Chapter 20

As soon as Cameron started down the mountain, he called B.J. to see when, or if, he had time to talk.

B.J. answered on the second ring. "Hello."

"Hey, B.J., this is Cameron. I'm on my way into town and I need to run something by you. Do you have time to talk?"

"Yes, I'm at home. I'm off today."

"So, I can be there in about fifteen minutes. Is that okay?" Cameron asked.

"Sure thing. See you soon," he said.

Cameron disconnected and kept driving, wondering what he was going to do if both brothers said yes, or if both brothers said no. He needed one of them to be on board to settle the last of Ella's wishes.

B.J. was watching for him, and wondering what was going on, when Cameron pulled up into his driveway and got out. B.J. met him at the door.

"Good to see you. I don't have a lot of company," B.J. said. "Come sit. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I'm good," Cameron said as he sat down. "I'm going to cut to the chase. We have a dilemma regarding Aunt Ella's property. She had no immediate heirs, but she wanted her place to go to someone in the Pope family, and you and Wiley are the only ones I haven't talked to yet. Aaron and Dani don't want the drive because of their jobs. Sean is already committed to staying with your mom. I inherited my family's home and don't want to move, and my sister, Rachel, loves the place she and Louis have on some of the Glass land. So, I need to know if you have any interest in living that far up the mountain in the old two-story house."

B.J. was shocked and, at the same time, honored. But he knew it wasn't meant for him.

"I'm single. I work fourteen, sometimes fifteen hours a day, and my days begin early. I would never be there. As it is, all I need now is a place to sleep. I pretty much live at the hotel. If this was ten years down the road and I had a wife and family, I might feel different, but I have to say, as much as I love this family and how much we loved Aunt Ella, the property isn't meant for me."

Cameron nodded. "I guessed you would feel that way, but I had to ask. What do you think Wiley is going to say?"

B.J. shrugged. "It's hard to say. He and Linette are getting married soon. He's raising our little sister. I don't know how they'd be about that drive into town every day. What I do know is that when the sun goes down in Jubilee, they have to pull all the curtains and shades for Ava because she's terrified of drive-by shootings. Wiley has reassured her many times those things don't happen here, but she's not convinced. Who knows? Maybe they'd move for her."

"Poor little girl. I didn't know that," Cameron said.

B.J. nodded. "The stories Wiley has shared with us would curl your hair. That child is lucky to be alive, and luckier still that Wiley got full custody of her. He is now her legal guardian."

"Thanks for the info," Cameron said. "Now I have to run Wiley down and see what he has to say."

"He won't make a decision like that without Linette present. I think this is her day off, and Wiley will clock out around five."

Cameron glanced at his watch. It was a quarter to four. "Thanks, B.J. I'll make some calls," he said and stood up. "Good to see you again. You're the only Pope on the mountain I can look up to."

They both grinned. B.J.'s height was a constant topic of conversation within the family.

"I wonder how big Brendan was," B.J. said.

"We'll never know for sure, but he had to be something big for that gene to stay so strong within us," Cameron said.

Watching Cameron walking away left B.J. with a pang of regret. But what he wanted and what he needed were two different things.

***

Wiley and Doug were headed to Trapper's Bar and Grill with their siren blasting and lights flashing. Another patrol car with two officers was right behind them. They came to a flying stop in the parking lot, entered the building on the run, and headed for the fight in progress.

Three men were trading punches, and Louis, the bartender, had a cut under his eye and a stream of blood running down his cheek. He was coming out from behind the bar with a baseball bat when they arrived. When Louis saw the officers, he breathed a quick sigh of relief and backed off.

Wiley grabbed the first one from behind and yanked him backward so hard he hit the floor on his butt, while Doug headed for the two rolling on the floor.

The other two officers were coming in the door on the run as Wiley rolled his drunk facedown on the floor and cuffed his hands behind him so fast he never knew it was happening, then leaped toward the third one, who was about to punch Doug in the back of the head.

