J. Robb - Bump in The Night

„Watch out, or you could fall through that hole in the wood.“

Stepping gingerly around the crumbling step, Grace trailed him inside, only to stare around in dismay. The interior was even worse than what they’d already seen. Cobwebs hung from rotting beams. The sparse furnishings appeared to have been chewed by creatures from the wild; the stuffing tossed about, the cushions of an ancient mattress damp and moldy from the elements.

„This can’t belong to Wyatt.“ Grace couldn’t control a shudder.

When the dog trotted out the open back door, they followed, then stopped in midstride at the sight of a grave marker.

Josh knelt to read the inscription before looking up at Grace. „It has Wyatt’s name. But the date is all wrong. According to this, he’s been dead for years.“

Grace dropped down beside him to trace the name and date that had been carved into the marker. The color drained from her face. „What’s going on here, Josh?“

His eyes narrowed. „That’s what I’d like to know. If someone’s trying to play a trick on us, they’ve got a really warped sense of humor.“

„The grave certainly looks old.“ Grace studied the earth, overgrown with vegetation. „I don’t think anybody could fake the condition of that cabin.“

Josh looked around, then got to his feet and helped her to stand. Drawing an arm protectively around her shoulders, he whistled to the dog.

She looked alarmed. „Where are we going?“

„Back to our cabin. Whatever’s going on here, I’d feel a lot safer in familiar surroundings.“

They started back along the path toward their own cabin, with Barnaby happily running ahead. Once there the dog flopped down in front of the fireplace and was soon dozing.

For the first time since his arrival, Josh made certain that the cabin door was secured before tossing a log on the fire. Seeing it, Grace was grateful that she wasn’t alone.

She touched a hand to his. „The supply plane will be here in a couple of days.“

He looked at their joined hands, then up into her eyes. „We’re not waiting for the supply plane. First thing in the morning, we’re leaving.“

„How?“

„The way I’d planned to leave in the first place. We’ll hike out. That is, if you’re willing to trust me to lead us both to safety.“

She lifted a hand to his cheek. „I trust you completely, Josh.“

He drew her close and pressed a kiss to her temple. „Whatever’s going on here, we’ll get through it together.“

„Together.“ She drew a little away and smiled. „I can’t think of a nicer word than that.“

„Neither can I.“ He gathered her close and covered her mouth with his. „Come to think of it, it’s a word neither of us has ever been able to say before. Together.“ He spoke the word inside her mouth as he took the kiss deeper.

And then there was no time for words as they came together to offer comfort in the only way they could.

„Listen to this.“ Darkness had settled over the land, but inside the cabin, with a cozy fire burning, Josh and Grace sipped coffee while she shared with him some words from one of her mother’s letters. „My darling Grace, one of my greatest fears is that, without a mother’s love, you will spend a lifetime just passing through…“

She sucked in a breath. „It’s what I’ve been doing, Josh. Don’t you see? All this time, I’ve just been passing through.“ She lowered her head and continued reading: „… instead of living your life to the fullest. Remember this, my darling. Each moment should be savored, for each moment we’re on this earth is a treasure. And the richest treasure of all is having someone to share the moments.“

„A wise woman, your mother.“ Josh topped off Grace’s cup and his own, before settling on the sofa beside her.

Grace reached into the manila envelope and withdrew a stack of photos. „It’s such a thrill to finally be able to see what my mother looked like.“

As she sorted through them, Josh had quick glimpses of baby Grace in a young woman’s arms, of a laughing baby in a bathing suit at the beach, of a happy baby clapping her hands and reaching out for the string of a balloon.

Finally Grace came to the one she’d been looking for. „This is my favorite. The one in my father’s album had been torn in half. Always, I’d only been able to see him looking at an empty space. But now I can understand the intense look on his face. Isn’t she beautiful?“

Josh stared at the photograph of the gorgeous golden-haired woman in a fairy-tale wedding gown, standing beside a stern-looking man in a morning coat and tails. But it wasn’t the scene that captured his interest; it was the woman.

„This is your mother?“

At the sharp edge of his tone, Grace glanced over. „What’s wrong?“

He tapped a finger on the photo. „That’s my passenger.“

She couldn’t seem to absorb his meaning. „I don’t understand.“

„That’s the woman who mysteriously showed up just before my plane went down.“

„You mean she resembles the woman in this photo.“

„I know what I saw, Grace.“ He snatched the photograph from her hand to study it more carefully. „It doesn’t just look like her. It was this woman. This hair. Even this dress. She was all in white. Dazzling as the sun.“

Grace was instantly on her feet, backing away from him. „Why are you saying this?“

„Do you think I’m making it up? I’d never do that. I’m telling you that my passenger was this woman.“

Though Grace tried to reject it, her heart knew. She felt it give a sudden hard bounce as her eyes filled with tears. „Did she say anything?“

He struggled to recall the words. „She said don’t worry, Josh. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.“

„You said you’d never seen her before. How did she know your name?“

He shook his head. „I figured she was a groupie, hoping to get her fifteen minutes of fame by stowing aboard a celebrity’s plane.“ His voice lowered. „I never dreamed…“ His voice took on a more practical tone as he began to wrap his mind around the reality of it all. „Now we know why her remains were never found.“

„I don’t under…“

„She was already dead, Grace. Like Wyatt. And for some reason, they both made themselves known to us.“

Grace turned away and buried her face in her hands. „None of this makes any sense.“

He went to her and gathered her close. „I know what you’re thinking. I’m thinking it, too. But we’re not crazy, Grace. And it’s not some sort of contagious mass hysteria. We’re sane, sensible people. But we both know what we saw and heard. Wyatt was here. We both saw him and listened to his tale.“

„But why? What possible reason could he have for… coming back?“

„I don’t know. Maybe to explain about the legend of the lake.“ Josh began to pace. He turned suddenly. „Didn’t Wyatt say his name meant ‘guide’? Was he guiding us toward something?“

Grace sighed. „I have to admit that hearing about the legend gave me insight into what my mother and father may have gone through. But what about Barnaby?“ She glanced over at the dog, whose head came up at the very mention of his name. „How do you explain him?“

„I can’t. Maybe he’s been surviving alone in these woods and needed a home.“

Grace mulled that. „Wyatt said that Barnaby loved the forest and that he’d make a fine companion.“

„And he seemed pleased when we both took to the dog.“ Josh knelt and Barnaby hurried over to lick his hand. In a softer tone he added, „He’s the very dog I wanted as a kid. Right down to his color. Maybe that has something to do with his being here.“