Benny joins us as we walk out. “Would you like to join us, Benny?” I ask.
“Sure, where are you going?”
“I think we will go to the pizza joint. It’ll be fast, and we can get some beer.”
“Do you mind if I call Sally to meet us?” he asks.
“Wow, you guys really have hit it off, haven’t you?” Bruce teases.
“Yeah, she is different from any of the other girls I’ve been with. I really like her a lot,” Benny replies with a cute grin.
“I don’t mind. She can bring Buc if you want. They have a patio.”
“Give her a call, Benny. It’ll be fun.” It will be fun to see the two of them together.
“Hey, but no heavy drinking tonight. We have a long day tomorrow,” Bruce warns.
“No worries, dude,” Benny says as he jumps into his truck with his phone to his ear.
We get into the Jeep, drive to the pizza place, and park out front. We wait in the Jeep until Benny gets there. “So, do you think the cabin will still be standing after all this time?” I question because with the type of weather we have here in PA, it’s likely the structure, if it were made of wood, the cabin would have rotted away by now.
“I’m not sure, to tell you the truth. I’ve always wondered what it was like up there. I would ask my dad, and he always said it’s too hard to get up there right now. Then forgot about it. I’ve had people ask to buy the property, but I always turned them down, hoping that someday I might get up there and maybe build myself a home.”
“I wonder why no one in your family ever cleared it out.”
“No idea, but we’ll find out soon enough. There’s Benny.” We hop out of the truck and wait for Benny, Sally, and Buc to get out of their truck.
“Hey, guys,” Sally says as they get to us.
“Hey, Sally. Hey, Buc. How’s my boy doing?” I squat down and rub Buc’s head as he licks my face.
We find a table on the patio. Buc curls up under the table and lies down. We order pizza and beer and chit-chat while we wait. “So, what have you guys been up to? I haven’t seen you around much lately,” Sally observes.
“I know it seems like I haven’t been home the past few weeks. I’ve been trying to get the battlefields drawn. I’ve finished a lot of them, but I still need to get a few more of them. When winter comes, I’d rather not be out in the cold and snow, again. That’s not really my thing.”
“So, what do you think you will do after this job is over?” she questions.
“I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet. I’m just focusing on one day at a time. However, I’m on hold with the drawing until we can figure out the ghost thing,” I explain.
“Did something else happen since the episode at the reenactment?” she inquires.
“Benny hasn’t told you?” I wonder.
She giggles. “Yeah, we don’t do much talking.” She turns crimson and looks over at Benny. Good Lord, would you look at these too acting like kids. We all laugh. We fill Sally and, apparently, Benny in on what has been going on since I got here. And I think we’ve stunned them into silence.
“You have been busy, haven’t you? Damn, that’s crazy. I’ve never heard of a ghost trying so hard to get someone’s attention. I mean, I hear about people seeing guys with missing limbs, bleeding, walking down the street, and stuff like that, but never ones sending messages like this. What do you think happened to Elizabeth?” Sally is drawn into the story.
“We’re hoping to find out once we make it to the cabin. We have our fingers crossed that maybe she left a clue for us. No one has heard from her since she disappeared after Edward died. It’s such a sad story,” I explain.
We eat our meal with small talk, and when we are done, we call it a night. Of course we all end up at the same lofts.
As we say our good nights, Sally questions, “Do you want me to take Buc while you are gone? Since Benny will be with you, I could use the company.”
I look at Bruce and shrug. He nods. “Sure, that would be great. We were thinking of taking him with us, but I think he should stay here and keep you company. Do you want him tonight so we don’t wake you?” I inquire.
“I get up early to jog, so I don’t mind either way, whatever’s easier for you.”
“All right. Why don’t you take him tonight. That way I’m not worried about him.” I kneel down to talk to Buc. “You be a good boy for Sally. We shouldn’t be long.” I kiss his nose and send him off with her.