"No sir!" Wiley said. "Facedown! Now!" When the man protested, Wiley just rolled him over and straddled him like a riding horse as Aaron and Yancy ran up. "Hey, Yancy! I need another pair of cuffs. This dude thinks he's Muhammed Ali."

Aaron had already seen the blood on Louis's face and radioed for an ambulance, before helping Doug cuff his perp.

Wiley stood up, then looked at Louis. "Are these the only three?"

Louis had a bar towel pressed against the cut on his face. "Yes. They came in drunk. I didn't let them get like this in here."

Wiley frowned. "You mean they were together?"

"They walked in together, sat down at the bar together, and began arguing about whose turn it was to buy a round. But they were obviously very drunk, and when I wouldn't serve them, one of them grabbed a beer mug from the hands of the customer beside him and threw it in my face," he said.

Wiley pivoted, then walked to where the three men were lying.

"Which one of you threw the mug at your bartender?"

They said nothing.

"Fine. Then all three of you will be charged with assault, drunk and disorderly, and liable for the damages you caused."

At that point, the skinny man with the bad comb-over hanging down the left side of his face started talking.

"Frank threw the mug. Ronnie punched Frank for doing it. I punched Ronnie for hitting Frank, because Frank's my brother-in-law, but I'm not taking the blame for his bad temper."

Aaron looked at Wiley and grinned. "Brotherly love."

Wiley rolled his eyes.

The ambulance arrived, and as soon as they began tending to Louis, the officers hauled the drunks out to their cruisers and took them to jail, while the employees started cleaning up the mess. It was just another day in paradise.

By the time they got the men booked and jailed, and then wrote up their reports, it was after five o'clock, and the next shift was already on duty.

Wiley had just left the precinct and was walking to his car when his cell phone rang. When he saw who it was, he stopped to answer.

"Hey, Cameron."

"Wiley, hope I'm not catching you at a bad time," Cameron said.

"Nope. I just clocked out and am about to head home. What's up?"

"Nothing's wrong. But we have an issue to settle among the Popes and you're one of them, so I need to get your feedback. Would it be okay if I came by your house to talk? And since you and Linette are getting married soon, I think her opinion should factor in."

"Yes, sure. No problem," Wiley said. "I'll let her know you're coming."

"Thanks. I'm already in town. I'll see you soon."

Wiley frowned as he was getting in the car, then called Linette as he was leaving the parking lot.

She answered on the second ring. "Hi, honey. Are you on the way home?" she asked.

"Yes, but Cameron just called. He's coming by the house in a few. Said he needed to ask us something, but I have no idea what's on his mind. Just wanted you to know."

She laughed. "You mean, this is a heads-up to make sure Ava hasn't dragged all the stuffies to the sofa to watch cartoons with her again?"

He chuckled. "Something like that."

"No problem. She's outside in her playhouse. We should be fine. See you soon."

Wiley pulled up in the driveway with Cameron right behind him.

"That's timing," Wiley said, and they walked into the house together. "Hey, Linnie! We're here." Then he gestured toward the living room. "Have a seat, Cameron. I'm going to lock up my weapon. Be right back."

"Take your time," Cameron said. "I'm fine."

Linette walked in, smiling. "Hi, Cameron, would you like something to drink? We have Coke, sweet tea, and orange soda."

"I'm fine, Linnie, but thanks. Where's the punkin?"

"Outside in her playhouse. I just checked on her," she said, and sat down. "School starts Monday. Is Mikey excited about going back?"

Cameron nodded. "Yes. He likes school. He's going into first grade. Ava's going to be in second grade, right?"

"Yes. She's a little anxious because she doesn't know anyone. However, getting to meet your boy at Shirley's was a plus. Now she at least knows one, even if they won't be in the same grade. And Dani has been her babysitter ever since she arrived, so having a sister on-site as one of the teachers is a big boost."

Wiley came back into the room and sat down on the love seat beside Linette. "Okay, fire away, and know that at any moment Ava could appear."

