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TWO

“I want to try again.”

Noah scooted his chair closer to his wife and took her hands. “Kaely, we’ve tried three times. It’s not just the cost of the treatments, it’s what I see happening to you. Every time it fails, it crushes you. I think it’s time to talk about adoption.”

“But I want your child, not someone else’s.” As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. She knew what it felt like to be unwanted. Giving a child without parents a home was a wonderful thing to do. But she also wanted Noah’s baby. She wanted to look into the face of their son or daughter and see themselves reflected back. Was that wrong? It didn’t feel wrong, but dismissing the idea of giving a home to children who needed a family made her feel ashamed.

“Kaely...”

She shook her head. “No, don’t say it. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Maybe you’re right. But I’m just not ready to give up. Not yet, anyway.”

Noah squeezed her hands and smiled. Now Kaely felt even guiltier. He was so patient and understanding. Maybe he was right. Perhaps they should at least look into adoption. She gently pulled her hands from his and took a sip of her coffee. Sunlight streamed in from the kitchen window, reminding her that it was getting late. They’d both slept a little later than usual and had just finished breakfast. Noah had to get to work at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, and she needed to pack for her trip.

“Look,” he said. “You’re getting ready to spend a week with Erin in the Smoky Mountains. Why don’t you just take a break from thinking about this? Have some fun. We’ll talk again when you get back. I find that when my mind is quiet, it’s easier to hear from God. Maybe being in new surroundings will help you.”

Kaely leaned over and kissed him. “Maybe it will, but being away from you will be hard. I depend on you more than you know.”

Noah smiled. “I love being here for you, but even though I’m pretty perfect, I’m not God. You need to find out what He wants you to do.”

Kaely laughed. “Let’s not get carried away. You’re not really perfect, my love.”

He grinned. “Now that’s just mean.”

Kaely shook her head. “You’re a pill, you know that?” Her smile slipped. “I really will miss you. I hate it when we’re apart.”

“You’ll have Erin. You two seem to really connect.”

“That’s true,” Kaely said. “But she’s not a Christian. Not sure how this is going to go. She knows I’m saved, and she’s been respectful, but trying to be friends with someone who doesn’t share the most important thing in your life isn’t always easy. When she’s hurting, I want to tell her how much God loves her. And how He wants to help her.”

“If you’re uncomfortable, then why did you set this thing up?”

Kaely sighed. “Because I felt very strongly that I was supposed to. You know I don’t believe in just throwing seed around on ground that hasn’t been prepared to accept it. If I trust what I’m feeling, then I have to assume Erin is ready to know God. If that’s true, I have to go. I really have no choice.”

Noah kissed her on the forehead. “The smartest thing I ever did was to marry you. You know that?”

Kaely chuckled. “Yes, I absolutely do know that.”

“Now who’s being a pill?”

Kaely got up from the kitchen table. “I’m just trying to stay up with you, honey.”

She heard him laugh as she headed toward the bedroom to pack for her trip. “I really do want to hear from You,” she whispered to God. “And whatever you want to do in Erin’s life? Please use me. Just help me to not mess it up.”

Even with Kaely’s directions, Erin had gotten lost twice. GPS didn’t work here. It only got her off the main road. She drove through Sanctuary on her way to the cabin. It really was a small town. Reminded her of her grandmother’s town in Nebraska, except it was old and rundown. Sanctuary was old—but charming. The ancient buildings had been painted and updated with wonderful wooden sidewalks made of painted slats. Even though she didn’t plan to leave the cabin while she was here, she had to admit that the idea of exploring Sanctuary was tempting.

She was grateful she’d been able to drive from St. Louis. Ever since the night Scott died, she couldn’t stand the thought of getting on a plane, trapped inside an enclosed metal structure filled with people. The idea terrified her. With stops, her drive was just a little over eight hours. She decided to break it into two days, although she could have done it in one. She was concerned about having to drive on rural roads in the dark. Everything had worked out well. She’d found a nice hotel about halfway between home and Sanctuary. Today she felt rested as she completed her trip.

After taking two wrong turns, Erin decided to turn left instead of right and finally found herself headed in the correct direction. A few minutes later, she pulled up in front of a lovely, large, cabin-like home. It was much nicer than what she’d imagined. The November air was crisp, and the smoke curling up from the brick chimney made it look even more appealing.

There was a large black truck in the driveway. The owner of the cabin. Kaely wasn’t getting in until tomorrow, so the owner, Steve something, said he’d meet her and let her inside.

As she got out of her car, the front door opened, and a large man with brown hair and a mustache stepped out onto the front porch. He waited for her to reach him.

“You must be Erin,” he said, sticking his hand out.

To add to her other phobias, germs had joined the list. She shook his hand, thinking about the hand sanitizer in her purse.

“I’m Steve Tremont,” he said. “Glad to meet you.” He offered her a wide smile. “We don’t get many celebrities in these parts.”

Oh, great. Here we go again. “I’m really not a celebrity, Steve,” she said. “Just a writer who got lucky.”

He appeared to size her up. “Good for you. Talented and humble.” He held the door open for her. “Loved your book, by the way. Can’t wait for the next one.”

She just smiled. You may be waiting a long time.

Erin stepped into the large living room. A fire sputtered in the huge stone fireplace. On both sides there were built-in brick firewood boxes. The mantle was long with a big off-white clock in the middle, and pictures and plants on either side. Matching chairs flanked an overstuffed brown leather couch. A large glass and wood coffee table sat on top of a colorful rug. The walls were made out of what appeared to be stained wood, and the floors were the same. The high ceiling held a huge hanging light, brass, shaped like branches, with crystal sparkling lights. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels offered an incredible view of the tall trees that surrounded the cabin. It was breathtaking. She caught herself before she actually gasped.