“Benny, we’ll see you in the morning,” Bruce says as we walk inside, leaving Buc, Sally, and Benny standing out front.
We stop at my door. “I guess I’ll get my gear ready to go. I don’t have a tent or sleeping bag, I’m afraid.”
“Don’t worry about that stuff. Just pack some comfortable clothes. Take rain gear, just in case, although we should be fine with the weather while we are gone. Nights may get chilly, but I have blankets that we can use. You should get a good night’s sleep. I’ll come by in the morning and make you breakfast before we go.”
“That sounds nice.” Bruce puts his hands around my waist, pulls me to him, and kisses me. He breaks away and starts toward his door. “Bruce…”
“Yeah?” He turns to look at me.
I’m not sure why I called him. It will be strange not sleeping with him tonight. I feel a bit emotional. Maybe it’s all this ghost stuff. “Good night,” I say.
“I’ll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams,” he replies as he opens his door.
I go inside and pack for our trip, wondering what will happen once we get to the cabin. What will we find? Will it still be standing? Only time will tell. I hope we can help Edward get some closure soon.
Chapter 18
I wake to a kiss. I open my eyes and it’s still dark, but Bruce is sitting on my bed next to me. “Good morning,” he whispers.
“Is it time to get up already? I didn’t sleep very well at all.” I roll onto my back and stretch.
“Why is that?”
“I think I’ve gotten used to sleeping next to you.” I put my arm over my eyes to block the light from my bedside lamp and trying desperately to go back to sleep.
“I missed you, too. It was a bit lonely without you.”
“What time is it?” I ask.
“It’s five-fifteen. I thought I’d let you shower while I made us some breakfast. I’ve already talked to Daniel and Benny. Benny is packing his truck now, and Daniel will meet us later. We’ll take two trucks up with us. Daniel and Teresa will ride with us.”
“I guess I’ll take a quick shower then. Thank you for dealing with breakfast.” I kiss him on the cheek as I make my way out of bed and into the bathroom.
In the shower, I get excited about the adventure we’re about to undertake. No one has seen this land in a very long time. I wonder what it’ll look like now. As I blow dry my hair, I smell bacon. There is nothing better than waking up to that smell, except maybe waking up next to Bruce. I make my way out to the kitchen where Bruce has his back to me. I don’t think he has heard me come out yet, so I tiptoe over to him, snake my arms around his waist, and lay my cheek on his back. God, I love feeling his body so close to mine. I feel safe, and he smells so fresh.
“How was your shower?” he inquires as he starts to serve our food.
“It felt good, but not as good as breakfast smells,” I comment. As I unwrap myself, he hands me a plate and swats me on the butt. “Hey,” I yelp. He chuckles.
We sit, enjoying our breakfast and each other’s company. “So how long do you think it will take us to get up to the cabin?”
“Not sure. It will depend on how many trees have fallen over time.”
“I hope it won’t take too long. I’m a bit excited to see what’s up there. I still can’t believe no one has discovered this area. If it were anywhere else, it would be a mini mall or a housing development.”
“I know. That’s one of the reasons I love it here. It has kept to the old ways, yet still managed to th
rive.”
* * *
We pack up Bruce’s truck and head to the meeting place. When we arrive, the guys confirm our route while Teresa and I check the supplies we have with us. Benny has a few guys on standby, just in case we run into any trouble. He also has promised Sally he will check in to let her know how we are doing.
As we start up the road to the cabin Teresa and Daniel ride with Bruce and me, while Benny is by himself with his radio blaring. Since no one has been up here in so long, no road has ever been paved. Back when it was used regularly, people would either walk or travel on horseback. Luckily there is a path that seems to show us where we need to go. As we drive, I look out the windows, watching the trees whiz by. Every now and then I see a deer poke its head up from eating. Both trucks are equipped with four-wheel drive, so no one is worried about the condition of the very bumpy road.