"Then I won't mince words," Cameron said, and once again explained the situation to them, just as he had to all of the others.

Wiley was stunned, but Linette's eyes were glowing. It was all she could do to stay silent, because ultimately, it was Wiley's family and his choice to make.

"What did my brothers say?" he asked.

"Aaron and Dani felt like their jobs worked better by not having so far to drive. Sean and Amalie are committed to staying with your mom. B.J. said he doesn't do anything but sleep where he lives now, and a two-story house so far up the mountain, coupled with his working hours, was not feasible. I don't want you to feel like you have to accept, but the fact that I was possibly going to have to make a choice between the four of you has been whittled down to you and Linette. B.J. told me Ava is afraid of drive-by shootings here, but I don't know how she'd feel about being uprooted again so soon."

"She will adapt to wherever we are," Linette said.

Wiley looked at her then, remembering what she'd said about the mountain when she was coming home from Bowling Green.

"To inherit a piece of my family history is something I would never have imagined. But this isn't just about me anymore. What do you think, Linnie? It would add a good twenty minutes to our drive to work every morning, and we would need to do some remodeling first."

Her voice was trembling as she reached for his hand. "Oh, Wiley. I think this is the most wonderful wedding present we could ever receive. If you want this, then I'm with you. Wherever you go, we go," she said. "As for Ava, as long as she has her bed and pillow, and a pink room to put her things in, she'll be fine. But can we afford all that remodeling?"

Wiley glanced at Cameron and then looked away.

Cameron knew the predicament of keeping a secret from someone you loved. He'd faced it with Rusty. "Let's just say the Pope family has investments that we all benefit from. You'll be fine," he said.

Linette's eyes widened. The secret she had yet to be told.

"Okay then. I have absolutely no objections, but it's Wiley's decision."

"Then we accept, with undying gratitude," he said.

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. You have just helped me fulfill Aunt Ella's last wish. I'll set the wheels in motion to transfer title and deed to you, and I'll let you know when it's officially yours. But in the meantime, I'm going to give you an extra key to the house. When you get a chance, you three take a drive up the mountain to see it, and just know that land was the first and oldest claim on Pope Mountain. Enjoy it for the treasure it is."

Wiley took the key Cameron offered, too emotional to speak, and then the back door slammed.

"Ava's in the house," Linette said.

"Bubba! Linnie!"

"We're in here!" Linette said.

Ava came running, holding Pinky by the arm, then slid to a halt when she saw the visitor and sidled up to where Wiley and Linette were sitting.

"Did Mikey come to play?" she asked.

Cameron grinned. "No, not this time, honey. Sorry."

Satisfied she hadn't missed something, she nodded and slipped out of the room.

"She's a little obsessed with her first friend," Linette said.

"And he's a little obsessed with her at the moment," Cameron said, and then stood. "Thank you, both, and I'll keep you abreast of the legal stuff. In the meantime, have a good evening. Don't get up. I'll let myself out."

As soon as the door shut behind him, Linette was in Wiley's arms.

"I can't believe this is happening," she said.

"Neither can I, but I feel like we've just won the lottery," Wiley said.

"That's how I felt the first time we made love," she whispered. "Like I'd just found my place in the world."

"Are you going to feel weird knowing Aunt Ella died there?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Wiley. I'm a nurse. Every day I go to work where people die. It's the living who are scary."

Then they heard Ava coming back up the hall.

"Somebody's getting hungry," Linette said. "I think it's time to start supper."

Ava appeared in the doorway, saw that company was gone, and ran to where they were sitting. "Are we going to eat tonight?"

Wiley grinned at Linette. "You sure have her number, and by the way, what is for supper?"

Linette grinned. "S'gettie with meat sauce."

"Yum!" Ava said. "S'gettie is my favorite."

"It's my favorite, too!" Wiley said. "And you're my favorite little sister. I think we should help Linnie, don't you?" Then he swooped her up in his arms and began dancing her out of the room.

