Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Thankfully, it was early enough that the roads were mostly empty as Andy broke all kinds of laws as he raced from Charli and Symon’s house on the edge of town to the plaza parking lot.
He ran through the empty plaza and straight up the stairs to Kat’s apartment. He slipped his key in the lock and moved straight up to the bedroom.
“Kat?” He knocked softly on the door and pushed it open, not wanting to startle her. But as he stepped into the room, he realized there’d been no need to worry.
She wasn’t there.
“Kat?”
He went to the bathroom, but it too was empty. A quick search of the house revealed what he feared. She was gone.
Reflexively, he reached for his phone. But came up empty. “Dammit.” He had a few different choice words for Craig at the moment but he swallowed them back. The focus had to be on finding Kat. But where the hell would she go so early? It was only just past seven in the morning and unless she was?—
The hike.
He sprinted down the stairs and stopped short by the hall table. The pack was gone from where it had sat for the last few weeks. And the package Steven had given her to take was gone, too.
“Dammit, Kat.” Andy rubbed his hand through his hair and tugged at the roots. “Now? You choose to do this now?”
There couldn’t have been a worse time. Andy paced the hallway like a caged animal, trying to figure out what to do next. There was no way he could go to Switzerland now. Not with her up in the woods by herself.
Her family didn’t even know there was a hike. Let alone where she’d be going. He had a very slight advantage in that he knew about it, but Kat hadn’t told him where she was going to go. And even if he did know, she was supposed to do it alone. He couldn’t charge through the woods and ruin it for her just because he wanted to talk to her. That wasn’t fair.
Still, he couldn’t sit around and do nothing.
At least if he knew where she’d gone, that would be something. And it was only for one night. He’d be waiting for her when she came back.
There was only one person who might know something. And considering how he’d treated him the night before, Andy wasn’t looking forward to that particular conversation. Hopefully, Kane didn’t hold a grudge for grade-A assholes .
But first, he was going to need to get his phone back.
Kat had no concept of how long she’d been hiking, but with the heavy pack on her back, it felt as if she’d been walking all day. Out of the two options Kane had shown her for the trip, they both involved huge elevation gains, which was to be expected in the mountains, but one was slightly longer, and to her surprise, that was the hike she’d chosen because Kane said it had a small but beautiful glacier-fed lake at the end.
The idea of setting her tent up next to a lake felt right, and so she’d made the last-minute decision to hike to White Swan Lake despite a few extra kilometers needed to reach it.
She’d been so caught up in her thoughts and feelings from the night before, it had been easy to forget her fears of hiking alone in the woods. For the most part.
But several hours had passed, and the flood of emotions that had fueled her at the start of her walk had begun to wear off.
Now it was just her and the woods.
And all the creatures that might be hiding in the trees, ready to attack.
“Hello, Mr. Bear!” she called out the way her dad had taught her when she was a child.
Make noise on the trail, Kat. You never want to startle an animal.
She could hear his voice as if he were there with her. “Okay, Dad. I’m doing it. I’m here.” She sucked in a breath and kept walking. “I still don’t understand this one, but I guess that doesn’t matter at this point, does it?”
The birds chirping and flitting through the treetops were the only answer she got. Not that she expected much more.
“It’s just a hike,” she said aloud, embracing the idea of talking to herself. “I like to hike. Maybe I would do more hikes if I wasn’t so busy with the shop.”
Not that she’d been very busy lately. Cutting back on her clients over the last few months had been a welcome break that she never would have expected.
Kat lifted her head from the trail and looked around at the forest and the mountains that peeked through the branches. She inhaled deeply and let the clean air fill her lungs.
“Maybe I should hike more often?” She laughed at herself and quickly added, “But maybe not alone.” She lifted her shoulders back. “Maybe Andy would like to—nope.” She cut herself off. “We’re not going to think about him today.” Or how I screwed everything up. The hurt look on his face before he turned and walked away from her was seared into her brain.
Kat shook her head to clear the image.
“Today I hike,” she affirmed aloud.
And with any luck, I’ll be too exhausted to think of anything else.
Like how she screwed up what could have been something real with the only man she’d ever had feelings for because she was too scared to choose him over her family.
She couldn’t let her thoughts go there.
Not yet. She owed it to her family to finish this once and for all. It was up to her now. As soon as she finished up her list, it was over and they’d all be able to move on.
Finally.
Andy got lucky when he got to the big house and Annie answered the door instead of Chase. There was a time, less than twenty-four hours earlier, when he would have knocked on the door and walked in. But a lot had changed in a very short time, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t welcome there at all.
“Hey, Andy.” Annie stepped onto the porch and shut the door behind her as she did so. “I assume you’re looking for this?” She handed him his phone.
Andy glanced at the screen, but the battery was dead so he tucked it in his back pocket. “Thanks, Annie. I wasn’t sure what to expect over here this morning.”
She sucked in a breath and shrugged her shoulders to her ears. “It’s better than yesterday, but…” She glanced toward the closed door. “I think there are still some raw feelings.”
