Flight book two in the d.., p.23
Flight: Book Two in the Defining Gravity Series, page 23
“So, what happened?” I asked.
“I followed her, and I found her hiding spot. She didn’t know I was there, but when I saw her she just looked so sad that I didn’t bother her. I just went back to school and didn’t tell anyone. I figured that she knew what she was doing. Casey always knows everything.”
We’d entered the thick woods at the back of the school, and from here I could see a well-worn path through the snowy underbrush.
“I’m surprised she hasn’t been caught before this,” Lincoln said, as we pushed up the narrow trail. “This trail would be completely obvious to anyone who came close.”
After about ten minutes, we came upon a small, crumbling, brick building with a hole where the door had once been.
“I think this was an old well-house or something,” Mara said, “from before the new school was built.”
“It looks creepy,” I said. “You mean Casey’s been spending every day in here?”
“Looks, like it,” Lincoln said, peering inside. There was a blanket in one corner and a small pile of empty granola bar wrappers and wadded up sheets of paper beside it. There was even a pile of burnt kindling that looked like she’d tried to start a fire.
“Come on, let’s go,” I said, turning away sadly. How desperate had Casey been to spend every day here in this damp, lonely place instead of in school? She must have been freezing out there.
That night I had no choice but to tell Aunt Lillian.
“Oh, that poor girl. I knew something was wrong. I just wish she’d have told us how miserable she was.”
“I guess she tried in her own way,” I said slowly, thinking of how upset Casey had been when she didn’t get into Redmond.
“I’ll call Bryce,” Aunt Lillian said, but she shooed me outside to work with the horses so I couldn’t eavesdrop.
The next day, Kade announced that when Casey was better, Bryce was taking her to California for Christmas vacation to visit her mom and Olive.
“What did Casey have to say about that?” I asked, thinking of how little she seemed to think of her mom.
“She’s okay with it, I think. She cried a lot. Dad was really upset that she hadn’t told him what was going on. I think he feels guilty for not cluing in earlier. She’s been miserable for a long time.”
“Is she going to have to go back to school?”
Kade shook his head. “I doubt it. She’s acing her online classes. I think he’s going to talk to mom to see if she’ll help pay for private school next year. Her slimy boyfriend’s loaded and it’s her fault Dad doesn’t have any money right now. She took him to the cleaners in the divorce and he just gave away everything without putting up a fight. He really loves her, and he can’t see how manipulative she is.”
“Oh,” I said. It seemed like everyone’s life was complicated these days. At least it wasn’t just my family who was messed up.
Casey was up and about in less than a week and the first thing she did was drop in to one of our archery practices. She still looked pale and thin, but the dark circles under her eyes had faded and she looked more peaceful than I’d ever seen her.
“Hi,” she said shyly, standing in the open doorway.
“Hey, Casey,” I said in delight, “come on in.”
“Oh, it’s okay,” she said quickly, “I wanted to talk to Mara, if that’s okay.”
She sent Mara a tentative smile. “Can you walk with me to the barn?”
Mara blinked at her a few times and then nodded. “Okay, sure. I guess so.”
She put on her coat slowly and followed Casey out into the snow. They were gone a long time and when Mara came back, alone, her face was blotchy with tears, but she was smiling.
“What happened?” I asked, dying of curiosity.
“She apologized,” Mara said simply. “And so did I. We both made mistakes. And…well, she offered me Kitty.”
“Kitty?” I said in astonishment. “But she’s Aunt Lillian’s horse.”
“I know. I guess they talked it over and decided that I would make the best home for her. They offered me a really good price, and said I could make payments and everything. I can come and ride her any time.”
“Wow, Mara,” I said, grabbing her into a hug before I could stop myself.
She stiffened and pulled away, but at least she didn’t hit me.
“It’s amazing news,” she said, smiling. “I can’t wait to tell my parents.”
Casey and Bryce left for California a couple weeks before Christmas. Which was great for them but made double the work for the rest of us. Luckily, Justin was on winter break from school, although it wasn’t very relaxing since we spent most of our time just trudging through the deep snow, keeping the horses clean and fed and chipping ice out of their water buckets.
