O'Malley: Summer (Shifter Seasons Book 7) Page 15

  “I accept your challenge.” Karl got down from the large boulder and walked with them to the narrow opening under the rock.

  “How do you manage to get big stuff in here?” Hannah asked as O’Malley went first, pulling himself along the ground on his hands and knees.

  “We can lower larger things down over the cliffs.” Karl pointed upward. “I helped design a new winch system.”

  “I bet you did,” Hannah told him fondly.

  “Hannah.” Karl turned to her abruptly now that they were alone. “Do I know you? Did I know you before?”

  “Wiroo asked me not to give anything away.” Hannah’s heart thundered in her chest. “We all think it’s best if you let your memories come to you rather than them being forced on you. At least that way you will know they are real.” She swallowed a lump in her throat as Karl stared at her.

  He shook his head. “It’s like having something on the tip of your tongue. I can’t remember even though I know the memory is there.” He sighed heavily.

  “I’ll come back and see you in a month or so.” She looked down at the narrow crawl space. “I should go to O’Malley.”

  “Hannah.” Karl put his hand on her shoulder. “If I do know you… If I hurt you… I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t think you have ever intentionally hurt anyone.” She kissed his cheek. “But I accept your apology, if it makes you feel better.”

  “It does.” He chewed the inside of his lip as he stared at her for a moment longer.

  Hannah was the one who broke Karl’s gaze. She hated being scrutinized like that. She also hated not being able to fling her arms around Karl and tell him it would all be okay. Keeping their relationship to herself was hard. Keeping the details of who Karl really was was even harder.

  Crawling under the rock, she wriggled and shuffled herself along, glad she didn’t have to do this every day of her life.

  “There you are.” O’Malley held out his hand for his mate and she took it, slipping her hand into his. “Let’s grab the packs and get going.”

  They went to Wiroo’s house, Karl’s mate was in the kitchen area making bread. She seemed to be pounding out her feelings in the dough until she sensed O’Malley and Hannah as they entered the house.

  “There you are.” There was a hint of an accusation in her voice.

  “I needed time to clear my head,” Hannah began to explain.

  “I know how difficult this must be for you.” Wiroo washed her hands and dried them on a clean towel as she approached them.

  “It is, I’m not going to lie, but I also understand that you are doing what you think is best for Karl.” Hannah glanced at O’Malley. “If I hadn’t met my mate, if I had no idea how you felt about Karl, I might not be able to walk away. But I do know what you are feeling. I also have an idea of how Karl feels toward you.”

  Wiroo nodded. “I appreciate you being candid. I also appreciate you not forcing the truth on Karl.”

  “I know you will look after him.” Hannah wanted to get out of there. If she stayed too much longer, she would either run from the house and go tell Karl who he was, or she would break down and cry. Neither option was acceptable right now.

  “I promise he’ll be happy here. I also promise to keep in touch with you. There is a phone in one of the villages along the ridge. A satellite phone, they call it.” She went to a small drawer and took out a pen and paper. “Please, write down your phone number. I will try to call when I can.”

  “Thank you.” Hannah jotted down her phone number and gave it to Wiroo. “I hope one day Karl will know who I am.” She glanced down at Wiroo’s stomach. “I want to be a part of my nephew or niece’s life.”

  Wiroo nodded. “I never really thought anyone would come looking for Karl. It was as if he just dropped from the sky.”

  “Didn’t he have a backpack with him?” Hannah asked.

  “He did but all it contained was a few items of clothing and some food. It’s not unusual for those on the pilgrimage.” Her expression was apologetic even though she had nothing to apologize for.

  “Karl didn’t want any reminders of his old life, the life he wanted to put behind him.” Hannah nodded and then met Wiroo’s eyes and held her gaze. “Karl’s life wasn’t so terrible. I can understand why he would come up here and want to change his life. We lost our mom when we were only teenagers. Karl served in the Army and saw things that he would rather forget. I think more than anything he took the pilgrimage because he was alone. But it was as if he exiled himself from those who loved him. Perhaps because my father got sick and he didn’t want to go through the loss of another parent.”

