The Sunny Side of the Mountain

by Charliann Roberts

  “Auntie Em left a will,” she said softly, and her voice broke miserably. The agony of that night still haunted her.

  Shannon placed her hand over Cassandra’s. “You look tired, honey, tired and sad.”

  Cassandra tried to swallow a lump that lingered in her throat. “She left everything she owned to me. I’m her only living relative. She’d mentioned at one time that she would be leaving the cabin to me, if anything ever happened to her. We never thought she’d be leaving us so soon.” She looked down at her coffee, moisture blurring her vision. She ached with pain.

  “Oh honey, I wish there was something I could do to help you. I can see that you haven’t had much sleep. I know everything has been extremely hard on you over the past few years. Things will begin to improve.”

  “I hope so. I really don’t think I’d be able to handle much more.”

  Nick had been down for the funeral and neither one of them had mentioned Christmas. She and the twins had spent a quiet Christmas celebration with the Millers. Shannon had known how hard it would be without Auntie Em there with them. Cassandra had helped with the dinner, after which they all enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful gathering around the tree, exchanging presents. Cassandra was thankful she’d completed her gift shopping before the holidays began.

  “Will you and the twins join us for New Year’s Eve? Dan and I talked it over, though we really didn’t have anything to discuss. We both already assumed you’d be with us to celebrate. We won’t accept any rejections, whatsoever.”

  “But I have so much to do. I have to get over to Auntie Em’s house, go through all of her things and sort everything out.”

  “You don’t have to do that right away. It can wait. After the New Year, I’ll help. You don’t need to handle it all alone. I want to help you. We’re best friends, remember?”

  Cassandra fought hard against the tears and took a deep breath, forcing her lips into a slight smile.

  “New Year’s Eve should be a time to have fun and the kids would be happy to spend it with each other,” Shannon argued.

  “I don’t know. I just don’t think I’d be very sociable. I’ll think about it.”

  “Well, it’s only a couple of days away. We thought we’d just stay home and relax, maybe rent some movies.” She pushed her chair from the table and stood. “Let’s get these dishes done.” She carried their breakfast dishes to the sink.

  “You’ve done enough. I’ll do the dishes. I need to keep busy.”

  “Okay,” she said and gave Cassandra a hug. “I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for the breakfast, it was fun.”

  On New Year’s Eve, the kids had their own party in the Millers’ basement where they were able to make all the noise they desired. Dan, Shannon and Cassandra remained upstairs where it was quiet except for the New Year’s celebration at Times Square on television, the volume turned down. While Dan sat in the living room with the remote in his hand, Shannon sat with Cassandra at the dining room table, each with a large mug of eggnog.

  “You have to snap out of it, honey,” Shannon said softly. “This isn’t good for you. You need to have some fun. I know it’s hard, but you’re going to make yourself sick. Your Auntie Em would not like the way you are right now, and I’m sure you agree. She’d want you to be happy, to celebrate the coming of this New Year. Life will get better.”

  Cassandra nodded and sipped her drink, which sent another warm glow into her body. She was happy to let Shannon talk.

  “I’ll tell you what. Next week we’ll drive to her house and start the cleaning. The sooner it’s taken care of, the sooner you’ll get back to normal. Auntie Em will smile down at you, Cassandra. You do know that, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Cassandra whispered and tried to smile as she took another sip of her eggnog.

  On the Saturday, following New Year’s Eve, Cassandra and Shannon drove to Auntie Em’s house. Going through the boxes in Auntie Em’s closet, she found a photo album holding a lifetime of pictures, beginning when she was a little girl. She sat on the floor with the album in her lap, and slowly turned each page, all of those tender memories flooding back. Her first day of school; she stood waiting for the bus, wearing a white blouse with a pink pinafore, and her hair in a ponytail with a pink bow. She wore a big bright smile, feeling so proud to be starting school with her friends.