The night before their departure there was a knock at the door and Bryce stood there grinning, trailing a gigantic tree behind him.
“Astrid, I almost forgot to bring you this,” he laughed. “I told your aunt that we’d get you an honest to goodness tree this year.”
Earlier, I’d confessed to them that I’d never had a real Christmas tree at home. Sometimes Marion set up a miniature, plastic tree on the kitchen counter. But normally it was a holiday only recognized by solemnly exchanging gift cards and going out for a silent dinner at an expensive restaurant. Upon hearing this, Bryce had sworn that he would cut down a tree for us when he got the one for his own house.
Now the giant tree stood in our doorway, so big that it took all of us to haul it through and drag it to the living room. Bryce had made a nice wooden stand that fit a water bucket perfectly in the center for the tree to sit in.
“There, now I’ll leave you to the decorations,” Bryce said, brushing his hands together in satisfaction. “That’s not my department.”
We hugged him goodbye, and the next morning he and Casey were gone before the sun even came up. I hoped she had a good time.
Aunt Lillian dragged all her decorations out of storage and piled them in the living room for me to sort through. It took me two days, but in the end, I’d decorated my very first Christmas tree and made the whole living room look like a winter wonderland.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Astrid, come on down, they’re here.”
I was already halfway down the stairs by the time my aunt called. I’d been waiting at my bedroom window, pretending to read but really checking outside every thirty seconds. I’d already seen the big, shiny black rental car pulling carefully up the snowy driveway.
I thudded down the stairs and hit the bottom step just as Jake woke up and started to bark at the sound of car tires crunching on gravel. I threw open the front door without even bothering to put a coat on, dancing up and down on the cold wooden porch in my socked feet.
“Astrid!” Hilary jumped out of the car before it had even stopped and ran up the icy pathway toward me. She bounced up the porch steps and wrapped me in a big hug, at which I promptly burst into tears.
“Oh, don’t do that,” she said and burst into tears, too. We both pulled back at the same moment, and I looked up to see Rob standing right there, grinning at both of us. I couldn’t help the surge of excitement that shot through me. He looks the same, I thought, taken back by his dark hair and eyes, he’s beautiful.
Before I had the chance to feel shy, he’d stepped forward and wrapped me in a tight hug. “Astrid,” he whispered, still laughing so his breath tickled my neck, “your dad is intense.”
“My dad?” I froze, looking back and forth between them.
“Yeah.” Hilary laughed under her breath. “He started arguing with the guy across the aisle from him about politics. It was a very long flight.”
“Oh no,” I groaned. “I didn’t even know he was coming. I hope he didn’t say anything awful.”
Before I could dwell on it anymore, I saw Marion getting out of the car and my heart gave another little leap of excitement.
“Darling, you look wonderful,” Marion said, tripping up the driveway in a pair of thin, knee-high leather boots. She let out a sudden shriek as Jake pushed past me and bounded down the porch steps, barking wildly.
“It’s okay!” I called out. “He’s harmless.”
Marion stood rooted to the ground in fear, eyes closed and face white. She had her hands clenched at her sides and I thought she would pass out. Before I could move, Rob trotted down the porch steps to rescue her, his mouth curving upward in a smile as he reached down and grabbed Jake’s collar, ruffling the big dog’s fur.
“Come on, giant dog,” he said, laughing. “You’re all talk. I know your type.”
I paused, studying his face as he came toward me through the falling snow, pulling the reluctant dog behind him. He had changed a bit in the few months since I’d left. His face was more angular, and he looked like he’d filled out. His eyes were still the same, though, warm and smiling, full of fun.
“Well now, this is nice,” Aunt Lillian said, appearing behind us in the doorway, “It’s good to see this girl finally smiling. Marion, come on in, you must be freezing out there. Bruce,” her voice faltered slightly, “what a surprise. You look…well.”
“Lillian,” he said in a lukewarm voice, “likewise.”
