Page 31

Finn

I t seems like it took us hours to get there, but we finally make it. I step inside the cave and try to catch my breath. The hike up the steep rocky incline was made a thousand times more difficult by the blinding snowstorm and accumulating snow.

“Brr,” I say. “I can’t believe how cold it got.”

Wyatt stomps his feet to clear the collected snow from his boots and pant legs. He nods before turning to look outside the cave. “We are stuck in here for a while, I’m afraid. No sign of this storm slowing down.”

“We were lucky to make it this far. I was starting to give up hope.”

He comes over to me and puts an arm around my shoulders. “I would never let anything bad happen to you.”

Somehow, I know he is telling me the truth. There is something in the way he looks at me and touches me that is pure tenderness. Is it too much to hope for his love? With him by my side, I feel almost invincible—almost.

The gale force winds howl and scream like someone being murdered in the distance.

Haunting, to say the least. I shiver and then start scoping out our home for the next couple of days.

The dim light from outside does little to illuminate the cave, which by the echo seems pretty deep and expansive, which is good for us.

There is a chance if we place the fire in the right place, we will be able to enjoy the heat while not smoking ourselves out of the protective inlet.

“Where are you going?” I ask as I see Wyatt heading for the entrance of the cave. “You can’t go outside in this.”

He turns to me and smiles. “I’m going to find something for us to burn. We need at least a couple of logs or branches we can dry out and set on fire.”

True. He does know what he is talking about way more than I do. I decide right then and there I will let him lead us to safety and make the needed lifesaving decisions. “Please be careful.”

He hurries out of the cave and disappears into the blinding snow.

In the meantime, there has to be something I can do to help out.

I rummage through my pack, and his, and find a flashlight.

I also pull out my father’s journal. I had planned on reading some entries during our adventures camping, but then I shove it back into my pack.

I will read another passage tonight and, if worse comes to worst, we can always use some of the pages to light a fire.

I really hope it doesn’t come to that, but you never can tell.

Knowing we need to conserve battery life, I make a mental note to explore the inside of the cave quickly and efficiently. Look for possible dangers, a good place for the fire, and look to see if there is anything in here to burn.

Turning on the light, I sweep it across the ground, hoping there won’t be any eye-shine back.

Bears, bobcats, and mountain lions regularly use caves like this for hibernation or protection from storms. I work my way deeper into the cave where the ceiling begins to angle downward, although I don’t have to stoop yet.

I shine the light deep into the cave and find where the end is and, thankfully, we are alone in here.

I turn to make my way back to the entrance and wait for Wyatt when I step in something soft. I use the light to inspect my boot and my heart skips a beat.

Bear shit. Or some kind of shit. I’m not sure, but the list of animals that could have made that deposit… and one that big is short and dangerous. Damn, it. Wyatt, I hope we can get a fire started. It might help keep the bears away. Right? Maybe?

Wyatt bursts through the entrance with an arm full of branches.

He is out of breath and covered in dense, wet snow.

“Fuck,” he says. “It’s getting even worse.

I’ve been through some terrible snowstorms in my years here, but this is the worst one I’ve tried to camp through.

” He hurries to the far side of the cave.

“Can you shine the flashlight over here? I need to get these situated to dry quickly.”

I do as he asks and watch as he shakes the branches, letting most of the moisture fall to the cave floor and then set them down in the dry spot.

Wyatt then starts pulling bark off the branches and setting it aside as well.

“We will use this as kindling once it’s dried.

I also have some lighter fluid in my pack if we need to help it along and catch fire.

Once we have it going we can dry out the rest and get a decent heat source. ”

I love listening to him talk about these things. He really is an amazing man. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He shakes his head. “Nope we’re all done here. I’ll get the lighter fluid and see if I can get something going. Did you happen to check out the cave? Please tell me we’re alone in here.”

“I did,” I say. “We are officially alone. The cave seems deep enough as well to allow us to burn a small fire. So, that’s good.” I cross my arms and sigh. “Just one thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

“There’s some bear scat or lion scat back there.”

