Summer on the Mountain (20 page)

“Honey, are you safe up there alone?  You could be in danger.”

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“Do you think you should come home?” she pressed.  “Or maybe your father and I should stay with you.”

She sighed.  “I would love for you to come back.  But for Gwendolyn’s sake, I probably should come home.  Did she happen to mention to you how things are going at the gallery?”

“Well, she did seem awfully harried when I stopped by.  She was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, hanging a painting here, answering a call there, and dealing with customers all at the same time.”

“She doesn’t have help?” Summer asked with a wince.

“Not that I could see.” 

She groaned loudly.  “I should come home.”

“What’s stopping you?” her mother asked, and then chuckled.  “Stupid question.”

“No.  It’s just…”

“What?”

“I know you’re thinking I don’t want to come home because of Jarrod, and he’s part of it, but it’s … more than that.”

“You’ve fallen in love with that mountaintop, haven’t you, dear?”

“Mom, I really have.  I can’t even explain it properly, but I feel drawn to it … as if I’ve come…”

“Home,” her mother said knowingly.

She sighed.  She didn’t want to hurt her mother, since home would always be the house she had lived in with her parents.  “Mom, I have to admit, I feel a special connection…”

“That goes even beyond your feelings for your young man?”

She chuckled, feeling embarrassed.  “Yes.  I’ve even toyed with the idea of buying a home up here.  Would you and Dad visit me often?” she asked hopefully.

“You know we would,” she assured her.  “Frankly, your father fell in love with the lake—well, the fish—and I really enjoyed my hike.  I have to tell you, I’m surprised at Gwendolyn.  I suspect that if she were to give the place a chance, a
real
chance, she might realize she could enjoy it up there.”

“It is very different from what she’s accustomed to,” Summer said in her friend’s defense. 

It wasn’t as if Gwendolyn could help that she preferred city life to mountaintop living.  She was entitled to her preferences, but Summer couldn’t deny she was thrilled that her parents understood why she loved the mountain so much.

“It’s true Gwendolyn is a die-hard city dweller,” her mother acknowledged, “but don’t worry, your father and I would visit as often as we could manage it.  You’d probably get sick of us.  Who knows?  Maybe Daddy would like a place up there, too.  Did I tell you he…”  She laughed.  “No, I haven’t told you.  We just left you a couple hours ago.  Anyway, Daddy plans to head over to the sporting goods store and pick up a fishing pole.”

“I’m so glad,” she said delightedly.  “He had fun, didn’t he?”

“He did.  Well, hon, I should sign off.  Keep in touch, okay?”

“I will, Mom.  Love you.”

***

Summer painted for several hours after her phone call with her mother, taking a break only when Deputy Sanders drove up in his patrol car. 

“Hello,” he called out as he exited the car. 

Summer grabbed a rag and swiped at her hands before leaving the porch to greet him.  “How are you?” she asked.

“Good, good.”

“And how is married life treating you?” she prompted with a grin.

“Real good,” he said crisply.  “Near perfect, well, if it weren’t for Meg hating the dog.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t
hate
Brutus,” she scoffed.  “I’m sure if she weren’t allergic…”

Rick offered a lop-sided grin.  “I don’t know.  The two seem to spend the bulk of their time glaring at each other.”

“Brutus glares?”

“Yeah, he does.  And he’s not particularly willing to give up his side of the bed, which is now supposed to be Meg’s side…”  He gave a dramatic wince. 

Summer nodded her head up and down.  “Been there,” she muttered.  “Hey, should Brutus be in the house in light of…”

“Meg’s allergies?”  He shook his head dejectedly.  “Nope, he probably shouldn’t, but tell him that.  Besides, Meg is getting allergy shots in hopes she might be able to eventually tolerate my big buddy.  Anyway…”

“That’s very … tolerant of her,” Summer said, and then watched him expectantly, wondering what the young deputy had on his mind.  He seemed to read her thoughts.