My breath caught in my throat as I saw my dad for the first time since I’d left. He was tired and thin but, when he looked my way, the small smile he gave me was genuine.
“Astrid.” He came up the porch steps, and for a moment we just stared at one another, neither of us seeming to know what to do. We settled on a quick hug and then broke apart almost instantly, both looking down the porch, rendered speechless by this overwhelming display of affection.
“Oh, my goodness, Astrid, you’ve grown up so much,” Marion said, wrapping me in her own soft hug. I leaned into her, inhaling her familiar scent. She was the closest thing to a mom I’d ever had, and I’d missed her tons since I’d been away.
“Come on, everyone,” my aunt said briskly from the door. “Don’t stand outside in the freezing cold, come on inside. Astrid, show your friends to their rooms. I’ll take Marion and your father upstairs to their room. Jake, you lie down there; nobody needs your help.”
Rob and Hilary ran back to the car to grab their bags and Hilary came back carrying a suspiciously familiar looking parcel covered in red wrapping paper and ribbons.
“Don’t peek,” she said, “it’s supposed to be a surprise.”
“Um, okay,” I said, confused. Because that looked suspiciously like a saddle and, as rich as Hilary was, I was pretty sure she was not going to randomly buy me a saddle when I didn’t even have my own horse.
“Here, Rob, this is your room.” I ushered him into one of our nicest guest rooms, decorated in green and gold plaid.
“Wow, Astrid, this place is great,” Rob said, looking around admiringly at the exposed wooden beams. “I love log buildings.” He dropped his oversized backpack on the bed and followed us next door to where Hilary was staying. “You must love living here. You’re never going to want to come home.”
“It’s a beautiful place,” I said, “and the people and horses are fantastic. But I still want to come home. I miss you guys.”
“Okay,” Hilary said, hardly able to contain herself, “I can’t stand it anymore. Open your present, Astrid.”
“For me?” I said, “but, Hilary, I can’t let you buy me a—”
“Just open it, silly.”
I looked over at Rob and he nodded encouragingly, so I sat down on the bed and carefully took the loosely wrapped saddle out of Hilary’s arms. I peeled the paper back slowly and then exhaled my breath all at once, tears springing to my eyes.
“Do you recognize it?” Hilary asked softly, laying a hand on my shoulder.
“I do.” I sniffled, then pulled the familiar burgundy saddle-cover off and looked down at the beautiful saddle underneath. I ran my fingers tentatively over the buttery, soft leather that I’d grown to know almost as well as my bow. “It’s Quarry’s saddle.”
“Claudia wanted you to have it. She was so proud of you, Astrid, and she knew how much you loved Quarry. He won’t need it now that he’s retired, and it’s fully adjustable, so you can get a saddle fitter to adjust it to your next horse.”
My next horse, I thought, will there even be a next horse?
“Wow, I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“There’s a couple more things that go with it,” Rob said, “since we’re opening presents early. Hang on.”
He disappeared back to his room and came back with two presents. “These are still from Claudia and Liza. You can open your real presents from us on Christmas.”
I took the first present from him wordlessly, too overwhelmed to do anything but sniffle and gulp back tears. I couldn’t believe that Claudia had even been thinking of me when she was sick. What an amazing person she’d been. I wished I could have known her so much longer.
“That first one is from Claudia. The small one is from Liza.”
I unwrapped the larger of the two, a bulky package covered with green paper and gasped as I pulled Quarry’s bridle from the packaging. I ran my fingers down the supple reins, and then, like a weirdo, I leaned down and breathed in the well-remembered smell, hoping to capture any memories of Quarry and Claudia that still clung to it.
Luckily, I was in the room with two horse people; they understood completely.
“Last one,” Rob said, handing me a small square. “Careful, it’s fragile.”
I peeled back the paper and smiled tearfully. It was a beautiful framed photo of Quarry, standing loose in his paddock, head thrown up and mane blowing in the wind. He looked like a unicorn, all proud and regal. I traced the lines of his face with my fingers and sighed.