  Wiroo’s expression softened. “I see. Thank you for the insight into my mate’s mind.”

  Hannah turned away from Wiroo. “We should get going before we lose too much of the day.”

  “You are walking back down the mountain so soon?” Wiroo asked, surprised, yet also relieved.

  “We are walking some of the way down and then getting a ride,” O’Malley explained.

  “A ride?” Wiroo looked intrigued.

  “Thanks for your hospitality,” Hannah said, wanting to keep some secrets of her own.

  “Thank you for caring for Karl.” It seemed a strange thing to say but Hannah let it go. She wanted to leave the enclave and walk and think.

  She also wanted to spend a few more hours alone with O’Malley before they went back to their separate lives. For that was what they would have to do once they got back to civilization.

  She needed to go and talk to her father, while O’Malley had his grand opening to prepare for. Karl and Wiroo were lucky. With Hannah gone, Wiroo would not have to worry about anyone or anything trying to keep her and her mate apart.

  If Hannah hadn’t met O’Malley before she came here, she might not have fully understood how Wiroo felt. But Hannah had met O’Malley, her mate, and she did understand.

  It was time for Hannah to let go of her past, of her brother, at least for a short time. It was time for Hannah to embrace her own future.

  Chapter Twenty-One – O’Malley

  “You seem happier.” O’Malley made his observation as they reached the point where the trail had split. They had made the right choice to follow the game trail. They had found what they were looking for even though the outcome wasn’t exactly the one they had hoped.

  They were not returning triumphant. They were returning empty-handed. Hannah was surprisingly okay about it.

  “I have spent most of my adult life worrying about Karl.” She paused and inhaled deeply as she studied the view below. “Do you know how exhausting it is to feel responsible for other people’s happiness when you have no real control over their lives?”

  O’Malley hid a smile. “I have some idea.”

  She sighed. “I have to let it go.” Hannah turned around and looked at him. “Karl is happy. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for him. And he has found that happiness.”

  “And you?” O’Malley asked.

  “Have I found happiness?” Hannah tilted her head back and looked up at him. “I’m on my way.” She swung around and took a couple of steps down the trail. “I think if I follow this trail, I might find it.”

  “That way leads to dragons.” He followed her, not wanting to let her out of his sight. She was in no danger here. No predator was waiting to attack. Although, the thought of her falling and hitting her head and forgetting him was enough to give him nightmares.

  “I was thinking of something a little more…intimate.” She threw him a teasing glance over her shoulder.

  “Intimate?” He hurried to keep up with her. Hannah seemed to have renewed energy and was setting a fast pace as they descended the trail.

  “Yeah. I thought a last meal by firelight next to the waterfall. That is where you asked Kelos to land, isn’t it?” She turned her attention back to the trail.

  “It is. It’s easy for him to find, he can sense the water and hear the sound of the waterfall. It’s also secluded enou
gh for him to land unseen.” O’Malley liked the idea of them spending their last few hours alone eating and talking. Before they rejoined the outside world.

  Before we go our separate ways, his cougar added unhelpfully.

  O’Malley didn’t answer. He wanted to enjoy their time together and not think about the future. For now, this trail they walked was about living in the present. It was just the two of them, a cougar and his mate here on the trail.

  Hannah also seemed lost in her thoughts. She barely spoke as they continued. O’Malley wished he could read her mind and know what she was thinking. Was she focused on her father and how he would take the news, or was she trying to figure out how to tell O’Malley she didn’t have room for a relationship right now?

  He could scent the water before they reached the tumbling falls. The spray from the waterfall hitting the pool below made the air moist and he licked his lips, tasting the clean water.

