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Chapter Thirteen

SUNNY

T he spring sun beat down as Sunny and Asher walked to her van. The warm breeze brought the sweet smell of a magnolia tree across the street.

Sunny always loved spring. Everything on the mountain came back to life in the most beautiful ways, and with Asher by her side, it was all the sweeter.

“Do you want to head down to Ol’ Creek Road to see if he’s still there?”

“Yeah, do you want to drive?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

She tossed him her keys, and Asher easily caught them. It was nice being in the passenger seat for once.

As he headed out to the edge of town, she rolled down her window. When the wind hit her face, she closed her eyes as it blew through her hair. Tension fell from her as she made waves with her hand out the window.

Glancing over at Asher, she caught him smiling at her. For the first time since she came back, things felt like they used to.

They turned down the road, and there was the black car that was at her house earlier that day accompanied by a big truck with the VenDeer logo. But there was another car that seemed out of place, a rusty, beat-up El Camino.

Asher slowed and pulled in across the street to watch them.

They watched as the suit talked to someone in work clothes, who seemed to be working the surveying equipment. Then another man came out of the woods and stomped over to them. That’s when the suit pulled him to the side to talk to him.

There was something about the man who just joined them Sunny didn’t like. He didn’t seem to fit with the coal company, what with being tall and lanky, with dirty jeans and a hole-riddled T-shirt.

Asher’s gaze narrowed as he took them in. He seemed to be thinking the same thing she was. He was gesturing back to the woods, explaining something.

The suit crossed his arms and looked at the man with barely hidden contempt.

“What are they doing?”

“I don’t know.” Asher furrowed his brow as they watched the men. “Whose property is this?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Does that guy look familiar to you?”

“The suit?”

“No. The one he’s talking to. There is something familiar about it.”

“There is something familiar about him... but I don’t think I know him.” Sunny shrugged.

“I’ll find out, but I don’t like this.”

The man surveying equipment looked over at them and covered his eyes to block out the sun.

Asher pulled onto the road and drove back into town—it wasn’t like they were being sneaky while driving around in a camper van with sunflowers painted all over it.

“Do you mind if we swing by the school and pick up Ruby?”

“Not at all,” Sunny said as they left.

A familiar warmth filled her as they made their way along the curvy mountain roads. She’d grown up there. She’d spent endless summer days with Asher exploring the woods, playing in the creek, while his mom gathered herbs.

Part of her yearned for those simpler days, when they would play, listen to their mother’s gossip, and talk about magic—all before their lives got so complicated.

They pulled up to the school as the kids were getting out.

Sunny had lots of memories at this school. Then she saw a kid who looked just like Esther when she was little.

“That has to be Ruby,” she said, pointing to the little girl.

“Yeah,” Asher said as he rolled down the window. “Hey, Ruby!”

The little girl looked over at him with a puzzled expression that slowly morphed into a big smile before she ran over.

“Uncle Asher! What is this?” she asked, clearly talking about the colorful camper van.

“Get in,” he said, nodding to the passenger door.

She ran around and got in, eyes widening as she took it in.

“There’s a seatbelt in the bench,” Sunny said. “But you might have to dig for it.”

“What is this?” Ruby asked, digging for the seatbelt.

“This is Sunny,” Asher said. “And this is her van.”

“This is amazing. I want one just like it when I grow up,” she said as she ran her hand along the beaded curtain.

“Thanks, I like it. Your uncle painted it for me.”

Asher’s face fell, and for the first time that day, the old hurt look was there.

And she hated it.

“You must be Ruby. I’m an old friend of your mom’s.”

“Really?”

“Are you buckled, Peanut?” Asher said as he put the car in gear.

“All set!”

Asher pulled out.

“Hey, look! There’s my piano teacher!” Ruby called as she waved to him.

“Who is that?” Sunny asked, looking at him.

There was something about him she couldn’t quite read, and for a split second, she could have sworn his eyes were red. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her.

“Mr. Whittaker. He’s really nice.”

That name didn’t sound familiar. She would have to ask Asher later.

“I’m gonna drop you off with Julie,” Asher said.

As they drove back to town, Asher turned to take a shortcut with the overpass put in when they were kids.

A sharp spike of anxiety shot through her. She took a deep breath.

But it also meant they would be driving past the accident site. She did just about anything to avoid that area, even if it meant driving miles out of the way they seemed to be going.

As they made it to the edge of town, Asher seemingly finally figured out where they were headed.

He glanced over at her, and she gave him a tight smile while she picked at her nails.

