Lost & Found (Possessed 3)

She watched as Nick climbed from the driver’s side. His entire presence was commanding; he demanded respect when he walked into a room. His dark hair and scruffy face made him look sinister; ironically, he was anything but that. He was one of the nicest men she’d met in her life. She didn’t need her memories to realize that.

Ace was no less commanding when he stepped out of the vehicle. His light hair and comedic attitude were fronts for what she believed to be a man who experienced life intensely. She imagined that when he loved, he would love hard.

Between the two of them, they had her emotions on a roller coaster she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to depart. Having these incredible men dote on her the way they did was like her ow

n little fairytale. She just had to take the leap into paradise. Show them she was ready for them. That she could be what they wanted for themselves and each other.

The more time she spent with them, the more she was sure they would all be together in time. They had so much to learn, not just with her past, but with each other as well.

Neither man said a word as they walked up the steps towards Pepper, her nerves on high alert as they sandwiched her body between them. Their moves in sync as they each put a hand on either of her cheeks.

“How you doing, Pepper?” Ace leaned down to whisper in her ear. His voice was like sex on a stick.

“G-good,” she stuttered. Taken off guard by their seductive move.

Leaning down, Nick lightly kissed her cheek, leaving a tingle of pleasure in its wake.

“You boys get off her, now,” Jake called from his post by the wood shed. “We’re on our way out. You wanted her, you shoulda left the poor girl a note,” he complained to them. “Leaving her alone with a crotchety old man like me; what were ya thinking?”

The confused looks on their faces were something else. “Going where?” Nick demanded.

“For a hike, you damn fool. What you think?” Oh, she liked him even more now.

“You can’t hi–” Ace cut himself off once he got a look of the older man’s face.

“She’s getting restless. We’re just going for a walk. You boys go ahead and get started on something to eat, and Ace, for crying out loud, don’t burn the damn food!”

Before either of them got a word in edgewise, she kissed each on the cheek and ran down the steps towards Jake and Roxie. Exhilarated to get some exercise and fresh air.

Smiling at the more senior Kelly man, she asked, “Ready?” as they began to walk.

“You bet, kiddo. Let them men wait on you for once.” His wink made her blush. He couldn’t possibly be implying what she thought he was, could he?

The silence surrounding them was interrupted by the snow crunching under their steps and Roxie prancing around like a newborn fawn. The dog’s pure joy with the fresh powder was such a delight and added to her own happiness.

Pointing to the sky, Jake told her, “Up there, you see that?” She vaguely saw a large shadow at the tip of a tree.

“What is it?” she asked curiously.

“Bald Eagle nest,” he whispered in awe.

“Wow.” The animals surrounding the mountains amazed her. There was always something new to see.

As they approached a clearing, Roxie’s ears perked in alertness, apparently sensing something they didn’t. Seeing movement on the other side of the field, she encountered a family of deer vigilantly move out into the open in search of fresh grass.

The entire scene reminded her of the movie Bambi and the first time the young buck pranced in the snow. Witnessing such a touching moment, all of her troubles melted away. Enjoying the splendour around her, her mind closed off to the all the horrible things that could have happened to her.

“Do you believe everything happens for a reason?” she quietly asked Jake as they stood in the silent forest.

He didn’t say anything for so long she feared he wasn’t going to answer. “I believe God has a plan. It may not always be clear and decisions may be tough to handle. In the end, though, I think we make things happen for ourselves. No one controls our fate but us.”

Unsure if that was the answer she was looking for or not, she remained quiet. Pondering on his words about fate, Pepper wondered if she somehow did this to herself. What if there was no dark force that hurt her? The injuries suggested she was assaulted, but there was always a possibility she’d done it falling off the mountain or from landing where they found her.

“What are you thinking, girl?” Jake startled her with his question.

“I don’t know.” She lied, terrified that if she voiced her doubts, they’d be true. “I just wonder if it’s really worth it to look into who I am? What if I’m better off with a fresh start?”

“Bull hickey,” he spat out. Raising her eyebrow in question, he continued, “You’re not better off, girl. You need to know what happened, if you have someone waitin’ on you at home, or if you have family looking for you. You checked in with some man at the Kicking Horse, doesn’t it strike you odd that he hasn’t gone to the sheriff yet?”