  Hannah rushed forward as she recognized the section of the trail. The faint roar of the tumbling water reached O’Malley as they practically ran along the uneven ground. He had to hold onto the world as his cougar fought for control. He wanted this one last moment with Hannah before they parted.

  And they would part. He accepted that now. If only for a short time, they would have to go their own way. Hannah would go back to her father and he would go to his bar.

  If she asked him, he would go with her. But she wouldn’t ask. Breaking the news about Karl to her father might be made worse by the presence of a stranger.

  “It’s even more beautiful than I remembered.” Hannah half-turned, her smile so bright it was as if the early summer sun had peeked out from behind the clouds and shone down on him.

  “You don’t have the worry about Karl weighing you down.” O’Malley glanced at Hannah, her smile had slipped, and guilt twisted in his gut. He’d shattered the moment.

  “I’m still worried about him. In some ways, things haven’t changed a whole lot. The only difference is I now know where he is.” She dodged around a fallen tree trunk and broke out into the open, the view of the waterfall was majestic.

  “He’s safe. You know that. You’ve seen it for yourself.” O’Malley reached out and took her hand, pulling her back toward him. “Let it go. For now, for today, let it go.” He brushed his fingertips across her forehead, his touch as light as the spray from the waterfall.

  “Let it go and enjoy my time with you here.” She glanced at the waterfall and then turned to look at him. “Sometimes letting go is the hardest thing.”

  “It is, but you’ll feel lighter. Things won’t feel so heavy on your shoulders. And it’s not as if I’m saying forget about it all forever, I’m not asking you to walk away from your family. Just to let it sit in the back of your mind for a few hours. Since there is nothing you can do to change anything right now.” He lowered his head and kissed her lips. It was a bittersweet kiss. Despite telling Hannah to think of the present and forget the future, O’Malley had a hard time holding onto the thought that this would all work out and they would be together.

  Forever, his cougar reminded him.

  Forever. Definitely forever. O’Malley cupped Hannah’s face in his hands and ran his tongue along her lower lip. He wanted to hold her close and never let her go. But just as Hannah had let her brother go, he needed to let Hannah go. She needed to find her peace with what had happened to her family.

  “Is there somewhere we could take this a little more private?” she asked as their kiss broke.

  “Let’s go see.” He took her hand and they went around the side of the waterfall, the spray soaking them, and Hannah shivered. She looked as if she’d walked through a rainstorm as they passed the toppled over pile of stones where she’d found the first of the poker chips.

  O’Malley had no idea what lay around the side of the waterfall, he’d never been here before yesterday. But he’d been over plenty of other mountains and usually, the water had formed a small cave behind the sheet of water. Whether they could reach it safely was another thing. He had no intention of risking Hannah’s life trying to squeeze behind the powerful waterfall.

  O’Malley held her hand tightly as they drew closer to the falls. The sound was like the roar of a jet engine as they drew level with it. There was a row of large rocks that led behind the water, they looked well-worn, as if the people who walked the pilgrim’s way often tried to find a way behind the curtain of water.

  “Shall we try?” Hannah asked.

  “Why don’t you let me go first?” O’Malley asked.

  “I thought we were in this together?” Hannah tightened her fingers around his.

  “We are.” He kissed her cheek and then stepped onto the first rock. The surface was slippery, but the rock was stable. O’Malley stepped onto the next one, half turning to check Hannah was okay. She nodded, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip as she found her balance.

  O’Malley stepped forward again. The large boulders went to the left, angling around the back of the water that fell in a continuous sheet. One more step and he could see the cave hidden behind the falls. It looked large enough for them to sit in. He could also probably venture out and grab some firewood. If he was quick getting back across the rocks, the wood should be dry enough to burn.

  “It looks cozy!” Hannah yelled over the sound of the water.

  “Are you okay?” O’Malley hesitated. They were in a precarious position. If either one of them slipped and fell, they would be pounded by the water tumbling from above.