“I, uh, just came by to see how you’re doing.  I spoke to Jarrod yesterday and he’s beside himself with worry.  You should see him, all on edge and pacing around half the time.”  He chuckled.  “The guys are really ribbing him, telling him he’s whipped…”  Suddenly, his eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut.  He swallowed loudly.  “You, uh, won’t mention to Jarrod what I just said…” 

She shook her head, but worried about Jarrod focusing on her rather than his work.  She prayed he wouldn’t let his guard down and possibly be injured because of it.

“Anyway, I promised Jarrod I’d check on you, and I have…”  He gave a salute as he strode to his patrol car.  He paused before dropping in behind the wheel.  “Uh, Summer, I don’t suppose you miss Brutus?  If so, I could drop him by…”  He watched her hopefully.  “The big boy really took to you, you know.”

She smiled and shrugged.  There were moments she missed the big lug, but…  “I really wish I could keep him, but…”

Rick flashed a smile.  “It was worth a try.  I sure hope Meg’s allergy shots work soon.”

Summer refrained from telling him the shots typically took up to a year to actually provide some relief from allergies.  Instead, she waved as he drove off.

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, Summer decided to take a walk to the huckleberry field behind Jarrod’s place.  She grabbed a bucket for collecting the berries, hoping the activity might take her mind off disconcerting thoughts—namely that she missed Jarrod terribly. 

Rick had said Jarrod missed her, too.  He’d mentioned he was being subjected to taunts by coworkers.  She wondered how Jarrod felt about that, being as he was so shy around others.  Would he become frustrated with her as a result?

She shook her head.  She was being ridiculous.  Certainly, he cared for her—perhaps even … loved her.  Did he?   

As she walked along, she spied a mother deer and her fawn and remembered the salt licks.  She shook her head again.  How could he love her?  It wouldn’t surprise her if he were furious with her, since those salt licks had definitely put his beloved animals in jeopardy—animals like this beautiful mother and baby.

Summer shook her head again, warding off the thought of what might have happened to these lovely animals thanks to her stupidity.   She would never have put out the salt licks had she known the consequences of luring animals close to the cabins.  Jarrod knew that.  He
knew
that.

She sighed.  Absence not only made the heart grow fonder, it made the heart grow fearful and uncertain and lonely.  It made her question herself, and her feelings.  If only Jarrod was home.  Pushing aside the wishful thinking, she focused on the task at hand.

Summer had dressed in jeans, long-sleeved top, and high boots.  She paused to carefully tuck her jeans into the boots, ever-mindful of the ticks Jarrod had warned her about.  Soon she had traversed the relatively level terrain that led to the knoll, which she climbed easily.  Once at the meadow, she began picking the huckleberries, but the sound of a crackling branch caused her to look up.

She glanced around, eyes narrowed, attempting to determine the source of the noise.  To her surprise, two tiny bear cubs burst out of the bushes.  Summer’s eyes widened and she glanced around her.  What was it she’d heard on a wildlife documentary she had watched several months before?  Oh, yes, mama bear is generally fairly close to her tiny charges. 

Summer grimaced.  Should she go back the way she’d come?  She thought better of that idea when she heard a low growl in the distance.  No doubt, the mother bear was calling to her babies.

She gulped, immediately regretting her visit to the huckleberry bushes.  She glanced around, unsure what to do.  Finally, the darling cubs seemed to notice her, one taking a tentative step in her direction.  Had she not realized she was in imminent danger, she would have delighted in watching the tiny bears.  Instead, she cautiously began backing away, realizing there was nowhere to go but the opposite direction.  Unfortunately, that led her directly into the woods and away from the cabins. 

She headed off, casting several furtive glances behind her.  Once she reached the cover of trees, she glanced around.  Was this any safer than an attempt at a run for home, she wondered?  And she also wondered, had she lured the bears toward her place with the salt licks?  She shuddered, hoping she hadn’t put anyone or any animal in jeopardy.