“Astrid!” my aunt called, “we’re having tea and cookies in the living room. Come on out.”
Aunt Lillian had set out tea and my favourite lemon cookies on the low table in the sunken living room and we all sat down on the big couches that were only used for formal occasions. I squeezed in with Hilary and Rob on the big couch and passed around the plate of cookies. “You have to taste these,” I said, “Aunt Lillian is an amazing cook, she’s teaching me how to make some stuff, too.”
“Oh, I’m nothing compared to what Florian was like,” Aunt Lillian waved her hand in the air dismissively, “but Astrid is getting to be quite the baker, too.”
I looked over to see Marion watching me closely, a puzzled look on her face. She sat perched on the edge of her cushion, clutching her tea cup as if she would leap up and bolt at any minute.
“Have a cookie, Marion,” my aunt ordered, “you look as though you could use some fattening up.”
“Oh, no thank you.” Marion jumped and then laughed nervously, glancing quickly at my dad.
“Right,” my dad said absently, blowing on the top of his tea to cool it down, “we don’t eat sugar or carbs in our home.”
I almost choked on the cookie I’d stuffed in my mouth and Aunt Lillian shot me a look.
“Well, luckily you’re not home then. Eat up.”
“Tea’s fine for me,” Marion insisted, “maybe later.”
There was a long, awkward silence while everyone stared at the table and tried to think of what to say. I was dying to get back alone with Rob and Hilary so I could ask them all about home.
“So, Astrid,” my dad said, clearing his throat, “how is that horse of yours?”
“He’s great!” I said, and then stopped, realizing that, of course, he meant Folly and not Red. “I mean, uh, she’s much better. She’s letting me handle her and we’re taking her for walks and stuff. Justin’s tacked her up and has started riding her lightly.”
“Hmmph.” His gaze drifted over the window and he sighed. “Good,” he said vaguely, as if he were thinking about something else entirely.
Marion and I exchanged a quick glance and she shook her head ever so slightly.
“But I’ve been riding,” I said, suddenly. “Aunt Lillian has this great horse named Red; he’s really quiet. And, Dad, you have to see the indoor range we built.”
I faltered to a stop, not sure if he was even listening to me, he looked so far away. I’d forgotten how disconcerting it was to have my dad around, how I’d always felt on guard and ready to defend myself. Until those last few weeks at the hospital, we’d never even so much as had a conversation and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
“Range?” he said, coming out of his fog and looking interested. “You’re back practicing already? I thought the doctor said—”
“It’s fine, Dad, I’m going to physio and everything. They said that it’s okay as long as I take it easy.”
“Oh, well, that’s reasonable then, I guess. But I wouldn’t put too much stock in what these small-town doctors say. I’ll get Marion to set up an appointment with a specialist. You don’t want it to heal badly and wreck your career. Be careful.”
“Okay,” I said, gulping nervously, wondering if he’d always spoken of Marion as if she was merely his secretary. “I’ll be careful. But, don’t you want to see the range?”
“Yes,” Aunt Lillian said, glaring at my dad. “The kids worked so hard to clean it up and get it ready. Surely, you want to be somewhat supportive of your daughter.”
“Don’t start with me, Lillian,” he snapped, “I don’t need advice—”
“Okay.” Marion stood up so quickly she nearly spilled her tea. “Time for everyone to get some fresh air. We’d love to see the horses, wouldn’t we, dear? Astrid, why don’t you take us all on a tour?”
Rob and Hilary were watching all this silently, eyes wide. I knew Hilary had never liked my dad much and she was staring at him now as if he were a rattlesnake rising its head up out of the grass. She grasped reflexively at the little cross necklace at her throat and I knew she was reminding herself not to judge him. I hope she had better luck with that than I did.
We dressed in our winter gear and filed outside, Aunt Lillian and Marion making high-pitched small talk to fill in the silence.
I was overflowing with things to tell Rob and Hilary, and even Marion, but I’d gone completely mute in the presence of my dad. I was a much different person than the one who’d left home three months ago, but I still was tongue-tied around him.
