Cedar Hollow (7 page)

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Okay, these are the seedlings.” He told her handing her a tray full of little wells filled with soil. Each one contained a small sprout. “They need to be planted about a foot apart. Just dig a shallow hole and scoop out each plant with your finger. The roots don’t go too deep.” He explained laying a small hand shovel on top of the tray she was holding. “I’ll lower you down to the first level. Just brace your feet against the dirt to move yourself along as you plant them. When you get to the end of a row you can lower yourself to the next level using this grip release.” He showed her how to squeeze the release. “Keep your hand on it and release it slowly.” He warned. “By the time you’ve planted each row you’ll be able to stand on that ledge down there and then just walk back up the steps on the side. Keep the harness on until you’re back up top.”

“Got it.”
Cassidy nodded, smiling to hide her nerves. Getting all strapped in was kind of fun, but now that it was time to actually go over the edge her stomach was in knots. She couldn’t back out now, he was impressed.

“You sure you want to do this?” He asked all playfulness gone.
“You don’t have to.”

“I’m fine.” She playfully pushed against his chest and thrilled at the hard muscle she felt beneath his shirt. Damn he was rock solid.

“Okay, here you go.” He said helping her step over the edge and slowly lowering the rope so that she began to move down the side of the hill. “Plant your feet.” He told her looking over the edge at her. She did as she was told. “You can brace the tray between your hip and the side of the hill so you can transplant the seedlings.” He kept watching as she followed his instructions. Her hands were shaking, she hoped he couldn’t see. She planted the first one then shuffled her feet sideways scooting along the edge of the mountain and planting another. He watched from up above. “Looking good.” He called down to her. She held up a thumbs up sign, not trusting her voice at the moment. “Okay, I’m going to be right over there.” He said pointing behind him. “Shout if you need me.” And with that he disappeared from view.

Cassidy released the breath she’d been holding. She tried not to look down as she continued along the hill
side planting pumpkins. Lowering herself to the next level was not as easy as it sounded. At first she released too fast and let out a squeal as she dropped abruptly. Ben was immediately leaning over the edge.

“You okay?” He shouted anxiously. Again she held her thumb up, smiling with trembling lips.

She planted the rest of that level without incident and began to get into a comfortable rhythm as she shimmied along the hillside. She even paused to take in the
view, it really was beautiful up here. The pumpkin patch was surrounded by dense forest on each side of the stone steps that bordered it. As Cassidy admired the woods she heard something large moving through the trees to her right and wondered if they had bears in New Hampshire. She’d have to ask Ben later. She began moving a little faster, feeling rather exposed hanging over the side of the mountain like a dangling bear treat.

Suddenly she dropped about a foot down the side of the mountain and stopped abruptly. She quickly looked down to check her grip release, it was still tightly secured. She was just about to call for Ben when she suddenly found herself free falling, the air was sucked out of her lungs as she fell backwards away from the mountain
, she could see the slack rope trailing after her. She didn’t have time to react, it all happened so fast.

Then she slammed into something hard, and that something crashed on top of her pinning her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. Her face was pressed into the dirt and so much weight was against her back she couldn’t breathe. But she wasn’t lying down, she was upright. It was very disorienting.

“Jesus, Cassidy, are you okay?” Ben’s voice was in her ear and she realized he was the weight that was pressing her into the side of the mountain.

“Can’t breathe.”
She managed to mutter into the dirt. The weight was released off her back and she sucked in a welcome breath of air.

She felt Ben’s tight grip on her arms and he slowly turned her around to face him, keeping his body pressed intimately against hers. She allowed him to spin her around pressing her back into the
mountain, she realized that they were standing on the narrow ledge pathway at the bottom of the pumpkin patch.

“Are you hurt?” He demanded.

“I don’t think so.” She said “What happened?”

“The rope.”
He said reaching for the rope that was still attached to her harness and pulling it through his hands until he reached a frayed end. “It’s been cut.”

Cassidy’s mind was in chaos, she couldn’t focus on just one thought. She’d almost fallen over the side of the mountain. Ben had called her by her first name. He’d said the rope had been cut. His body was still pressed tightly against hers, his strong arms like a protective cage holding her to the side of the hill. There had been something in the woods.

“Are there bears in New Hampshire?” Cassidy asked grasping ahold of the last errant thought to flit through the disarray.

Ben stilled at her question looking at her intently. “Did you hit your head?” He asked concerned.

“I don’t think so.” She responded weakly, she was feeling a little dizzy.

“Come
on, let’s get you back to the house.” Ben said tightly wrapping his arm around her waist and hugging her to his side as he slowly shimmied them both toward the stone steps. He didn’t release his hold as they climbed the stairs. Cassidy didn’t complain. She allowed Ben to escort her back to the house, safely wrapped in his arms.

“Do you want a bath?” He asked once they were inside
, concern still etched on his face.

“I don’t want to take all the water
again.” Cassidy refused reluctantly, nothing sounded better than a bath at the moment.

“There’s plenty of water.” Ben mumbled leading Cassidy toward the
stairs, he still kept one hand placed protectively against her lower back.

He led her all the way to her room, opening the door and entering with her. He deposited her on the edge of the bed and then crossed to the bathroom to start running the bath. He didn’t seem to want to leave her side. Cassidy began to wonder if he was going to attempt to undress her and put her in the bath as well. She blushed at the thought.

Ben came from the bathroom and Cassidy couldn’t help but notice that he surveyed the room carefully. His behavior was making Cassidy nervous.

“Do you want to check under the bed for monsters?” Cassidy joked, his wary eyes flashed to hers. He didn’t smile.

