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Grace nodded. “I can.” She took a deep breath. “I was not doing much and being very careful because I was afraid my heart would give out and you’d be left all alone, Elena.”
Grace smiled at him. “You’re not alone now and Adelaide tells me my heart is strong and steady. So, I’ll go out with your basket to gather herbs today and I’ll slip down there by myself.”
“Mama, you’ll have to do that early. When I don’t show up this morning to brew, Craig is going to raise holy hell.”
“Yes. He will. But I’ll already be down there. If someone is able to pick me up, I won’t be in danger.”
Elena stepped to her mom and hugged her. Grace wrapped her arms around her daughter’s waist and he felt like things were going to be alright.
Elena turned to him. “Are you alright with all of this? We’ll lean on you a lot, Aidyn, and if you change your mind and want to walk away, this would be the time to do it.”
He shook his head. “I’m not changing my mind. I love you, Elena.”
Her cheeks tinted a pretty pink and she ducked her head slightly. “I love you too. But...” She motioned between herself and her mom. “We’re a lot. You saw all the things I don’t know about your world. Mama was born up here too. She’s ignorant, just like me.”
“You’re not ignorant, Elena. Neither of you. You haven’t seen some of the things we have day to day, but I haven’t seen what you do day to day.”
Grace nudged Elena. “Go on now. Go. I’ll be down there in about an hour. I’ll leave right behind you.”
Elena pulled some little pouches from glass jars and tucked them in the pockets of her leather apron. She stared at the fireplace for a few moments and Aidyn took his phone out and snapped a picture of the fireplace.
“What did you do?” She asked.
“I took a picture for you.” He tapped his phone and pulled up his photos and showed her. She stared at it for a long time then turned his phone to show her mom.
“Well, isn’t that something?” Grace whispered.
Elena handed him his phone and he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
He kissed her forehead and snapped pictures of her entire cabin. Someday they’d look back at these and remember this day. And Elena would remember her early days.
“Ready?”
“Yes.” She gasped. “No, wait.” She hurried to the chest at the end of her bed and pulled her gloves from inside. She put them on and smiled as she brushed the leather against her cheeks. Her eyes landed on his. “I had to keep them hidden so no one would know.”
He nodded, but his lips formed a straight line. What was it like to live each day afraid of doing the smallest thing for fear of reprisal?
“Honey, we’ve got to go.” Grace reminded her.
Elena nodded, hugged her mom once again and walked to the door.
He stepped toward Grace as the others lined up to leave. “Are you sure you’ll be alright? We can have one of us waiting for you halfway down to assist you.”
“You’re a very nice man. I see why Elena loves you. But I feel fine. I’ll be tired but I’m excited to be able to get out and do something on my own.”
Elena pulled a cloth from the counter and laid it on the table. She pulled a pencil she had hidden from the fireplace mantle. “Mama, I’m leaving a note for Kent. He should have the cabin. He was willing to help me.”
“You’re a sweet young woman, Elena.”
She wrote, “Kent, the cabin is yours.”
She pocketed the pencil, then crossed to the door and lifted the lock. She looked back at them. “Let me make sure no one is out and about. If they are, I’ll go around back and grab firewood. If not, I’ll let you know.”
He grinned at her. “Whisper.” Then tapped his ear.
ChapterThirty-Four
Elena stepped outside and stood on the stoop. No one seemed to be about yet and the sun had an hour or so before it rose. She scurried around the side of the cabin and whispered. “Clear.”