  Shannon entered the room, sat down, and looked through the albums with her. There was a photo of Cassandra and her brother when Auntie Em had brought them on their first visit to the Como Zoo. Auntie Em held her up high, to pet the giraffe. She smiled at the happy grin on their faces.

  “Auntie Em was so good to us. She was the best mother anyone could ever have. I’m so glad that she’d taken us in, and raised us.”

  They both stood and looked around the bedroom. “I didn’t get much done.”

  “But it felt good to look at all the pictures,” Shannon said.

  “You’re right, it did. Those years spent with Auntie Em were the best years of my life. Let’s head home. The twins will be looking for supper.”

  They closed up the house and walked to the car, arm in arm.

  “Best friends,” Shannon said.

  “Best friends forever,” Cassandra replied, and she smiled in contentment.

  *

  Cassandra looked up when the twins came running through the door, their hair covered with snow.

  “Mmmm… sure smells good in here. What are you making, Mom?” Kayla asked, after they removed their boots by the door.

  “A Boston Cream Pie.”

  “Why is it called a Boston Cream Pie, anyway?” Kyle asked. “It looks and tastes like a cake.” He tried to dip a finger in the cake batter, and she laughed and lightly slapped his wrist.

  “I really don’t know, but I’ve heard that it’s also called a Boston Cream Cake. I’ve always called it pie. It’ll be done baking by the time we’ve finished eating dinner. We’ll have a piece for dessert.” She placed it in the oven and closed the door. “And… I figured whatever is left of it we'll bring up north with us.”

  The twins both looked up with a grin.

  “We’re going up to the cabin?” Kayla asked.

  “When are we leaving, tomorrow?” asked Kyle.

  “Yes and yes. We haven’t been there for quite a while. I’d like to go up and check on things. I spoke to Nick today, and he mentioned that the horses needed a couple of riders. We’ll leave as soon as you get home from school tomorrow. You also have Monday off for Martin Luther King Day, so we’ll have a long weekend. Pack warm clothes; Nick said they’ve had a lot of snow this week.”

  “Cool,” Kayla said, “we’ve barely had any snow here this year. Can Sherry and Adam come along?"

  “It’s okay with me, if Shannon agrees.”

  “Awesome,” Kyle said, and grabbed the phone on the way to his room.

  *

  They were almost up to the county road turn off, when the surface became slippery. There’d been sleet, and now big fluffy white snowflakes fell, lightly covering the slippery pavement. As she turned the last curve before the rest stop, the SUV slid off the road and into the gutter.

  “Oh no,” she exclaimed. She turned and glanced over her shoulder. “Is everyone all right back there?”

  “We’re okay, Mom,” Kyle answered, “but will we be able to make it back out?”

  “I hope so,” she said, but it looked as though she was going nowhere. Her four-wheel drive wouldn’t budge. Apparently, the tires had nothing to grab onto except the icy snow bank. “I need you boys to go out and push. There’s a bucket of sand and a shovel stored in the back. I’ll shovel some sand around the tires first.”

  The boys put on their heavy jackets and gloves. They got out when Cassandra climbed back in. She slowly gave it a little gas. When the boys tried to give the vehicle a push, the sand and gravel only scattered and the SUV wouldn’t move an inch. The boys climbed back in.

  “Now what, Mom?”

  “I’d better call
Nick. We’re only a couple of miles away. Hopefully, he’ll be home.”

  He answered on the first ring. He’d been worried about them when they hadn’t yet arrived. “I’ll leave right away. I should be able to pull you out with my Ram pickup. Watch for me, I won’t be long.”

  “Thank you, Nick. I hate to bother you.”

  “No problem, I’m just glad no one was hurt. I’m on my way,” he said, and hung up.

  When ten minutes had gone by, Kyle and Adam both noticed Nick’s truck approaching. Mandy noticed him too and wagged her tail in excitement.

  It only took fifteen minutes to tow them out. Sitting in her vehicle alongside the road, Cassandra rolled down her window and thanked him. “We’re having hamburgers, if you’d like to join us for supper.”