The open concept led into an incredible kitchen with white marbled counters, gleaming appliances, and a built-in booth that made her want to curl up with a cup of coffee and a great book. This certainly wasn’t the rustic cabin she’d expected.

“Thank you so much for allowing Kaely and me to stay here,” she said, turning back to Steve. “It’s beautiful. If I were you, I’d want to stay here year-round. But Kaely says you live in Gatlinburg?”

He nodded. “I bought this a couple of years ago. Decided to update it and rent it out.”

“I imagine you’re pretty booked up in the summer. I guess things are slower in the fall?”

A furtive glance to the left and a twinge in his jaw told her that she’d just said something that made him uncomfortable. What was that about?

Steve reached into his jacket pocket and took out a card. “You can call me here if you have any questions. I doubt that you will. The cabin has electricity as well as a backup generator in case you need it. If you lose power, it will kick on automatically. The fridge is stocked, and you’re welcome to help yourself, although you may want to go into town tomorrow to pick up your favorite foods. You should be good for quite a while though.”

“Thanks,” she said. “The generator. Do you think we’ll need it?”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Erin had learned a lot about reading people from Kaely. There was something wrong here. “Usually, I’d say no, but it’s possible we may be in for a snowstorm. Don’t usually have them in November, and our weather forecasters are frequently wrong. But you have nothing to worry about. If for any reason you lose electricity, just wait.” He hesitated a moment, and the thick mustache on his upper lip quivered almost imperceptibly. He cleared his throat. “Be sure you stay indoors at night. There are bears in the woods. Generally, they’ll leave you alone. They’re used to people, but it’s important to remember that they’re wild animals. In the dark, they might see you, but you may not see them.”

“Okay,” Erin said slowly. Did that really make sense? If bears could see her at night, didn’t that mean they’d go the other way? She’d read once that bears weren’t really looking for a confrontation with humans. This guy was beginning to make her a little nervous.

He took a set of keys from his coat pocket and handed them to her. “Tell Kaely I’ll stop by sometime in the next few days. We haven’t seen each other in a long time. I’d like to say hi.”

“She didn’t mention how she knew you.”

“I’m actually friends with her husband, Noah. We went to college together. I met Kaely at their wedding. Wonderful girl. It was clear that Noah found his soulmate in Kaely.”

This was the first thing Steve had said since she’d met him that was from the heart. His body was relaxed, and his smile was genuine.

He said good-bye and started to leave, but he hesitated at the last moment. “Be sure you lock this door securely at night. And the door to the deck as well.”

“The bears here know how to pick locks, Steve?”

She didn’t mean to sound combative, but this guy was spooking her.

He laughed nervously. “Funny,” was all he said before pulling the door shut behind him. Erin gazed out the window and watched as he got into his truck and drove slowly away. What was going on? Was she just being paranoid? It was possible, but the physical clues she saw made her suspicious.

Erin went to the kitchen sink and washed her hands. Then she went outside and started unloading her bags. It only took a few minutes to bring everything inside. Even though she fought the urge, she found herself looking around, peering into the woods. Once she shut the door again, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Stop it,” she said to herself. “This is stupid.” She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. “Wow,” was all she could say. Steve was being modest. The fridge was stocked with several premade meals that included burgundy beef tips, glazed salmon, chicken tikka masala, and stuffed pork chops. Each meal included fancy veggies and either rice or potatoes. Not plain rice or potatoes, either. Rice pilaf, brown rice, saffron rice, grilled potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, or garlic-infused potatoes.

The bottom bin contained several kinds of fruits and ingredients for salad. There were trays of sliced cheeses, sausage, and different kinds of deli meats. There was enough food here for at least a week. Erin closed the fridge and found a door that led to a stocked pantry. Breads, cereals, condiments, and different kinds of wines. She was certain Kaely didn’t drink, and neither did she. Not for any kind of religious reasons. She didn’t drink because she’d seen too many families torn apart by alcohol. Besides, the idea of giving up control to anything or anyone was something she had no desire to do. Especially now.

She decided to check out the rest of the cabin, although again, the word cabin didn’t really fit this place. She and Kaely certainly wouldn’t be roughing it here.

Downstairs there was a luxurious bathroom with a soaking tub and a separate shower. Upstairs there were three bedrooms and two more bathrooms. The largest bedroom led to a deck. Erin unlocked the sliding glass door and pulled it open. When she stepped onto the stained wood flooring, this time she did gasp. She looked out over acres of pine trees shrouded in mist as far as she could see. Mountains framed the landscape, making the astounding view more magnificent than anything she’d ever experienced. The sun hung low in a sky painted in pinks, yellows, and blues. She looked around the large deck and found several Adirondack chairs as well as a table and a large fire pit. It was so inviting that she didn’t care how cold it was. She and Kaely would have to spend some time out here. She felt tears spring to her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. Silly. She suspected it wasn’t because of the deck or even the view. For a few minutes, the past couple of years took a backseat in her mind. And that made her emotional.

She stood outside, shivering from the cold, until reluctantly, she decided it was time to get inside where it was warm. As she turned to go, she thought she heard something, almost like a woman crying. She stood still for a moment. Was she imagining things? As she waited, there was only silence. Her body began to tremble from more than just the cold, and she hurried inside, pulling the door closed behind her. Remembering Steve’s words, she quickly locked the door. Suddenly, the cabin didn’t seem quite as inviting. As she stared out into the dark, an all-too-familiar chill of fear slid down her spine.