He didn’t expect much more. “Have you heard from Kat?” She was the only one who mattered. The rest of them could be as angry as they needed to be. It was Kat he was concerned about.
“Not since last night.” Annie shook her head. “She was pretty upset when she finally went home.” She bit her bottom lip and looked like she wanted to say more. Andy knew Kat and Annie were best friends, but Annie was also engaged to Chase. It put her in an awkward position.
“It’s okay, Annie. I know it’s not the easiest spot for you to be in with…well, all of this. I just want to make sure she’s okay.” It was a stupid thing to say because of course she wasn’t okay. He’d seen it on her face the night before. He’d seen the hurt and worry and pain all over her beautiful features because he’d asked her to do the impossible and choose between him and her family.
If he could take it back, he would. He would never put her in that situation. And not just because he knew he could never win, but because he’d do anything to never see that look on her face again.
He’d got what he came for, and with nothing more to say, he turned to leave.
By the time he returned to the plaza, there were plenty of people—a mixture of tourists and locals—wandering between the café, ice cream shop, and various other shops. He bypassed the Sugar Shack, moving quickly in case Craig happened to be inside and saw him walking past. The last thing Andy needed was another fight, and something told him Craig hadn’t calmed down enough to have an actual conversation with him.
He hesitated outside Alpenglow, Charli’s shop. There was no point in telling her yet that Kat was gone on an overnight hike. Not when he still didn’t have any more details. Besides, there was no reason to panic, and Kat had her reasons for not wanting her siblings to know about it.
He would honor her desire for discretion. At least for now.
The shop’s doors were open to the warm summer morning. A handful of customers browsed the sale rack outside, but not too many people inside that Andy could see.
Kane and his sister Krysta both stood at the front counter, heads bent over something they were discussing. Sensing his presence, they both looked up as he neared.
“Oh no.” Kane shook his head and held out his hand. “I told you last night, I do not want to get involved with?—”
“It’s not that.” Andy held up his hands in peace. “I swear I’m not looking for a fight, Kane, and I’m so sorry for everything last night. That wasn’t fair to you.”
“It sure as hell wasn’t.” He crossed his huge arms over his chest.
It wasn’t lost on Andy that if he had been looking for a fight with Kane, he would have lost. Badly. The man was massive, his muscles built from a life outside on the mountain.
“I know,” Andy said. “And I really am sorry. Things kind of spun out of control last night and that’s why I’m here.”
Kane dropped his arms and considered Andy. “What do you mean?”
Krysta looked between them. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure,” Andy answered honestly. And took a step forward, confident that Kane would at least hear him out before he kicked him out of his shop .
“It’s Kat. I think she went on her overnight hike, but I have no idea where she might have gone. I need your help.”
His sister shot him a look, but Kane ignored it. “You don’t know where she went?”
Andy shook his head. “I’m hoping you do.”
The other man nodded and pulled out a map book from below the counter. “I suggested two different spots that would be good for a solo overnight.”
“A solo overnight?” Krysta’s mouth fell open. “Kat? She went on a campout?” She chuckled and shook her head. “No way. Kat hates camping. I tried to get her to go with me a few years ago and…”
She trailed off when she realized Andy and Kane weren’t laughing.
“Oh shit.” She nodded. “She really went?”
“Yes,” Andy said. “At least I think she did. Her bag was gone this morning and…well, last night was a bit of a…” He looked at Kane. “Let’s just say it only got worse after you left.”
Kane let out a low whistle and returned his attention back to the book in front of him. “Here.” He pointed to a spot on the map. “This is the first spot. Farmer’s Ridge. It’s only about six kilometers in and it has a gorgeous view of the valley. And this…” His finger trailed across the page. “Is the second spot I suggested. White Swan Lake. It’s a bit of a longer hike in at eight kilometers, but the lake is super pretty and tranquil.”
“Oh, White Swan is gorgeous,” Krysta said. “I’d go there. ”
“I agree.” Kane nodded. “I don’t think she was very excited about the extra distance,” he said. “But Kat did seem to like the idea of camping next to a lake if she had to do it.”
“And she did have to do it,” Andy muttered under his breath.
“Are you going to join her?”
Andy looked up from the map. More than anything, that’s what he wanted to do. He’d run the entire eight kilometers if that’s what it took to get to her. But he couldn’t. He shook his head. “No,” he said after a moment. “That’s not an option. Besides, she’ll only be gone for one night. So maybe I’ll go to the trailhead.”
“Well, that’s good, because she has all the gear she needs, but the storm that’s coming in will be a doozy.”
In his head, Andy was already working out the logistics of canceling his flight to Switzerland and staying an extra few days. He’d have to talk to Symon and— “Wait. What did you say?”
Kane shook his head. “I said that she has all the gear she should need and?—”
“No.” Andy stopped him. “About the weather. What did you say about a storm?”
Kane pulled his phone out and opened the weather app. “There’s a huge storm forecasted.” He turned it to face Andy. “But it’s not rolling in until tomorrow night, so in plenty of time for her to pack up and get back down the trail before it hits. ”
Andy scanned the weather report for himself and finally nodded. “Okay, that’s good. She’ll be back in lots of time.”
