Jo struggled up the trail toward the cabin in a daze. It didn’t matter that she was dragging the little handcart, stocked and loaded down with the new cushions and more gasoline and food. It didn’t matter that the heat was so intense she was almost baking, her face and body drenched with sticky sweat. It didn’t matter that every flying pest within a hundred miles had decided that she was today’s special. What mattered was she had just had one of the best days of her life. Her time with Andy had been so simple, so comfortable, it was almost as if they’d always known each other. Any awkwardness was one-sided on her end. Andy was friendly, open, and, in a strange way, calming. She made Jo feel reassured in a way she hadn’t realized she wanted—protected, watched after, even.
When she’d broken up with Elsa six months ago, she’d gone into a kind of self-doubting spiral. It hadn’t been about the breakup so much as it had been about the fact that she was actually relieved to be free of her. It had taken a couple of months to get over the guilt she felt about that relief, not sure what it meant about their relationship or about her, personally. Now, in the greater span of time between now and then, and in the light of a new relationship, she knew what she had been struggling with. Her guilt had come from the realization that she had wasted so much time with the woman. She and Elsa should have broken up long before their final fight.
Now, with the memory of Andy’s warm body against hers when they hugged good-bye, all that angst and guilt about Elsa seemed trivial—a thing of the past. The only remnant of it now was this strange distance and anger between her and Daniela, and even that didn’t seem so insurmountable. Daniela would eventually forgive her. Somehow Andy made that seem possible again.
She saw the steepest part of the hill coming, the last stretch, and cursed. Andy had offered to help her bring this stuff up here, but Jo, wanting to be chivalrous, had declined and downplayed the difficulty. Now she realized she’d made two mistakes: not asking for help and declining more time with Andy. Talk about stupid.
She saw movement up ahead and froze with startled fright, relaxing a moment later when she recognized Daniela coming down the hill. Strangely, she was alone. Everyone at the cabin knew Jo would be bringing this stuff up with her, so it seemed odd that a couple of them—Daniela and Carter at the very least—hadn’t come to help when someone heard her.
She waved and Daniela waved back, and a minute or so later, she was standing next to her, breathing heavily from exertion. Her expression was troubled, and she threw a furtive glance up the hill before turning back to Jo.
Hey. I wanted to catch you before you got back to camp.
What’s up?
Daniela frowned and lifted her shoulders. It might be nothing, but it’s strange. It made me think about the book and the tools moving around on their own. I don’t like this, Jo. I’m starting to freak out.
What happened?
It’s still happening. The water in the cabin keeps turning on by itself. Carter hasn’t been able to figure out why. She finally had to turn off the pump to stop it.
They stared at each other, and Jo’s heart seemed to skip a beat. Do you think it’s all connected?
Daniela hesitated and then nodded. You should have seen it, Jo. It’s really creepy.
Daniela crossed her arms over her chest, almost as if to hug herself. Her face was scared and pale. Jo put her hands on her hips, thinking hard. All of the things that had happened at the cabin could have a logical explanation. It was possible, after all, that some vandals had piled the furniture in the bedroom, that the book had been moved inside the bedroom with the sheets, or that someone had put the tools in there as well. Her accident in the woods was also explainable. She’d been walking around in the dark, after all—no wonder she hit her head. She’d been a complete idiot to go out there on her own in the middle of the night. And now this: an old faucet that was malfunctioning. The thing was fifty years old, for goodness’ sake—no wonder it was breaking down. But all of these things together and all at once? Except for the thing in the woods, all of it was rather minor, somewhat benign. But what did it mean?
Daniela still looked troubled, upset, and Jo squeezed her shoulder. Hey. It’s going to be okay.
Should we tell Carter?
That question again. Jo was tempted to shake her head and leave Carter out of this. After all, what did they know for sure? All of it could be explained away. But hiding their suspicions from Carter was clearly adding to Daniela’s nerves.
Yes. Let’s tell her. But not the others. Not yet.
Daniela nodded, a wan smile rising to her lips. Jo stepped forward, arms open, and they hugged, Daniela squeezing her. When they pulled apart, Daniela’s eyes were sparkling with tears.
I’m sorry, Jo. I’ve been a complete asshole.
Me, too. It’s okay.
Daniela shook her head. No. It’s not. We should have talked months ago.
Jo made herself dismiss a tiny flash of anger. She’d tried, over and over again, to talk to her. But it wasn’t the time to point this out.
I’m ready any time you are, she said instead.
Daniela smiled at her and indicated the cart. Let’s get this goddamn thing up the hill first.
It was easier with two of them tugging and pushing at it, but still incredibly awkward and difficult. By the time they finally cleared the edge of the trees into the campsite, Jo’s muscles were screaming with pain, and her shirt was soaked through with sweat. Daniela’s face was flushed with effort, her brows furrowed with something like anger. Finally, they pushed it into the clearing by the fire pit and collapsed into their camp chairs.
I’m not going to do that again any time soon, Daniela said.