Hurrying through the woods, she attempted to keep a check on her surroundings.  The deeper she trudged into the forest, the more she realized how easily she might become lost if she lost her bearings.  She paused briefly, glancing around her.  Should she go back the way she came?  Unfortunately, a glance back caused her eyes to widen in alarm.  The tiny bear cubs were only a few yards back, trotting after her with unrestrained curiosity.

She nearly cried out, but knew the mother bear would hear her.  Instead, she picked up her pace, running full-out through the woods.  Low hanging branches scraped her face, and she nearly tumbled on an exposed root.  As she ran, panic exploded within her.  How had a simple outing to pick huckleberries turned into a frightening run for her life?

 She ran onward, reaching out with her arms to protect her face from the stinging branches.  The trees grew so thick, maneuvering around them was difficult.  When her feet suddenly felt wet, she glanced down and realized she’d stepped into a tiny creek.  She waded the few feet across, nearly slipping on a mossy rock.

On the other side, she paused to survey the woods behind her.  To her horror, the cubs tumbled after her.             

She resumed her run, praying she would find a cabin or someone who might have an idea how to extract her from her current predicament.

Finally, she burst out of the woods and onto a narrow mountain road.  Though it was a dirt lane, it appeared well-maintained. 

Summer paused briefly, bending at her middle to catch her breath.  Finally, she rose.  She immediately saw the bear cubs standing at the edge of the road, watching her curiously. 

When the larger of the two took a step closer to her, she spun and began running down the road, her arms and leg pumping like pistons.  She ran like the wind, deciding all the walking she had been doing lately must surely have strengthened both her lungs and her legs.  Or perhaps it was adrenaline that fueled her body.

A glance over her shoulder confirmed the cubs had decided to follow her.  Summer groaned loudly, wondering if she would ever lose the curious cubs.  She found herself beginning to tire, when to her relief, an SUV roared toward her.  She didn’t stop to wait for it to reach her, but continued her run toward it, hoping the driver realized she was in danger and intended to stop to help her.

When the SUV finally reached her, hitting the breaks and sending a spray of dirt behind it, the passenger door was thrust open and Summer heard Jarrod’s deep voice.  “Get in!”

She practically dove into the vehicle, finding herself propelled against the seat as he did an abrupt u-turn and then hit the gas.  She wondered why he had taken such dramatic action.  She glanced at him curiously and then turned around.  Her eyes widened in horror as the mother bear burst onto the roadway only a few feet behind them, rising up on back legs and growling at the escaping SUV.             

Summer gasped and glanced at Jarrod.  Neither spoke, but she figured he must be angry since he didn’t look at her, instead staring straight ahead, and white-knuckling the steering wheel.  She noted his jaw clench convulsively and he raked his hand through his hair several times.

Finally, Summer took a deep, steadying breath.  She feared she was about to start crying and keeping her voice steady took some doing as she broke the silence.  “It’s lucky for me you came along.”

Jarrod turned toward her, eyes widening in what Summer could only read as anger.  “
Lucky for you I came along
?” he shouted.  “Oh, yeah, you could say that.”

“I … uh … was picking huckleberries when the bears showed up.”

He didn’t respond but continued driving, and soon Summer spotted a cluster of vehicles at a fork in the roadway ahead.  Jarrod pulled up and stopped.  Rick Sanders approached the passenger side of the vehicle.  “Hello, Summer,” he said evenly.  “Glad to see you weren’t torn limb from limb.”

“You and me both,” she admitted ruefully.

Rick chuckled, as did several men standing around.  Jarrod shot them a warning glance, and they quieted instantaneously. 

“I’m going to take Summer back to her cabin,” he said in a clipped voice.  “I won’t be long.”

“You do that,” Rick said, watching the other man curiously.  Jarrod’s posture was rigid, and he still white-knuckled the steering wheel as he steered away.

Back at her cabin, Summer eyed him warily before climbing out of the vehicle.  He climbed out numbly, his motions appearing stiff and robotic to her.  She watched him as he rounded the front of the SUV.  He stood in front of her, appearing to watch her but seeming to stare right through her.