Linette sighed. Just when I think I can't love him more, he does something like that, she thought, and followed them to the kitchen.

***

It was two days later before Linette and Wiley had another day off together. They took Ava with them and headed up the mountain.

"Where are we going, Bubba? Are we going to Grammy's house?" Ava asked.

"No. We're going to a different house. You'll see when we get there."

"Will there be kids there?" she asked.

"You're a kid. You'll be there," Wiley said. "You and Pinky talk it over."

Ava leaned back and pulled Pinky up beneath her chin and closed her eyes. The next time Wiley glanced up in the rearview mirror to check on her, she was fast asleep.

"I'm timing the drive for future reference," Linette said, eyeing the scenery as they passed. "It's so beautiful up here. I can't imagine what it would have been like to grow up here."

"Me neither. When it comes to peace and quiet, the mountain is it. Usually, the loudest thing at night will be someone's hound baying on a trail in a far-off holler."

Linette frowned "Holler?"

"Mountain talk for a hollow. There are hollers all over the Cumberlands, places drastically smaller and more secluded than a valley. Jubilee used to be a valley before our ancestor, Brendan Pope, came here and started a trading post. The town grew out of that, and then turning it into a tourist attraction turned it into something else yet again."

"What's the cell service like?" she asked.

"The higher up you go, the better," Wiley said. "But Sean can fix us up. He runs his entire computer business from the house. Whatever we need to stay connected to our jobs, he can make happen." Then he pointed to a red mailbox on the road ahead. "See the red mailbox? That's where we turn."

She shivered. "I'm full of excitement and anticipation."

"Besides the house, the land around it is beautiful. A big open pasture at the back. Outbuildings, probably also in need of repair, but they're built of logs that were trees on this mountain and have been standing for well over a century."

"I can't wait," Linette said.

When Wiley began to slow down to take the turn, Ava stirred, opened her eyes, and then looked around.

"Is this where we're going?" she asked.

"Yes. To the house at the end of this gravel road," Wiley said.

"Who lives there?" Ava asked.

"Nobody now, but we're going to. We'll fix it up, then move your playhouse and swing set and all of our furniture to this house. You'll have a big fenced-in yard to play in, and lots of shade trees with birds everywhere. You and Linnie can feed birds here, and we'll get a cat who will live in the barn and catch mice, and you will have kitties to play with."

"And we can grow a garden," Linette said. "One for flowers, and one for vegetables, and when we go to bed at night, you can look out your window and see stars and moonlight. You will feel safe knowing there will never be cars driving by or people who would shoot into windows."

Ava's eyes filled with tears. "Never?"

"Never," Wiley said.

"I will like it," Ava whispered.

"And there it is," Wiley said, pointing to a white two-story house with a porch that ran the length of the house. Grass had grown up in the yard, and the house looked lonesome.

"Do I get to sleep upstairs?" Ava asked.

"All of the bedrooms are upstairs," Wiley said.

Ava heard, but said nothing, still absorbing this news, while Linette was already picturing their life there.

They walked up the rock path to the porch, then up the steps. Wiley unlocked the door and led the way, with Linette and Ava holding hands behind him.

He stopped to flip on the lights and, for a moment, felt as if he'd just been hugged.

"We're here, Aunt Ella. Thank you for the gift. We'll fill this house with so much love and laughter, and keep the home fires burning. I promise you."

***

School began before the remodeling, and it was just as well. Too many new things could have been a problem, but Ava soon found out that being Mrs. Pope's little sister was all the cachet she needed to fit in at her new school. And once Mikey informed all of the cousins at school that Ava was Uncle Wiley's little sister, she had her own built-in security squad without even knowing it, and she thrived.

Her giggle became commonplace. Her fears about everything began to recede. She hadn't known there was a world like this, with people like this. Bubba and Linnie were her touchstones to sanity, and school was her safe place to be, but she still feared night in the city and had worn out two questions. "When will we move to the mountain?" and "When are you getting married?"