The others were conspicuously absent. Clearly, they had heard her coming. Otherwise, Daniela would never have known she was hiking up the hill. Their little disappearing act was completely transparent. They simply hadn’t wanted to help. Daniela was right—it was totally someone else’s turn next time.
The cabin door opened and Carter came out, polishing a wrench with a dirty rag. She waved and walked over before sitting down.
“You guys look beat.”
They both glowered at her, and she laughed, holding her hands up. “Hey, don’t blame me. I was busy.”
“At least one of you was. Where are Meg and Rachel?”
Carter smiled. “Up at the peak. They’re having a little alone time.”
Jo rolled her eyes but smiled, letting go of her annoyance. At least it was a good excuse.
Carter flicked her knee with the dirty rag. “So how did it go with Andy?”
Daniela sat up, leaning forward, and Jo had to laugh at their identical, eager expressions.
“It was great. Really great.”
Is she a good kisser?
Jo shook her head. I don’t know yet.
Daniela rolled her eyes but smiled, slightly.
Carter’s smile was broad and happy. “Are you going to see her again soon?”
Jo nodded. “She’s coming up on her next day off. She wants to help.”
This time Carter rolled her eyes, making Jo laugh out loud. “Great idea, cuz. Get your new girlfriend to work for us.”
“Hey! She offered.”
Carter looked skeptical and then shrugged. “Okay—but it’s your funeral. If she was my girlfriend, all I’d ever want to do is put her on a throne to worship and admire.”
Daniela nodded eagerly.
Jo smiled. “That’s just it, though. She’s so nice, you almost don’t realize that she’s helping you, or offering to help, until afterward. We went shopping today—”
“What?”
Jo laughed. “We went shopping today, and she found the best stuff without even seeming to try. It would have taken me hours, or I would have bought the wrong things.”
Daniela stood up and went over to the cart. She flipped the little tarp Jo had tied over everything to reveal the new, stylishly striped, gray-and-yellow chair cushions for the armchairs and the couch.
She nodded her approval. Good choice.
“Like I said—you can thank her for it, not me. I wanted some brown ones.”
Daniela grimaced. Thank God she was with you.
“These look great, Jo,” Carter said. She paused. “Did Daniela tell you about the faucet?”
Jo threw Daniela a quick glance. “Yes. It’s running on its own?”
Carter raised her shoulders. “It’s the weirdest thing you ever saw. I don’t even know how it’s possible. I was just working on it. I took the whole sink apart and tightened the valves for the faucet, so hopefully that will do it. I was just going to turn it back on.”
Jo rolled her shoulders and got to her feet. “I’ll help you.”
I’ll unpack.
That reminds me, Jo said. Meg asked me to get something for her when I was in town. It’s a surprise for Rachel. Could you hide it somewhere? It’s in the cooler.
What is it?
Jo laughed. A jar of kimchi.
Daniela smiled. Will do.
Jo followed Carter around the side of the house to the fuse box. After over sixty years as what amounted to a primitive three-room shack in the woods, the cabin had been updated to its present condition in the mid-fifties. Her grandfather had put in more windows and replaced the old ones, making them bigger and with better glass. He’d also re-insulated the entire cabin and installed generator-powered electricity and the water pump. The family had to replace certain parts of everything over the years, but much of what he’d put in was still functioning, if old.
“Okay,” Carter said, pointing at the fuses. “This is the fuse for the pump. I’m going to throw it now, and we’ll see what happens. I seriously hope it works, or we’re going to have to get someone up here to fix it.”
“Does the old hand pump work?”
Carter sighed. “As far as I know, but talk about a pain in the ass. Let’s worry about that if we have to.”
She flicked on the fuse, and they walked back around to the porch and inside. Daniela was already there, replacing the cushions, and the three of them walked over to the sink together. They stood there watching it, but nothing happened.
Carter let out a long breath. “Thank God.”
Jo tested the faucet, and they heard the pump kick on, just as it was supposed to do. The water sputtered for a moment and then came out in a steady stream. She shrugged at Carter and turned it off, and they heard the pump shut off. They continued to watch it for a few seconds, and again, nothing happened.
Carter put her hands on her hips. “Before you, you see a god: the god of home maintenance.”
Daniela fluttered her eyelashes and clasped her hands next to her face. My hero.
The door opened and Meg came in, closing it behind her quietly. She put a finger to her lips and peered out the window for a second before turning around, grinning.
“Okay. She won’t hear me. Did you get the stuff, Jo?”
Jo pointed at the cooler. “It’s still in there.”
Meg rubbed her hands together and then got the kimchi out of the cooler. She looked around the room, frowning. “I don’t know where to hide it. I want to give it to her as a surprise.” She paused, her eyes sliding to the floor. “Next Wednesday’s our two-month anniversary.”
Daniela clapped her hands together a couple of times before saying, That is the cutest thing you’ve ever said.
Jo held out a hand. “Give it to me—I know a couple of places. Just ask me for it when you want it.”