  “Keep going.” She urged him on, and he turned away from her, gritted his teeth, and pushed on. As the water thundered past them O’Malley focused on putting one foot safely in front of the other while keeping a tight hold on Hannah’s hand. If she fell, he would pull her back to safety.

  Or fall with her, his cougar added.

  O’Malley ignored the feline side of him. He didn’t want to think of falling, he wanted to focus on taking his mate behind the wall of water and into a temporary den. There they could have some privacy before Kelos arrived.

  They were nearly there. Only a couple more rocks to cross. Hannah grabbed hold of him with both hands as her foot slipped on a rock. O’Malley pulled her toward him, moving forward quickly until they stood, at last, on firm ground.

  “I’m soaked.” Hannah let go of his hand and shook her clothes. “At least my jacket and pants are. Luckily, the jacket hasn’t leaked.”

  “You’re going to be wet when we fly back with Kelos.” He pressed his lips together. He was stupid to bring her under the waterfall. If she was wet when they flew back, she might catch a chill.

  “I can take my clothes off in here and let them dry off. Then I’ll put them back on when we go back under the waterfall.” She dropped her pack onto the solid slab of rock under their feet, which had been worn away over time by the pounding water of the falls. “When we get the other side, I can quickly change into dry clothes and put my wet gear in my backpack.”

  “You have all the answers.” O’Malley looked around. “There’s a fire pit over there and some dry wood. I’ll get the fire going and then go back out to find some more wood. It’ll get quite cozy in here and we can eat and rest before we fly home.”

  “Or, you could just warm me with your body heat,” she suggested.

  “I can warm you with my body heat, but not the food.” He laughed as she sighed and stripped off her wet jacket.

  “I suppose you’d better light the fire.” She placed her jacket over a nearby boulder, spreading it out to dry while he took some kindling from his pack and lit it with his flint and steel. When he was certain the flames were not going to blow out, he fed some of the bigger pieces of wood to the fire, until a cheery glow danced across the back wall of the cave.

  “I could imagine people living here centuries ago.” She peeled off her pants and held them out to the fire. Steam quickly rose from the fabric and she turned them around, alternating sides while he finished making the fire and ensured it was s
afe and contained by moving small rocks to form a circle.

  “My cougar would like to live here with you and raise some babies. A whole bunch of them if he had his way.” O’Malley watched her expression as he spoke.

  “I like the idea of raising a whole bunch of babies with you but not in such basic conditions. Maybe when they are older, we could bring them here and show them the trail.” Her mouth turned down at the corners. “They might have to come all the way up here to meet their cousin.”

  “Things will work out,” O’Malley assured her. “Karl recognized the poker chip, I’m certain.”

  “Great, he recognized the chip, but he didn’t recognize his own sister.” She perched on the edge of a large rock near to the fire. O’Malley couldn’t take his eyes off the smooth tanned skin of her legs.

  “I guess the poker chip was easier. Less pain attached to it. Less emotional baggage.” He winced at his words. “I’m not saying you are baggage.”

  “Don’t worry, I know what you mean.” She leaned forward, still holding her pants out to the fire which was well established now.

  “I should go and get more wood.” He stood up and dusted off his hands. “I’ll grab enough to replace what we’ve used and keep the fire burning for the next few hours.”

  “Won’t the wood get too wet?” Hannah asked, looking over her shoulder at the water spraying up at the entrance to the cave.

  “It’ll be dry enough.” He went to her, leaned down, and kissed her cheek before he left the cave. The rocks were slippery, and his clothes were wet, but his hot shifter blood kept the chill at bay. He intended to collect the firewood as fast as possible before returning to his mate.

  O’Malley glanced over his shoulder. The waterfall hid the glow of the fire and there was no tell-tale smell of wood smoke from the fire. They would have a few hours of peace and quiet to enjoy each other. In that time, he hoped to make sure his mate would come back to him no matter what happened with her father.

  He wanted to engrave his name on her heart, or deeper, onto her soul so that she could not stand being apart from him for a single day.