And then finally the day arrived.

***

It was the first week of October, and Linette's parents arrived two days prior to the wedding. They had been taken aback by the news of the location of the venue, and then finding out Wiley and Linette were moving to the mountain.

And then they saw the locations.

They were in awe of the ancient Church in the Wildwood.

And even more so by the remodeled house Wiley had been bequeathed.

After that, they settled in at their hotel and, on the day of the wedding, drove up the mountain to the church, where the entire bridal party was getting dressed. The mountain was ablaze in color. The sun was bright, but this high up, the day was cold.

Wiley, who was usually wired and bordering on tense, was calm to the point of placid. It was the first time in his life that he knew this was exactly what he was supposed to do, and he wore what he'd been told to wear—a black suit, a white shirt, and a bolo tie with a large turquoise stone in the setting. His black boots had silver tips on the toes, and as always, his hair was brushing the edge of his collar.

His brothers were all getting ready to stand with him at the altar. Aaron as best man, and Sean and B.J. as his groomsmen. Cameron was in the room with them getting Mikey dressed, but this time his son was old enough to be trusted not to bolt down the aisle, and Ghost wasn't needed to keep him in line.

"Be still a minute, Son," Cameron said as he was fastening Mikey's tie.

Mikey stilled, but his gaze was focused on his daddy's face, and he was full of questions.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"How old do you have to be to get married?" he asked.

Cameron paused. "Old enough to have a job and money enough to take care of the woman you marry."

"How old is that?" Mikey asked.

"Older than twenty-one, for sure," Cameron glanced up. "Why?"

Mikey was counting on his fingers. "Then in fourteen more years, I can marry Ava."

Cameron stared, shocked that his son had that grasp of numbers, and that, at the age of seven, he'd already picked a girl.

"You can't just pick someone out and marry them. They have to agree to marry you. They have to love you and want to spend the rest of their life with you, too."

Mikey frowned. "Daddy. It will be fine."

Cameron frowned back. "And how do you know that?"

Mikey shrugged. "I just do. Sometimes you just know stuff, right?"

"Right," Cameron muttered, but he was bothered. Mikey was starting to sound like Aunt Ella.

"It's time. Is everyone ready?" Aaron asked, and when they nodded, he motioned to Wiley to get in line. The moment the pianist began playing music, they filed out in order and walked to the altar, then looked up the aisle.

Moments later, Dani, the maid of honor, came down the aisle, followed by Amalie and Amy, a nurse who was one of Linette's oldest friends from work. They took their places at the altar and then looked up the aisle.

Ava appeared in the doorway—a tiny blond in floor-length pink tulle, walking beside the little boy with black hair who was sedately carrying the ring fastened to a white satin pillow. He had one eye on the little blond scattering flowers beside him and the other on their progression.

But Ava wasn't ignoring anything. She was aware of herself in a way she'd never felt. She felt pretty, and important, and most of all, she felt loved, and her best friend, Mikey, was walking with her, whispering as they went, "You're doing good."

***

Wiley saw it all as if watching it all through a veil, because he was waiting for Linette, the woman who made his life matter.

And then the music changed, and when it did, everyone in the congregation stood and turned to look up the aisle.

The bride and her father appeared in the doorway.

Wiley took a deep breath and found himself blinking back tears. They were moving toward him, and it was all he could do to wait. The rest of the ceremony was a blur of words and rituals and flowers and a ring, and the vow of promising to love her forever and beyond.

And then it was over.

He heard Brother Farley pronouncing them husband and wife, and then he kissed her.

And in that brief moment of silence, as they were turning toward the congregation, Ava spoke her delight.

"You're married!" she cried. "No more almost wife."

The congregation erupted in laughter, and Linette and Wiley laughed along with them.

"I've got Ava," Aaron whispered. "You two head into the dining hall. You have a cake to cut and a first dance waiting to happen."