They heard footsteps outside, and Meg’s eyes became huge. She threw the jar of kimchi at Jo, who just managed to catch it and put it behind her back before Rachel came in. Rachel paused in the doorway and looked around at them, clearly confused by their guilty expressions.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing!” they all said in unison.
Rachel frowned at them. Her eyes settled on Jo, who still had the kimchi behind her back.
“What are you hiding?”
“Uh, Rachel,” Meg said, “didn’t you say you wanted to see the cemetery?”
Rachel glared at her, suspicion in her eyes, but her face finally cleared and she smiled. “Do you guys really have a cemetery up here?”
Carter nodded. “Yep. Five people were buried there. There would be more, but the plot isn’t big enough.”
Rachel shuddered dramatically. “Creepy.”
“I can show you if you like,” Jo said. She’d inched backward, closer to Carter, and felt Carter take the jar from her. “Let’s go.”
Rachel was frowning at Carter now, having seen something happen behind Jo’s back. “Okaaay,” she said. “You guys are acting really weird.”
Meg grabbed her arm and steered her toward the door. “I’ll tell you later. Let’s go see it before it gets dark.”
Rachel threw Carter and Daniela one more puzzled look before turning to follow Meg outside. Jo pretended to wipe her brow in relief and then followed them.
It was late afternoon, but if anything, it was hotter than it had been earlier. Usually, once the sun moved out of its zenith, it started to cool quickly up here, but that wasn’t the case today. Jo closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy the warmth. She loved weather like this. Sure, they could use some rain, but unless it was summer, it was often too cold here to spend very much time outside.
Rachel and Meg had already disappeared down the trail to the cemetery, and Jo wondered if she should let them go on their own. Meg appeared behind some trees a moment later, waving and gesturing for her, and she raced ahead to catch up with them. She passed the old well on the way and paused to check that the cover was still in good shape. It looked better than she expected, and it was firmly locked. She caught up with the others a few yards from the graves.
Rachel’s eyes were huge, and she was hugging herself. She turned her gaze to Jo.
“Do you mean we’ve been up here with these dead people the whole time?”
Jo laughed. “They’re nice dead people. Ancestors.”
Rachel relaxed a little and followed Jo over to the graves. They were all located on a tiny flat area overlooking the valley below. It wasn’t quite as grand as the peak of the mountain, but Jo couldn’t think of a prettier place to spend eternity. A large, leafy maple tree shaded the graves, and the cool shade was a relief from the intensity of the sun.
“So who’s buried here?” Meg asked. “I know you told me once, but I forgot.”
“That’s our great-grandfather, Robert, and his wife, my great-grandmother, Estele.” She pointed. “That one is his older brother, John. We’ve always thought this last grave must be his parents, but now I’m not so sure.” She told them about the census record she’d seen this morning. “The family legend was that our great-great-grandmother built the cabin on her own, and now I think we actually have some proof. The census didn’t list her husband. But it’s kind of confusing, too.”
“Why?” Rachel asked.
“Read the inscription on the gravestone.”
Rachel crouched down next to the grave, puzzling over it. The weather had worn the grave over the years, but the lettering could just be made out. Rachel read the inscription out loud.
“Together in Life, Together in Death, Love Eternal. And then some dates, birth and death.” She looked up at Jo. “Two sets of them.”
Jo nodded. “Exactly, just like Robert and Estele. That means two people are in there. Again, I always thought it was my great-great-grandparents, but now I’m not so sure. No one knows who’s in that grave, since it doesn’t have any names.”
Still, Jo realized, it wouldn’t hurt to investigate, find out once and for all who was buried there. Everyone in her family had wondered, but as far as she knew, no one had ever determined who they were one way or another. They might be able to find more records somewhere in town, even beyond the census records. Maybe the deaths had been noted down somewhere, too. She didn’t know if people did that back then, but they probably had. There’d been a census by that time, after all.
Rachel stood up, stretching, and walked closer to the edge of the cliff. She threw one quick glance over the edge and backed away, eyes wide.
“Sheesh, that’s a long way down. Seems even farther down than up at the top. I’d hate to fall off. You should look, Meg.”
Meg shook her head. “Nah—I’m good. I’m okay with heights, but only if I have a rope tied on.” She turned to Jo and elbowed her in the ribs. “Say, I forgot to ask. How did your date go?”
Jo’s face warmed a little with pleasant embarrassment. “Amazing.”
Meg lifted her eyebrows up and down. “Oh yeah?”
Rachel pushed her arm. “Hey. Get your mind out of the gutter.” She frowned at Jo. “At least, I think so.”
Jo laughed. “We didn’t even kiss, yet. I chickened out.”
They both looked disgusted and she laughed again. “Hey! Don’t worry. I’ll get another chance. She’s coming up here in a few days.”
“Oh, thank God,” Rachel said, sagging with mock relief. “I wasn’t sure we’d ever get to see her again.”
Meg’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Yeah, Jo. We totally thought you’d screw it up.”
Jo gave her a level stare. “Gee, thanks.”