Page 2 of Wild Embers
Walker tilts his head. “Blake, why was Mr. Bear under the bed?”
I don’t want Walker to be mad. I don’t like it when grown-ups are mad. “I’m sorry if I made you upset. I’m being good to him, I promise. You, Santi, and Levi gave him to me, and I love him.”
Walker shakes his head. “I’m not upset, and I know Santigo and Levi wouldn’t be either. I just want to know why Mr. Bear was hiding.”
My throat feels tight as I answer, “He’s afraid.”
“Of what? You can tell me.”
I roll my lips and confess, “Daddy.”
Nobody says anything. When I look up, Santi’s hand covers his mouth.
Mr. Bear doesn’t like Daddy. It’s my biggest secret, and I’ve never told anyone before.
Walker still looks sad as he says, “He doesn’t have to be afraid of him anymore.”
Levi sets his hand next to mine in the bed. “Neither do you.”
Santi moves closer to my bed and kneels beside Levi. “We’re going to keep you safe.”
Blake, 23 Years Later
A voiceover the intercom thrums. “Delta flight twenty-three fifty-one to Jackson Hole has been delayed.”
Of course, my flight’s delayed. Just my damn luck.
This is what I get for traveling at the last minute. But I didn’t have a choice.
I packed so fast that I’m not sure I grabbed enough underwear, or if I brought the right clothes for where I’m going.
The only thing keeping my eyes open is the crappy hot coffee in my hand. The LED lights and the rumble of my fellow travelers are too much for my brain after a night of no sleep.
Sitting in the uncomfortable airport seat, I pull out my phone and read the texts I received from an anonymous sender.
Unknown: You left Evergreen Falls behind, but Evergreen Falls didn’t forget you.
Unknown: When’s the last time you checked on your mom, Walker Maddox, Levi Harding, or Santigo Ramirez?
Unknown: If you don’t return, you won’t like what happens next. And I don’t recommend sharing this with anyone.
Rubbing my eyes, I smear the makeup I haven’t taken off from the day before. I tried replying to the texts, but I kept getting an error message.
Whoever this person is, they knew just what to say to get me to go back to the one place I swore I’d never step foot in again.
Home.
CHAPTER 1
BLAKE
My shoulders shake as I rub my arms, hoping to get some feeling back in my frozen limbs. The bitter morning chill bites at my skin as I sit in my rented Jeep Wrangler, inconspicuously parked in the Riverbend Trailer Park. My thick parka does little to keep me warm, and my eyes fight to remain open after a long night of surveillance. The engine of my car struggles as the heater works overtime to keep the frost out.
Across the trailer park, a dog barks at the late morning haze, and a generator hums to keep the lights on. A rusted wind chime clinks somewhere nearby, the sound drifting on the icy breeze. Thin columns of smoke sail from trailer chimneys, disappearing into the gray Wyoming sky.
Outside, the roads are thick with ice, and there’s a layer of snow over everything else. The clouds block the sun, turning the world a shade of gray.
Another cheery winter day in Evergreen Falls, Wyoming.