The cake and punch happened, and then the band began to play an old Willie Nelson song, "Always on My Mind," as Wiley led Linette out onto the floor. His arms went around her. Her hand was on his shoulder. Their eyes locked into each other's gaze. And as the music swelled around them, he swung her into a waltz and whispered in her ear.

"The family has a secret. Only spouses are allowed to know, and it can never be told to outsiders. All of us on the mountain—the Pope, the Cauley, and the Glass families—own Jubilee, lock, stock, and barrel, and the mountain on which we're standing. PCG Incorporated, the company you pay rent to, the company that owns the hospital and every building in the valley, is all of us, and Cameron is the CEO. We make a buttload of money and get quarterly dividends that will keep us solvent for the rest of our lives. So, mum's the word, my love. Mum's the word."

Linette gasped. "Talk about classified material and a need to know! Holy crap, Batman!"

Wiley threw back his head and laughed, then kicked into high gear and spun her around the floor, dipping and swaying, until others joined in. He looked once to make sure Ava wasn't feeling left out and saw her sitting with Dani.

Then the brothers began cutting in, and he reluctantly gave Linette up and went to get Ava. He bowed at where she was sitting and then held out his hand.

"Miss Ava, would you like to dance?"

She giggled. It was all Wiley needed to hear. Moments later she was in his arms, and he was swirling her across the floor.

"We got married today, didn't we, Bubba?"

He grinned. "Yes, we did, honey. Yes, we did."

"Am I gonna sleep in my new room soon?"

"Yes, but not tonight. You're spending the night with Grammy and Sean and Amalie, remember? We move in two more days, and then we'll all be sleeping in our new house."

Her voice segued back to the whisper she'd come with as she tucked her head beneath his chin. "Corina can't find us there, right?"

He hugged her closer. "Honey, don't ever worry about her again. Corina is gone forever, understand?"

Ava blinked. "Did she drop dead like Miss Mattie?"

"What would you think if that happened?" he asked.

"I'd think I was safe."

"You're safe, Ava. Forever and ever."

Ava sighed and laid her head on Wiley's shoulder. "Nobody can hurt me now. Nobody can shoot at me through the windows. You and Linnie keep me safe."

"Yes, baby, Linnie and I keep you safe."

"Safe, just like at Grammy's house."

He grinned. "Yes, and I better dance you back to Grammy."

Watching her slide into his mother's lap was a blessing in itself. Shirley could have resented the child, and instead she'd welcomed her with open arms. Then he turned to look out across the dance floor, located his wife, and went to reclaim her.

***

They snuck out of the dancing, changed out of their wedding stuff, packed it up and dressed in street clothes, and left the church, only to drive down the mountain in a car with a Just Married banner across the trunk.

They arrived at the Serenity Inn, went straight up to the bridal suite, and hung a Do Not Disturb sign on the outside of the door.

Then they stood for a few moments, looking out at the valley and the town below and then turned and looked at each other.

"You really own that?"

"Me and every other Pope, Cauley, and Glass."

"What is my role in that world?"

"The same as mine—to stay silent."

"Do you think Ava is okay?" Linette asked.

He nodded. "She likes being at Mom's house." Then he took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. "Tonight she asked if when we moved, could Corina find her. I said no. That Corina was gone forever."

"Bless her heart. Even when we think she's forgetting, it's all still in her head. What did she say?" Linette asked.

"She gave me a look and then asked, ‘Did she drop dead like Miss Mattie?' Then I asked her what she would think if that happened? And she said she'd feel safe. So, I told her she was safe forever."

"Oh, Wiley, was she sad?"

"Not even a little bit. All she said was when we move, no one can drive by our house and shoot in the windows."

Linette put her arms around Wiley's neck and tucked her cheek against his shoulder. "You make Ava feel safe. You make me feel safe. Where does that come from? How did you get to be this knight in shining armor?"

"I'm no hero, sweetheart. I'm just a man who wants nothing more than to make love to his wife."