A worried look crosses his face. “We’d better get this fire going and sit closer to the entrance. We can hopefully use it to deter predators. If I’m being honest, it’ll work on most of them except the bears. They’re too big and too mean and don’t give a shit about a little campfire.”

“We’re sitting ducks?”

“My hope is that whoever made that pile back there is now hibernating. Bears are not usually up and moving this time of year. The biggest problem is if they are not hibernating, then they are ravenously hungry and in a bad mood.”

“Great.”

We quickly get to making a fire. I watch Wyatt as he expertly builds the perfect pile of kindling and then starts to add in the branches.

The way he meticulously stacks the wood, making sure there is exactly enough oxygen getting to it, is quite impressive.

It isn’t long before I start to feel the heat building inside the cave—or at least warming my face and hands as I’m sitting next to it.

“Nice job,” I say, high-fiving him like a big-time loser. Who does that anymore?

He is kind enough to return the gesture, although there is more in his expression than being impressed by himself.

There is a longing in his eyes as he looks at me, our hands still touching awkwardly in the air.

I pull away and shift myself over so I am sitting right next to him.

It can’t be real, but it seems warmer when I’m within touching distance of him.

Suddenly and without warning, my mind drifts to the Wildwood and the bank.

We don’t have much time at all before they come knocking on the door to evict all of us.

My stomach clenches. I watch Wyatt as he sits there next to me, unaware of the impending doom.

He’s warming his hands and probably thinking how this really wasn’t such a bad day.

How can I keep this from him any longer?

How can I tell him and expect he will not be upset with me for not coming clean sooner?

“What’s on your mind?” he asks. He’s fully turned in my direction, his eyes searching me for answers. Is he empathic? Or am I really that bad at hiding my emotions?

“Is it that obvious?”

He nods.

“I don’t quite know how to tell you this. I’ve been holding something inside for a while now and I don’t know how to say it.”

Wyatt reaches for my hands and takes them into his. His warmth soothing, his kindness bringing me to tears. He wipes a tear from my cheek. “Nothing can be that bad… can it?”

“It’s about The Wildwood.”

He cocks his head to the side, a curious expression settling across his face, although he doesn’t ask me to continue.

“I was notified by the bank that we are about to lose The Wildwood. There was a deal made between the bank and my father that is coming due and there isn’t any money to pay it off in full.”

“What kind of deal? I don’t understand… I thought your father owned it outright.”

I shrug. “I did too. There was some kind of loan deal made. My father needed money for medical bills, but it just surprises me he would risk everything rather than looking at other options.” I shake my head.

“I am so sorry, Wyatt. I wanted to run to you and tell you as soon as I found out, but I was scared. How can this be happening to us? What’s going to happen to Miranda and Doris? ”

He pulls me into his embrace. “Finn, none of this is your fault.”

I know logically he is right, but it still feels like I’ve let everyone down. I burrow my face into his chest and hold on to him. I can’t shake the feeling that this is going to ruin everyone’s life. We all live at The Wildwood. Our entire lives are at The Wildwood.

Suddenly the cave doesn’t feel so cold anymore. My self-loathing and disappointment after telling him about losing The Wildwood feels like stepping into a sauna. My face flushes hot and tears burn the edges of my eyelids. Wyatt reaches for my cheek and wipes away the tears.

I want to close my eyes, desperate to look away so I won’t have to see the disappointment on his face. How could I have been such a total loser? Not even in charge a full season, and I’m already losing the property. “I’m so sorry, Wyatt.”

“For what?” He grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles, his beard tickling the exposed skin of my right hand. “None of this is your fault.”

A sardonic laugh erupts from me without my control.

I cover my face, and squeeze my eyes shut just as pitiful sobs wrack my body, and all I can think about is running away.

Had there not been a raging snowstorm outside, I would have already darted away into the night—safety be damned.

Let the damn bears eat my pathetic body.