When we have a clear view through the trees, I look out over the valley and discover that I can make out many of the battlefields. I’ve been here long enough and drawn most of them, so I’m able to recognize them from afar. This does feel like home, and the longer I’m here, the more I think I could call this home. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past few months, about what I’ll be doing once my job here is done. I don’t have another one lined up yet.
I haven’t really talked to anyone about the future. I should talk to Bruce, but I’m not sure how I feel. I know it has been a very long time since Ned. However, I just don’t think I can go through another breakup like that. I know Bruce is nothing like Ned, and the fact that we’ve both had bad relationships before, makes me uncertain about what to do. Maybe once this is all over I’ll talk to Bruce. I just hope I haven’t stepped too quickly into this relationship for him to feel the same way about me.
We have driven up a twisty road for about fifteen minutes before we come to the first downed tree blocking our path. I’m surprised that it has taken this long to bump into a problem. I’ve noticed that trees fall in this area all the time. Hell, I was sitting at a signal the other day and one fell right next to me, almost taking out a telephone pole.
The two trucks pull over, and we all get out to take a look. We’ll have to cut our way through since there is no way around it. Benny and Bruce get their chainsaws ready. Luckily the tree is not a very big one, so it shouldn’t take long to cut through it. Daniel and Teresa are off talking on their own, so I walk up the hill to see what more of the road looks like. From what I can see, we can get a bit farther before we’ll have to deal with another fallen tree. I can’t see beyond that, since the forest is so dense in this area.
When I hear the chainsaws shut off, I make my way back toward the group. “See anything?” Bruce questions as he wipes his brow with the back of his arm.
“I see another tree down, up ahead. Looks a lot bigger than this one, but I can’t tell from here if we can drive around it. The road looks pretty rocky, too. Maybe there was a landslide at some point,” I explain. Bruce hands me a water bottle. “How much farther do you think we have to go?”
“Depending on how many more trees we find, by truck maybe a half hour. If we have to walk, it will take a lot longer. Let’s get as far as we can and then decide what to do from there,” Bruce suggests.
We all pile back into the trucks and move forward to the next downed tree. I was right. This tree is much bigger than the last. Bruce and Benny look to see if they can cut through but decide it would take them too long. This tree is not only wide but tall as well. The only thing we can do at this point is hike the rest of the way.
We all pick up our own backpacks, along with an extra pack of supplies that we’ll need tonight, since we will most likely have to camp out. We walk past the tree and on up the path. Benny takes the lead, Daniel and Teresa walk in front of us, and Bruce and I walk together quietly in the back.
“What are you thinking about?” Bruce questions. “You’re very quiet.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about what we’ll find up there, and thinking about other things.”
“What else are you thinking about?”
“Us. What happens when this ghost thing is all over? What happens when my job here is done? That’s what I’m thinking about.”
“Oh.” We walk for a bit before he inquires, “So what do you think?”
“About?” We have been kicking a rock back and forth between each other.
“About what you plan to do when the job is over?” he asks with his head down, still kicking the same rock.
“I like it here, and I think I could settle in. I’m just not sure.”
“What are you not sure about?”
“I’m not sure where you and I stand. We’ve been going out for a while now. I like you a lot. I’m just afraid of having my heart broken again.”
“Hey.” He captures my arm to stop me from walking any further. “Look at me.” I look up into his green eyes. “Why do you think I would break your heart? Have I done anything to make you think I would hurt you?”
“No, it’s just that I don’t know if once these ghosts have moved on, what will happen with us. Would we have found each other on our own? What if they are the only reason we are together?” I tear up a bit and turn away to wipe my eyes. I don’t want him to see me cry.
“Sarah, I promise never to do anything that would hurt you. I’m falling in love with you, Sarah. I don’t know if Edward had anything to do with us getting together, but I think, given time, I would have fallen for you anyway. Please don’t cry,” he explains as he takes my cheeks in his hands and wipes my tears away with his thumbs. “I mean it, Sarah. I think we would have found each other, no matter what.” He kisses the rest of my tears away.