Asher’s expression softened, and he slid his hand into hers.

She almost melted. His touch had always been a balm to her anxiety. But in this space, after all this time, after all she had put them through, it brought tears to her eyes.

She took a deep breath and looked away from him but squeezed his hand and held onto it.

As they turned the corner, she saw it, the woods on fire around them, just like from her nightmare...

But this time, there was something different. There, at the tree line, where the red eyes were, was the figure of a man. The outline was hard to make out, but it was definitely a man.

“You okay?” Asher asked quietly as he squeezed her hand.

She nodded and let out a sigh of relief as they turned off the road and climbed up the mountain.

By the time they pulled up to Abe’s cabin, her heart rate was almost back to normal.

Julie was out in the garden harvesting herbs. Something about that felt so soothing. Sunny had only briefly met Julie, but she could tell they would be friends.

“Julie!” Ruby called as she hopped out in the van. “Look at this. How cool is this van?!” She ran over and threw her arms around her.

“Hey, sweetheart. Yeah, that’s a pretty cool van. How was your day?”

“Hey,” Asher whispered. She looked over at him, and his piercing gaze nearly stole her breath. “I’m sorry. I should’ve realized where I’d be driving. I know you don’t like to drive by the bend.”

She shook her head quickly and forced a smile. “No, it’s fine.”

He raised an eyebrow.

There was no way he believed her, especially with how the mountain heightened their physical connection. He could sense her energy anywhere they were, but here, it was almost as if he could feel it himself.

“I’m going to go say hello,” she said as she moved to get out of the van.

Asher followed.

A gentle breeze shimmered around her as the calm energy of the mountain worked its magic. It was almost as if it were welcoming her home.

“Is that yours?” Julie asked, pointing to the van.

“Oh, yeah,” Sunny said, trying to push away the feeling of the drive.

Julie cocked her head. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. How long have you lived here?” Sunny asked.

Julie stood from kneeling and brushed the dirt off her knees. “I moved onto the mountain last October.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

“You love the mountain or?—”

As if on cue, the door opened, and Abe joined Asher.

The two tall strapping Black brothers stood on the porch of the small cabin.

“The man,” Sunny finished.

“Both,” Julie said as quickly.

And, man, Sunny understood that.

“Why don’t you guys stay for dinner?” Julie said as she walked over to the porch.

Abe smiled at her and pressed a sweet kiss to the top of her head.

“No. I still have some work to finish up on the porch,” Asher said, strolling to the van.

“Are you sure?” Abe asked, eying him carefully.

She looked at him, wanting to stay, wanting to get to know Julie more and spend time with this new, less grumpy version of Abe. But it didn’t seem like Asher was quite ready yet.

“Ya ready to go?” Asher asked.

“Yeah.”

Sunny tried to say in her normal disposition, but she was feeling gloomy, as she had been so sure they were making progress.

As they pulled up to her house, once again, she noticed the black car parked outside.

Asher’s demeanor changed, and it was almost like she could feel his wolf growling.

“Stay here,” he said before slamming the van into park and getting out.

“Asher, wait,” she called out, getting out of the van as quickly as she could.

“I thought we told you to get off the property,” Asher said as he stalked over to the suit.

He held his hands up. “Easy. I’m just here to deliver an offer. We’re hoping to set up operations here in Hecate’s Hollow. There are a lot of jobs in it for your community.”

Sunny could spot his slimy smile from a thousand miles away. Every suit was the same as another. Slimy.

“Get the fuck out of here and take your offer with you,” Asher said.

The suit looked him up and down, which made Asher shake with anger.

The guy simply raised an eyebrow at him before turning to Sunny, who was hobbling around the van.

“Ms. Palmer. Please take a look. It is a generous offer. Twice what your house is worth. It is a good opportunity for your community.”

Sunny carefully reached out and took the manilla envelope. “Thank you. I’ll take a look,” she said with a polite nod.

The man smoothly returned to his car without so much as a glance back, little billows of dust puffing up behind him.

“Are you going to take his offer? I thought you were staying.”

She cocked her head. “What?”

“The offer,” he said, pointing to the envelope. “I thought you were going to turn him down. And now, what... the money is being offered, and you’re going back on your word.”

“Asher—”

“No, you know what? I should’ve suspected. You almost had me fooled. I almost believed we were fixing up this house so you could stay here. I should have fucking known.”

Before she could even digest what had just happened, Asher had stalked off into the woods and was gone.

What just happened?