Her Sister's Child
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Julia tucked the lantern into the bend of her elbow and pressed it against her chest to keep from dropping it. Making her way to the storeroom entrance, she stood on the threshold. Her curiosity urged her to peek around the door frame, but her feet felt glued to the floor.
“Who’s out there, Aunt Julia?” Katie asked from behind her.
“I’m not sure,” she lied. “Probably someone looking to get out of the storm.” She leaned against the open door and listened.
“We were just talking about you the other day,” Cora said.
“We?”
“My daughter’s here with me.”
Cameron coughed. His voice was raspy when he said, “Tina?”
Julia held her breath, fearful that the mention of her sister might send Cora into tears. But she calmly answered, “No. My younger girl, Julia’s visiting for a while.”
“I remember Julia,” he said. “She was a student of mine when I taught at Riverton. Smart girl. Got excellent grades, as I recall.”
“She has a job in Manhattan now,” Cora said. “She’s a reporter.”
“Good for her.”
Julia heard footsteps and assumed Cameron was choosing supplies. “Is she married?” he asked after a moment.
“No,” Cora said.
Katie tugged on the end of Julia’s blouse. “Why don’t we go out?” she asked.
“We will,” Julia said. “In just a minute. But for now I need you to be very quiet.”
Katie dropped her hand. “Okay.”
Thunder rumbled over the rooftop, and Julia missed the next words spoken. When the sound faded she heard Cameron say, “I had just started up to my grandfather’s place when the storm hit. I was hoping to buy enough supplies from you to get by until morning.”
“Pick out what you need,” Cora said. “But you might want to wait until the weather clears before you continue up the mountain. This road is slippery in a rainstorm. You can stay in the cabin with us till it’s safe.”
That’s just great. Julia wasn’t really thrilled with the idea of the four of them sitting in the cabin parlor talking about old times, which in retrospect were alternately tragic and embarrassing. But then an even worse picture formed in her mind. Cameron’s wife was probably out in the car. If he accepted Cora’s invitation, it would be the five of them huddled together until the storm passed. How cozy would that be, especially after she’d relived all those old memories the past few days.
Julia released the breath that had been trapped in her chest when Cameron declined. “Thanks anyway, but I can make it to the top. I’ve got four-wheel drive on a Jeep that can plow through anything and I think the rain’s letting up some now.”
Julia heard the rustle of paper and assumed Cora was filling a sack with supplies. She was thankful when the cash register drawer opened and closed, indicating the transaction was finished. “Nice seeing you again, Cameron,” Cora said. “How long you planning to be on Whisper?”
“I’m not sure. A while. My grandfather left the cabin to me when he died. This is the first chance I’ve had to come up here.”
“We’ll be seeing more of you then,” Cora said.
“Definitely.”
Wonderful. Julia winced. She didn’t look forward to running into Cameron and his wife. Although, thinking rationally, she’d been over Cameron for years. So why was she reacting like a love-struck college coed now?
“You be careful now,” Cora called just before the door closed.
Julia stepped aside and let Katie precede her into the store.
“What took you two so long?” Cora asked. “You won’t believe who was just…”
“I heard.”
“I guess the rumors about him coming back to Whisper were true,” Cora said. “Imagine Cameron Birch walking in here after we were discussing him the other day.”
“Yeah, imagine.” The lanterns still in her arms, Julia walked toward the rear of the store and glanced out the back door. “Well, come on. If we’re going to make it to the cabin, we’d better go now.”
Cora checked the lock on the front entrance and started to follow, but the squeal of brakes and the grating of twisting metal stopped her.
“What was that?” Katie asked, clutching Julia’s arm.
Julia dropped the lanterns on a nearby worktable. Her heart raced. She recalled only two times in all the years she’d lived on Whisper Mountain when she’d heard that sound. She looked at Cora’s stricken expression. “Oh, God, Mama,” she said. “He’s gone through the guardrail.”
CHAPTER THREE
JULIA GRABBED a yellow slicker from the hook by the storeroom, slipped her arms through the sleeves and hurried to the counter under the cash register where her parents had always kept a flashlight. Shoving the light into the waistband of her jeans, she headed for the front door. Cora followed, talking incessantly, her anxiety clear. “I t-told him not to g-go out in this weather. I w-warned him, Julia.”
“I know, Mama,” Julia said, pulling the vinyl hood and securing the snap at her chin.
“You c-can’t go after him!”
“I’ll be all right. I’m just going to cross the road and look down in the ravine. Maybe he’s fine and I’ll see him climbing up toward me.”
“But, but what if he’s not climbing out? What if you don’t see him?”
Julia paused, her hand on the doorknob. “We can’t just ignore this and leave him at the bottom of the falls. I need you to stay focused, Mama. Call 9-1-1, tell them what’s happened.”
Cora nodded and walked toward the phone.
At the door Julia stopped when she heard Katie sobbing behind her. “Don’t go out there, Aunt Julia. It’s raining and you’ll get all wet.”
Julia took Katie’s arms and held them tight. “I’ll be fine, Katie. Nothing is going to happen to me. I’ve been down that ravine more times than I can count.”
Katie sniffed loudly. “In the dark?”
“Dark, light, all kinds of weather.” She kissed the top of Katie’s head. “I have to do this, honey. People could be hurt down there and we don’t know how long it will take the police to get here. I want you to be a brave girl and wait with Grandma. Will you do that for me?”