The rest of us were still kicking snow off our boots.
“When’s our last day here?” Mica asked. She hung her jacket on the coat rack.
“Tomorrow.” I slipped out of my boots and did my best to avoid the wet puddles on the floor.
“Already?” she replied incredulously.
“Yep.” With the last roundup done, our seasonal employment had come to an end. Pete had hinted a few times about keeping two or three of us through the winter. Dean’s eyes had alighted on me each time that subject came up. So far, none of us had responded to those hints. We couldn’t be split up. Now, however, with our finding the cabin so close to Pete’s land, I wasn’t sure what we’d do. Maybe it would make more sense for some of us to stay working so we’d have a way to venture there more often.
“Mmm,” Mica said. “You smell that? Val’s cooking something.”
She trailed off to the kitchen. Jacinda, Amber, the twins and I followed.
An hour later, we were all sitting around the kitchen table playing cards when Di and Flint finally reappeared with Pete. The cowboys had joined in our game. I was losing badly. Apparently, I didn’t know a thing about poker.
Tyler added a five dollar bill to the pot. Jasper sighed and folded.
I glanced away from the game. Pete held out his hand to shake Di’s hand and then Flint’s. “We’ll sure miss all of you. You’ve been a great help. I’m not sure what Val and I would have done without ya.”
“We appreciated the opportunity,” Di replied. “It made for an interesting break in our travels.”
I frowned as those words sank in. We’re leaving?
Dean tensed beside me, his ears perked toward the conversation. I knew Flint had noticed how closely Dean sat beside me. Flint’s energy slowly pushed toward the table.
“We’ll pack tonight and head out tomorrow morning.” Flint crossed his arms. My eyes glued to his strong forearms.
Val wiped her hands on her apron. “It’s a pity to see you all go. We’ve really loved having you.”
Mica, Jacinda, Amber, the twins and I all glanced at one another. If we were leaving tonight, how would we make trips to the cabin?
“SO WHAT’S THE plan, Captain?” Jet asked as we walked through drifts of melting snow.
“We pack when we get back and clear out in the morning,” Di replied.
“And go where?” Mica asked.
Di strode purposefully forward. “The cabin. Someone was there and that place holds answers. Therefore, that’s where we’ll be staying until whoever owns it shows up again.”
“But how are we going to get there?” Jasper asked. “It takes hours on horseback and come tomorrow morning, we won’t have any horses to borrow.”
Di glanced at Flint. “We’ll hike there.”
“Hike there?” Jacinda almost stumbled but caught herself just in time. “As in walk? On foot?”
“That’s generally what hiking means.” Jet clapped her on the back.
“What about all of our stuff?” Amber asked. We reached the cabins and everyone stomped snow on the porch steps before piling into the living room.
“We don’t have that much stuff,” Di said. “What we do have, we’ll take with us.”
“So we’re hiking and carrying our bags.” Jacinda fluffed her hair after taking off her jacket. “I certainly hope we don’t do this more than once.”
“Like Di said, we’ll stay at the cabin until whoever lives there shows up again,” Flint replied. His hair stood out on all ends when he took his hat off. It looked funny and sexy at the same time.
Jacinda huffed. “My suitcase won’t be easy to carry.”
“I’ll carry it,” Flint replied. “And whatever else everyone isn’t able to carry themselves.”
“Ah, to have the superman gene.” Jet sighed. He sat down on the couch, his broad shoulders widening as he settled his arms over the couch back. “And all I got was The Voice.”
Jasper brought his hand to his chest. “I’m touched at your regard for our special gift, brother.”
Jet snorted a laugh.
“Let’s pack.” Di put her hands on her hips. “I told Pete we’d also clean these cabins from top to bottom.”
Jacinda sighed. “In other words, we have a lot of work to do.”
WE SAID OUR goodbyes the next morning. Tears stung my eyes when I hugged Pete and Val. I had no idea our departure would affect me like it did, but in a way, saying goodbye to Hideaway Hills was like saying goodbye to the only identity I’d ever known. Even though I still knew nothing past six months ago, here on this ranch, I’d become someone.
Dean knew me as the girl who enjoyed horseback rides through the hills. Val as the worker who was always happy to help. Pete as the girl who eagerly greeted the guests and joined in the group activities.
Prior to coming here, I’d been a lost, homeless girl on the streets, desperately searching for answers that I had no way of finding. But now, I had an identity, at least a new one, and I clung to that the way a drowning person clings to a raft.
“We’ll sure miss you.” Val wiped tears from her cheeks and hugged me fiercely.
I hugged her back and blinked rapidly. “I’ll miss you too.”
The sun warmed my back as we stood on the porch. Humming from the Suburban, as it idled in the driveway, intermingled with the rustling from our jackets as we hugged everyone goodbye. The cowboys shuffled their feet, hands in their pockets. When I approached Dean, a fleeting look of sadness passed across his face before he covered it with a grin.
The Complete Lost Children Series Page 24