“As long as she doesn’t love it and decide to stay an extra night.” Krysta laughed, as if the very idea of it were ludicrous. Which it was.
“Yeah. I don’t think we have to worry about that,” Andy said. “One night, and she’ll be back.”
The equipment Kane had sold her was easy to use, and it didn’t take long once Kat made it to White Swan Lake to get her tent set up and her sleeping bag unrolled.
She even went for a little walk and found the stream that fed into the lake to fill up her water bottles. She dropped the water purification tablets in the way Kane had shown her and let it sit the required amount of time before drinking.
It was late afternoon before she got hungry and pulled out the little stove with a fuel canister that Kane assured her would heat up water in less than a minute to rehydrate her not-so delicious-looking camp meal. It was yet another thing he’d been right about. After Kat had a full belly and had settled in on a large rock overlooking the peaceful lake, she couldn’t help but admit that maybe a backpacking trip wasn’t so bad after all.
Kat would have guessed that the quiet and solitude would become oppressive and overwhelming. She was so used to being surrounded by people, or the constant connection of her phone and all the distractions of modern life. When was the last time she took the time to just be?
With her eyes closed, Kat inhaled deeply and took her time blowing out her breath before opening her eyes. “Okay,” she spoke aloud. “I guess I can’t put it off much longer.” The sun would be setting soon, and she wanted to be sure she opened the special package that Steven had given her in the daylight.
She reached around to pick up the little package but didn’t open it right away.
Something about the package felt final.
“Here goes nothing.”
Carefully, Kat unwound the paper to reveal a letter that had been wrapped around a small bottle of whiskey.
“Whiskey, Dad? Really?”
She laughed and put the bottle aside to open the letter.
My dearest baby girl,
If you’re reading this, it means you’ve done it. You’ve conquered my life list and your fears. Yes, I knew you’d save the camping trip for last.
She chuckled a little, but it wasn’t enough to keep the tears from burning her eyes. Only one line into the letter and already she was a mess. She blinked hard and kept reading.
I hope by now you’ve spent some time thinking about everything I asked you to do and hopefully you understand why I wanted this for you. You’re my youngest, Kat. And that means no matter what happened, I didn’t get enough time with you. You see, there could never be enough time for a father to teach his little girl everything about life that he would like, or to tell her everything she needs to hear from him. I hope I’ve done enough and said enough for you to know how much I love you and how proud I am of you.
In my last letter, I told you how proud I am of you for your hard work, but there’s so much more about you that fills me with pride.
You are truly the best parts of both your mother and me. Thankfully, there’s a bit more of her in you than me.
Kat swiped at her cheeks. There was no way she could keep the tears at bay any longer.
I bet you’re wondering about what I put on the list .
She laughed because he was right.
Hiking up the peak was something I wished we could have done together. I can’t believe I lived in Trickle Creek all those years, and never got around to it. There are a lot of things I never got around to. I hope you thought of me when you got to the top, baby girl, because I was there with you.
Kat swallowed hard and tipped her head up to the sky in an effort to pull herself together before she continued.
The painting lessons and learning another language were two things I should have done when I was younger. I was always envious of creative people, and learning another language is never a bad idea. As for the karaoke and the salsa dancing, those were two things to push you into the spotlight. You deserve to shine, and I’m willing to bet that’s exactly what you did. And I hope you had fun in the process.
Oh, she’d had fun. Memories of that dance would stay with her for a very long time. She kept reading.
I wonder whether you decided to bungee jump or skydive. Either way, I’m sure you cursed me for putting such a thing on the list and honestly, I wasn’t so sure at first. After all, those are both very dangerous things and my job as a father is to protect you, not push you out of planes.
But you and I both know that you don’t need protection. I raised you to be strong and capable, and that’s exactly what you are. It’s important to remember that. Just like it’s important to push yourself.
“Okay, Dad. I get it.” Kat put the letter down and gazed out over the lake. It had been months since she visited her dad’s gravesite and just sat and talked, but the words came easily…and strangely, she felt closer to him than ever. “You want me to push myself and live a full life. I’m trying.” She laughed out loud. “Hell, I’m here. That’s a pretty big push.”
She sat for another moment and let the tears dry on her cheeks before picking up the paper to finish the letter.
One last thing, Kat. Do you remember when you were little and you’d climb up on my lap when I got home from the office? You insisted on sitting with me and having a drink, just like me. Your mother gave you apple juice instead of my whiskey of course, but you always wanted to try it and I never let you. So here you go.
Kat reached down and picked up the bottle he’d included.
It’s my favorite whiskey. So when you look up at the stars tonight, think of me and know I’m always with you.
The one thing I know for sure is that this life is shorter than you expect it to be. Promise me you’ll live the best way you know how. Always make time for the unexpected. Push yourself to try new things, embrace your creative side, and never shy away from the spotlight—because you deserve to shine. But most importantly, love hard and without regrets.
Love always,
Dad