Chapter 24
M ac stuffed the last granola bar into Jetter's backpack and zipped it shut. He double-checked the bag, making sure his son clipped the bear spray to the side, then handed it over.
"South side of the peak only," he said. "Stay below the ridge and keep your eyes on the tree branches above you when you get past the creek. That old cougar would like nothing more than to chase a slow boy like you."
Jetter snorted. "I'm faster than you."
"In your dreams, son." He grabbed Jetter's shoulder, stopping him from leaving. "What are you going to do if you need help?"
"Flash my mirror five times on the half hour." Jetter slung the pack over his shoulder. "I remember."
Mac ruffled his hair. "Don't forget to eat."
"I won't."
Then the boy was off, boots kicking dust as he disappeared into the woods, already humming some tune Mac didn't recognize. His son was growing up too fast, and that brought on a new set of worries.
He wanted Jetter to remain close to the mountain.
Yet, he wanted more for his kid. An education.
Experiences. A wife. Kids. And, Jetter wasn't going to find that on the mountain.
Currently, it works out well for Tara to keep him during the school year and let Jetter come during the holidays when he's on break.
Then, Mac gets him for three months out of the summer.
He turned back to the cabin, cleaning up the mess Jetter had left behind—crumbs, a sticky knife, the jelly lid half screwed on.
He rinsed the dishes quickly, aware that all water supplied to the campground came from a gravity-fed reservoir that was filled by a natural spring on the mountain.
Slipping his boots on, he laced them up and headed out.
The lodge was buzzing when he arrived. Beckett and Cord leaned against the counter, talking with Avaline, who flipped through the reservation book.
"What's up?" He joined his cousins.
"We were looking at next week's schedule," Beckett said. "Not one vacancy."
Mac raised a brow. "None?"
Cord shrugged. "We didn't get any last-minute cancellations. Not this time."
Toward the end of summer, they usually had some changes in the schedule. Emergencies happened and plans changed.
Avaline nodded. "Even the tent sites are booked. It's going to be pure chaos until the end of the season."
"Better full than empty." Mac pushed off the counter. "I'll ride around the lake. Check in with the families and see if everything is going smoothly. Some of them still don't know how to bait a hook or paddle straight."
He walked out of the lodge and to the pole building. Before he picked out an ATV to ride, he double-checked that Jetter hadn't taken his dirt bike. He knew the rules. If he was going out until dark, he went on foot.
Seeing that his son's motorcycle was still there, he went to the first four-wheeler, checked the gas tank, and rode it out of the building toward the lake trail. The sun was high, and the water sparkled every time a fish jumped to eat a stonefly.
He passed Cabin 4 on the way, slowing instinctively.
Helping the campers wasn't his regular job, but he'd wanted to check in with Lauren this morning after walking her back to her cabin after using the hot tub last night.
Jetter had come back home after spending the evening with Beckett, so he wasn't able to steal more time with Lauren.
He stopped in front of the cabin, looking behind him, and frowned. Her Jeep was gone.
The campers were allowed to drive up the mountain, but during their stay, the vehicles remained parked in the designated areas. There was nowhere for Lauren to go, unless she left the mountain.
He jumped off the ATV and jogged up to the porch, knocking on the door. As he waited to see if she was inside, he cupped his hands on the window and peered inside. It was bare.
She'd left.
He turned the four-wheeler around and rode hard back to the lodge, heart thudding in his chest. He jogged inside, letting his boots land heavily on the wood floor.
"Cabin Four," he said, breath short. "Where is she?"
Avaline looked up, startled. "Lauren Holt?"
Mac nodded, jaw tight.
Cord and Beckett exchanged glances. He ignored them.
"She left almost two hours ago," Avaline said gently. "She turned in her key and thanked me for a wonderful vacation. Even mentioned that she'll make a Yelp review when she returns home. I have no doubts that it'll be a good review. She seemed to have a good time and was a genuinely nice person."
Mac stood there, stunned.
She was gone.
No goodbye. No, see you next summer.
He'd thought they had time. She was on the schedule to stay at the campground through tomorrow.
He'd thought—
He didn't know what he'd thought.
Mac didn't say a word as he walked out of the lodge. The sun was high, but it as colder than usual. He didn't wave to Cord or Beckett. Didn't acknowledge Avaline's concerned glance.
He just walked.
Straight to Cabin 4.
She'd taken every piece of her away. The cabin was empty as if she hadn't even been here.
Not once during all the time they'd spent together had he imagined her as someone who'd take off without saying goodbye. Hell, she'd told him she was falling for him. She'd said it with her eyes, her voice, her body.
Was that a lie?
He stepped inside, the door creaking slightly. Her luggage was gone. Her camera. Her flipflops.
Mac wasn't looking for anything.
Not really.
Just an explanation.
He scanned the room, eyes drifting over the bed, the windowsill, the counter. Then he saw it. A piece of paper folded in half, sitting on the table. His name was written across the top in her handwriting.
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then he picked it up and unfolded it.
Her words were there. Not her voice. Not her warmth. Just ink on paper.
Mac,
I didn't know how to say goodbye to you.
I'm going to miss you and everything that you shared with me during my stay. Maybe I'm not as brave as I thought I was because I don't think I could've walked away if I looked you in the eyes.
You made me fall in love with this place. You made me feel seen in a way I haven't felt before.
I meant it when I said I was falling for you. So this is me, leaving before it hurts more.
Thank you for everything you taught me, especially how to love the mountain.
I'll carry the memory of my time with you and Jetter with me always.
—Lauren
Mac read it twice.
Then a third time.
He sat down at the edge of the bed, the paper still in his hand, the silence pressing in from all sides.
She was gone.
He hadn't asked her to stay.
And now, he didn't know how to live with that.