  “I’d better not, but thanks anyway. Two of my ranch hands are out sick with colds. I have to check on the horses and get to bed early.”

  “Adam and I could come over to give you a hand in the morning,” Kyle said.

  “Okay, boys, I could use the help,” he said, and nodded at them. “Come on over as soon as you’re up and about.”

  “Thanks again,” Cassandra said. She was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t stop by.

  “No problem, I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow. You pull out ahead of me, and I’ll follow, to be sure you make it the rest of the way. It’s awfully slippery.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  Nick followed them in, then turned the truck around and waved as he pulled away.

  “He sure is a nice guy, Mom,” Kayla said softly.

  “Yes, honey, he sure is,” she said, and smiled.

  “Okay everyone, start unloading, and I’ll go in and start frying the burgers,” she said, then turned and headed for the cabin.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  “This is so much fun, Nick,” Cassandra said. She watched the kids up ahead of them. “I don’t know what made you think of this, but it’s been wonderful and the kids are having a ball.”

  “Just consider it to be a late Christmas present to all of you. I assumed they’d never used snowshoes before. It’s fun, isn’t it? There’s a place called Pine Hill Snack Shack up ahead. Would you like to stop there for lunch?”

  “That sounds like a good idea. I’m sure the kids are hungry, and my legs are killing me.” She pushed a flying strand of hair back under her stocking cap. “Just goes to show me, there are a few muscles I haven’t used in quite some time.”

  “Hey, kids! Hang a right at the T up ahead,” he yelled through his cupped hands.

  Her smile broadened when they spotted the Snack Shack. The kids had evidently assumed they were making a stop there, and had already removed their snowshoes by the time they caught up with them.

  They found a table next to a window and were very thankful to sit down. Cassandra sat, feeling blissfully happy. How her life had changed. She hadn’t had this much fun in years. Nick’s been so good to the kids; he’s treated them as though they were his own.

  They all ate a light lunch as it was a long trek back, and they knew not to overeat. When they were ready to go, Nick stood and paid the waitress. The kids were already out the door and Nick and Cassandra followed close behind. He placed his arm across her shoulders, giving her a light hug, and she looked up at him with a smile.

  “Thank you for lunch and for such an enjoyable day,” she told him.

  “You’re very welcome. I’ve been having a good time too.”

  *

  “Everyone will sleep well tonight, I’m sure,” she said softly. They sat at the kitchen table, each with a glass of red wine. The kids had been watching a movie in the living room. When she glanced through the doorway, she saw that Kayla and Sherry were nodding off to sleep, while Kyle and Adam were flipping the remote, looking for something to watch on television.

  Nick took her hands in his. “I wish you weren’t leaving tomorrow. I miss you when you’re gone.” His warm brown eyes surveyed her kindly.

  She glanced down at their hands shyly, and nodded at him without speaking. The touch of his hands had sent a warming shiver through her. She realized her feelings for him were intensifying.

  Lifting her eyes to meet his, she came back to reality. She was unable to give herself completely, to any man; it was too soon, and she told him so. She stood and brought their empty wine glasses to the sink. When she turned to look at him, he thoughtfully studied her for a moment. The look in his eyes seemed to tell her everything he felt.

  Feeling utterly miserable, she told him she needed to be alone with her thoughts.

  He sighed heavily and stood up to leave without saying another word.

  *

  The following week Shannon invited Cassandra over after dropping the girls off at the movie theater. Dan had taken the boys across the street to C.J.’s house to watch the Vikings playoff game.

  “Girl, what in heaven’s name is the matter with you?” Shannon asked when they headed into the family room.

  Cassandra plopped down and settled comfortably on the cushion, her head resting on the back of the couch, while she stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought. “I guess I’m just not ready to make a commitment. I don’t want to be involved with anyone; it’s just too soon.”

  “Oh, come off it. You know darn well that you and Jeff had no relationship whatsoever for the past five years.”