Then he got up and turned off the lights, but left the curtains open to the inky-black sky and the stars scattered across the heavens. When he turned around, she had pulled back the covers and was lying on the bed waiting for him, naked to the world.

He moved to the foot of the bed, watching her watching him, and slowly began taking off his clothes. Moments later, he slid into the bed beside her. Kissed the ring on her hand, and then her lips as he moved over her, then into her.

He was hard, and she was ready.

After that, it was nothing but fireworks.

***

The movers had packed up everything from the house Wiley and Linette had been renting and were on their way up the mountain with Sean leading the way for the van.

The rest of the family was already at their new house. It had been painted inside and out in a fresh coat of white, except for the pale-pink walls in Ava's room. They'd added a new bathroom attached to her room and remodeled the one in the master bedroom. Appliances in the kitchen had been replaced, the huge propane tank outside refilled, the porch patched, and the chimney cleaned. They'd kept all of Ella's antiques. The sideboard and pie safe in the kitchen. The grandfather clock in the hall. The old long-barrel rifle hanging over the fireplace. The handmade oak dining table with twelve chairs. Family things. Irreplaceable things. Things to cherish.

Ava had been up and down the stairs so many times that she'd worn herself out and fallen asleep in Shirley's lap.

Wiley was standing at the kitchen window, looking out across the open pasture beyond the fencing, when he noticed something along the hedgerow.

"Well, I'll be damned," he whispered.

Linette walked up behind him. "What?"

"Aunt Ella's old cat is back. They said she disappeared the day Ella died. Ray and Betty kept coming up to look for her and left out food, but they never saw her. I guess she was waiting for the new people to arrive."

"Ava will be so happy," Linette said. "She's talked about the barn cat you promised for weeks."

Then they heard the screen door bang at the front door. "The movers are here!" he said. "Cameron and Marcus just drove up, and Ray and Betty are on the porch. Let's do this!" Aaron said.

The shout woke Ava. "Is it happening, Grammy?"

Shirley laughed. "Honey, right now, everything's happening at once, but you'll be sleeping in your own bed again tonight. Are you excited?"

Ava nodded. "I won't be afraid anymore."

There was nothing to say that could follow the poignancy of that comment, so Shirley just hugged her.

The movers began unloading, and Linette and Wiley began indicating where to put the boxes they brought in, and then furniture came in, some downstairs, some up. Once they had the beds put back together and the mattresses in their places, the movers left.

And that's when the family got busy.

The women began putting up dishes where Linette wanted them to go, and unpacked pots and pans to add to Ella's cast-iron skillets and Dutch ovens that they'd kept, and slowly the house began to look like a home.

Sean hooked up all their tech equipment and put a booster on their Wi-Fi, then looked up as Wiley walked in.

"The signal is good up here," he said. "I've got your televisions hooked up to the satellite dish, so you'll have cartoons at the ready, and your Wi-Fi signal is good. Just plug in your laptops and sign on, and you should be good to go."

As soon as the kitchen was set up, the women moved to the bedrooms, made up the beds, hung towels in the bathrooms, and put the rest in the linen closet in the hall.

They moved food into Ella's freezer and filled up the new refrigerator, and when they were done, ate sandwiches at the big dining table and sat within the silence of the house, remembering Ella and giving thanks that Linette and Wiley had accepted the task of keeping the old house alive.

Ava ate fast and bolted up the stairs. She needed to see her new space and make sure all her things were where they belonged. After a quick check, she was satisfied all was well and walked to the windows overlooking the back pasture. It was trees and pasture as far as the eye could see.

"I'm safe now," she whispered. "Forever and ever."

***

That night, when Linette helped her with her bath and Bubba read her a story, then put her to bed, Ava didn't need any shades pulled down or curtains drawn across her windows.

She was high on the mountain and high up in the sky. And the last things she saw as she was closing her eyes were a patch of moonlight lying across the foot of her bed like a yellow blanket and about a bazillion stars up in the sky.