In the distance, we hear Benny call, “Hey, catch up, you guys.” The rest of the group has walked quite a way ahead of us. Bruce waves that we are coming. He takes my hand and kisses it, then we walk hand in hand to catch up.
When we join the others, they are standing by yet another fallen tree. “You guys all right?” Benny questions.
“Yes, we’re fine. What’s up?” Bruce asks.
“I think, according to the map, we still have quite a lot to go. That being said, I think maybe we should set up camp before it gets dark. We could set up right here. I’ve only seen deer tracks, so we should be safe. I did bring my gun in case we run into something bigger. What do you guys think?” Benny questions.
“Might be a good idea to get some rest and eat,” Bruce comments.
Teresa and I nod. I’m pretty hungry after walking so much. Bruce and Benny put up tents and gather wood for a fire, while Teresa, Daniel, and I set up a food station.
Once we have all the tents up and dinner cooked we sit and eat. Since we are in the forest, it is dark already.
“So what is the plan for tomorrow?” I inquire.
“I think we should get up early to get a head start. On foot we should be about an hour away. The sooner we get up there, the faster we’ll get some answers,” Bruce suggests.
“I think that’s a good idea. The sooner we can get answers, the sooner we can help Edward so that we can all move on with our lives. I’m interested in finding out what happened to Elizabeth all those years ago,” I add.
We sit around the campfire for a bit longer as Benny dozes off every few minutes. It’s entertaining to watch him fight to stay awake. I notice that Daniel and Teresa are talking quietly to each other. I had not noticed them doing so before. I’ll have to ask Bruce if they are seeing each other. I’m sitting between Bruce’s legs, leaning against his chest. He is running his fingers through my hair as I watch the fireflies play. This is so relaxing.
Bruce throws a small pebble at Benny, and when he doesn’t notice—he has finally passed out—Bruce throws another. This time Benny jumps. “What?” he asks.
“Dude, why don’t you go to bed? You’ve been sleeping for a half hour now.”
“I’m just resting my eyes.” Benny yawns.
“I think we’ll turn in for the
night,” Daniel announces as he helps Teresa up off the log she has been sitting on. “Good night.” They have decided to sleep in the back of Bruce’s truck instead of a tent.
I whisper, “Are they seeing each other?”
He chuckles quietly. “Yes, I believe they live together.”
“I had no idea.” I guess it makes sense, given that they always seem to be together. We look over at Benny, who has fallen asleep again, snoring this time. I shake my head and laugh. “I think I’m getting tired, too. How about you?”
“Yeah, we should hit the hay.” Bruce gets up, takes my hands, and pulls me up into his arms. “Are you all right?” he whispers with his forehead against mine.
“Yes, why?”
“I don’t know, I can’t tell what you are thinking. I’m worried that when this is all over, you may move on.”
“I haven’t made any decisions yet. I need more time to decide,” I explain as I put my hand to his cheek. “I’m falling in love with you, too, Bruce. I just want to get through Edward’s story before I decide anything. You understand, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. Come on. Let’s go to bed.” He kicks Benny’s leg, who looks up “We are going to bed. Make sure the fire’s out. Good night.”
Benny gets up to deal with the fire. “Night.”
We crawl into our small tent and manage to change before we get into the sleeping bag Bruce has set up for us. We spoon for a while, not saying anything. “No matter what happens tomorrow at the cabin, it won’t change how I feel about you, Sarah. I love you.” That’s the first time he has said it. I feel the same way, but I’m worried that these feelings are only present because Edward needed us. I roll over to face him.
“I hope we find out for sure tomorrow. I want to make sure that what we feel is us and not Edward and Elizabeth. I know that Edward used you to get our attention. I want to make sure that what you and I are feeling is not the same thing he did before with the battle.” I kiss him before I lay my head on his chest and close my eyes.
Chapter 19
Freeing Lost Souls (The Family Tree Series Book 1) Page 11