  Her feelings were still too raw to discuss, even with Shannon. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You need someone like Nick. He’s been treating you as though you’re a princess. You just don’t remember how it feels to have someone treat you that way, and now you’re backing off because you’re scared. If you push him away, you’d regret it, honey. You know damn well you would. It would be a horrible mistake.”

  “I don’t know.” She looked over at Shannon, then down at her lap. She picked at a thread in the seam of her jeans. “I just can’t let Nick think that I’m ready to commit myself, when I’m not. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”

  “Okay, honey, we’ll drop it for now, but at least think about it. Don’t just shut him out of your life completely. I doubt if you’d ever find another man like him anywhere.”

  At one time, there had been, Cassandra thought sadly. A pain squeezed her heart every time she thought about what once had been. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  “Well, enough of that,” Shannon said. “What do you think of our new neighbors, C.J. Benson and his wife Jackie? The newlyweds who recently purchased the house on the corner, have you met them yet?”

  “Yes, I stopped over there the week they moved in.”

  “Dan mentioned that C.J. works for one of the television news stations, but I don’t know exactly what he does.”

  At that moment, they heard Dan and the boys enter the house through the garage. They came into the living room with long faces. Dan sat down and the boys went to Adam’s room. “Well, the Vikings lost. C.J. was really disappointed and so were we.” Dan popped open a can of cola.

  Shannon looked at Cassandra, leaned toward her and spoke quietly. “C.J. would’ve been able to get four tickets to the Super Bowl if the Vikings had won the game today. He’d planned to go and would’ve taken the three of them along. The boys didn’t know about it. Dan didn’t want to tell them, unless the Vikings won. Losing a trip to the Super Bowl would have been more of a disappointment than just the game itself. What a shame.

  “Well, the girls should be out of the movie soon. I’m going to pick them up. Would you like to ride along?”

  “Thanks, but I’m going to have Kyle come home with me. We can both wear off some of our frustration by shoveling the driveway. It looks like the snow has finally let up, so now’s the time to get out there and get it done. Just send Kayla home when you return.”

  “Okay, but will you promise to think about what I said? He treats you the way a man should treat a woman, and you deserve that.”

  “I’ll think about it, but I can’t make promises
to anyone right now.” She called Kyle, put on her warm parka and gloves, then headed for the door.

  *

  Cassandra could hear the phone ringing, and she fumbled with the key while holding a bag of groceries. When she finally unlocked the door and entered the kitchen, she placed the bag on the table. The phone stopped ringing, and she looked to see who called; Nick’s name appeared on the caller I.D. She put the groceries away, then brought the phone to the table, and sat down to return his call.

  “Colburn Stables,” Nick answered.

  “Hi Nick, I was coming through the door when you phoned, how are you?”

  “We’ve had a bit of a problem up here, Cassandra.”

  “Why, what happened?”

  “Someone entered your cabin. It had to have happened in the early morning, after the sun had risen, because the security lights hadn’t come on. Riding on horseback, I decided to stop by there to check on the place, when I noticed footprints in the snow that led up to the back porch. It hadn’t been forced entry, so I don’t know how they could have gotten in. They must have somehow figured out the code and immediately turned off the security alarm.”

  “Oh my God, I had a key hidden beneath the back porch, in case I ever lost mine.”

  “Well, he must have found the key. It looked like he’d been searching for something. Whoever it was, he emptied shelves and dresser drawers onto the floor. The place was a mess. You’ll have to come up as soon as possible. I have no way of knowing if anything was stolen, and if there was, the police will need to be notified.”

  “Did the police come out?”

  “Yes, I called them immediately. They found no fingerprints, so he’d been wearing gloves. After the officers completed the police report, I straightened things up, then drove into town and bought new locks.”

  “Thank you so much, Nick. It’s Friday and the kids will be home from school shortly. We’ll pack and head up there early in the morning. Thanks for letting me know; we’ll see you tomorrow.”