“You’ve had a long day.” He said still scanning the room inconspicuously. “I’ll have Mrs. Owens bring your lunch up so you can rest.”

“That’s not necessary.” Cassidy tried to argue.

“You need to rest.” He insisted. “You should stay in your room.” It sounded more like an order than a suggestion. His expression left no room for argument. Cassidy nodded.

Ben left the room and closed the door behind him, Cassidy listened closely, half expecting to hear the sound of him locking the door from the outside. Thankfully all she heard was the sound of his retreating footsteps.

She made her way to the bathroom and the little slice of heaven that awaited her in the old-fashioned claw foot tub. Her whole body relaxed as soon as she immersed herself in the hot water. Her jumbled thoughts finally slowed and began to present themselves in a logical order. She always did her best thinking in the bath.

While part of her brain wanted to act like a silly teenage girl and gush over the fact that Ben was acting so protective, the logical side of her mind nagged at her wanting to know why.
What was he protecting her from? His words rang in her head,
The rope’s been cut
. Did he mean intentionally? Who would have done that? And what had he been doing at the bottom of the hill?

“Please, Mom! Please let me ride with Shannon!”

“Cassidy
, isn’t your father supposed to escort you to the homecoming dance?” Her mom gently reminded her.

“Come on
, Mom, we can meet you there. Please let me ride with Shannon.” Cassidy begged.

“I don’t know
, this article clearly says that Cassidy St. Claire will be escorted by her father Charles St. Claire.” Her mom teased as she showed her the picture in the local paper for the hundredth time. Cassidy rolled her eyes.

“He can escort me when I get there. Please
, Mom, please!”

“Okay
, Darling.” Her mom conceded. “Remember to buckle up.”

“I will, promise! Thanks
, Mom! I love you! I’ve gotta go call Shannon!” Cassidy excitedly skipped from the room to call her closest friend. This was going to be the best night of her life.

Time lurched forward in that strange way that only made sense in dreams. Cassidy was standing in a stark white hospital hallway. She still wore her homecoming gown
, her face was streaked with tears, and she’d just identified the bodies of her parents. Two police officers stood at the end of the hallway speaking with some man in a suit, they looked over at her.

“The minor has no other family?”

“NO!” Cassidy shouted as she bolted upright in bed. Her heart was pounding in her ears and it took her a second to remember when and where she was.

“Are you okay?” Ben was immediately at her side, she jumped at his touch, still a little disoriented.

“Were you watching me sleep?” She asked warily, thanking God that she’d put some clothes on before taking a nap this time. The last time she’d taken a bath and fallen asleep she’d done so naked.

“I was just bringing you some lunch.” Ben gestured nervously to the tray that sat on the desk by the window. “I wasn’t sure if I should wake you, but then you just sat up screaming. Are you okay?” He asked again with concern.

“Just a bad dream.”
Cassidy dismissed, trying to relegate the dream to the past where it belonged.

“Are you hungry?” Ben asked lifting the tray from the desk and bringing it to her.

“Sure.” Cassidy agreed, sitting up on the bed and crossing her legs under the covers. Ben set the tray in front of her on the bed. Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, comfort food. Cassidy smiled.

“Are you just going to watch me eat?” Cassidy asked anxiously as Ben sat in the rocking chair
by the window.

“I already had lunch, but I can go if you’d rather be alone.” He offered.

“No, that’s okay.” Cassidy shrugged as she began to eat her lunch.

“So what was the dream about?” Ben asked.

“The day my parents died.” Cassidy answered honestly.

“How old were you?”

“Fifteen.”

“What happened?”

“Car accident.” Cassidy’s throat constricted, making it hard to swallow. She hated talking about this.

“I’m sorry.” Cassidy had heard that response a million times.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She heard herself deliver her standard response. “But I always felt like it was mine.” She whispered, surprising herself. She’d never admitted that out loud.

“Why?”
He was clearly shocked at her admission.

Cassidy thought for a moment before responding, she’d never told anyone this before.

“A few weeks before the accident I’d found my birth certificate in a box in my mother’s closet. My real birth certificate, with the name of the hospital I’d been born at here in New Hampshire. I’d never really given much thought to my birth family before that. The birth certificate listed my mother’s name, Kimberly Miller, but not my father. I was only listed as baby girl Miller, she didn’t even name me. So I did an internet search for the name Kimberly Miller in Montgomery, the search didn’t really lead anywhere. I didn’t know to check Cedar Hollow.”

“A
few weeks later, when I lost my parents, I felt like I was being punished. Like somehow looking for my biological family had made me ungrateful for the wonderful family I’d been given, so they were taken away.” Cassidy choked back a sob. It had been years since she’d wrestled with these demons, and she thought she’d put that pain to rest. But saying it out loud brought all the agony of that day back. She felt like a child again.

“You know that it wasn’t your fault.” Ben insisted.

“I know.” Cassidy agreed mildly. “Try to tell that to a devastated fifteen year old girl.” Cassidy smiled weakly.

“I know what it’s like to blame
yourself, even when it doesn’t make sense.” Ben offered, and Cassidy realized those were the most comforting words anybody had ever spoken to her. He wasn’t trying to dismiss or erase her grief. He was simply offering his understanding.

“Thank you.” Cassidy smiled at him genuinely. Not her polished, professional smile, but a real heart-felt one. Ben cleared his throat nervously.

“I’ve got some chores that I need to finish.” Ben said hastily standing. “I’ll see you at dinner, Miss St. Claire.”

Cassidy stared after him in confusion. From anger to flirtation to compassion, she couldn’t keep up. But just when she thought she was getting somewhere with him all of a sudden
she was “Miss St. Claire” again, what had happened to “Cassidy”?