24

Three days had passed since the men left on their expedition. Everyone still talked about where they were or what might be happening, but for the most part, life just kept going at the Curry Hotel. Trains came in and trains left, bringing with them interesting passengers, miners, and railroad workers. There were fewer tourists, but enough that elaborate meals were still required. Cassidy tried to keep her mind on the task at hand, but it became more difficult with each passing day. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was very wrong.

She looked to the west several times during the day and prayed. She prayed that the weather would hold and the temperatures remain well above freezing. She prayed that they would be safe from harm and that her father’s previous injuries wouldn’t put him at risk. Most of all she prayed that time would pass faster and they would all return home safely.

Walking back to the kitchen from her room, Cassidy had to stop suddenly to keep from running into Thomas. “Whoa there. Where are you headed in such a hurry?” She reached back to straighten the bow in her apron.

“Actually, I was coming to fetch you, Miss Cassidy. Mr. Bradley says he needs you right away in his office.” He gulped in a few breaths.

“Thank you, Thomas. Would you mind letting Mrs. Johnson know where I am?”

“Sure. I’ll go right now.”

“But you don’t have to run.” Cassidy laughed over her shoulder.

His retreating steps slowed.

As she headed to the manager’s office, she wondered what concoctions Mrs. Johnson planned for the Asian diplomats they expected this weekend. That must be what Mr. Bradley wanted to speak to her about. He’d been all excited to host the dignitaries.

Cassidy reached the manager’s office and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Mr. Bradley opened the door.

Immediately, she noticed the older, gray-haired couple sitting in front of the manager’s desk. Then she noticed that he closed the door behind her—making both doors to the office shut. Unusual for this time of day.

“Have a seat, Cassidy,” Mr. Bradley directed.

She looked to the couple and then to her boss as she took her chair. “Is there something wrong?”

The manager cleared his throat. “Cassidy, this might come as a surprise to you, but I’d like to introduce you to your mother’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Callaghan.”

Had she not been seated, she probably would have fallen over. What? Her mother’s parents? Here? Words wouldn’t form, but she felt her mouth drop open and couldn’t do a thing about it.

“I know this is a shock for you.” Mrs. Callaghan spoke first. “We sent a letter first, several months ago, but we weren’t sure your father had received it.”

Had Dad gotten a letter? He hadn’t mentioned it.

“We planned to speak with your father first, but Mr. Bradley informed us of his whereabouts, so we felt we had no choice but to come to you.” She paused and looked at the old man before continuing. “We’ve come to make amends.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Of all the things that could have happened to her on that day, this was the one that Cassidy would never have expected. Her grandparents had never been a part of her life. There had never been so much as a single word from them in twenty-three years. Now here they sat as if those years meant nothing.

“Yer hair and coloring is darker, but ye look like yer mother.” Sobs shook the woman.

Dad often told her she was as beautiful as her mother, but Cassidy knew her dark hair and dark eyes were from her father. She looked native Alaskan and she knew it. Still the thought of looking like her mother sent a little thrill through her.

Mr. Callaghan rose from his chair, his hat in his hand, and then slowly knelt in front of Cassidy. “My granddaughter.” His voice cracked on the words. “We’ve wasted too much time, and we’ve come to apologize.”

Cassidy blinked and closed her mouth. “I . . . I don’t understand. You left us. You wanted nothing to do with my father or me.”

Mrs. Callaghan sniffed and spoke again. “We were missionaries from Ireland. We’d come to this beautiful land to teach the native people. And we shouldn’t have been surprised that your mother would fall in love with one of the men, but we were. We were terrified of him as a half-Indian”—she corrected herself—“half-Athabaskan man. All those years we served with our holier-than-thou attitudes, knowing that we had the knowledge of the one true God and how He loved everyone and died for the world. And yet, we didna truly understand.

“We were angry with John for taking away our only daughter. And then when you were born and she died, we could bear it no longer. We felt we were being punished. We said some very ugly things to your father. Things that should never have been thought, much less spoken.”

After all these years. She had more family. They were here. Apologizing. And yet, Cassidy couldn’t move.

Mr. Callaghan reached for her hand. “Our attitude and behavior toward your father has haunted us these many years. When God finally got ahold of my stubborn heart, I knew we had to come and repent to you both as well, but sadly, we lacked the funds and the courage until now.”

Her grandmother—yes, her very own grandmother—stood. “You see, we’re old. It couldn’t wait any longer. We wanted to see you—to know you not only because you’re all that remains of Eliza, but because you are our only grandchild. And . . . we are hoping that ye’ll forgive us and let us be a part of your lives.”

Cassidy blinked and looked around the room at each face. This couldn’t be real. Suddenly, she stood, opened the door, and ran back to the kitchen as fast as she could. She couldn’t imagine what they would think of her, but at the moment she didn’t care.

The clatter of the kitchen was comforting as Cassidy ran in and found Mrs. Johnson. Before she knew it, she started sobbing all over the woman.

Mrs. Johnson’s warm arms came around her and guided her into the dining room. “What on earth is going on? Are you all right?”

Cassidy pulled her apron up to her face and sobbed into it. Then she lowered it and started telling Mrs. Johnson everything that had just transpired.

The cook was stunned as well. “I can say that’s one I never expected.” She leaned back in her chair. “And you just left them and ran in here?”

“I didn’t know what to say. The shock was just a bit too much, and then my stomach started flooding with all these nasty feelings. I couldn’t believe they’d left us the way they did. The way they’d been prejudiced against the very people they were trying to minister to. And all the hurt from my childhood of growing up without them—without their love—and knowing they were out there just overwhelmed me.”

“I see.” Mrs. Johnson leaned forward. “And so you don’t want them in your life?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You do want them in your life?”

“I didn’t say that either. I’m so confused.” The sobs shook her again.

“Cassidy.” Mrs. Johnson’s hand engulfed hers. “Remember when I told you that I lost my entire family a few years ago?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t have a choice to keep them as family or to let them go. I didn’t have the choice for them to come back.”

“I know. And I’m so sorry to come to you with all this. It’s not very sensitive of me.”

“Oh, hogwash. My point is this: They’re family and you have a chance to start anew. You need to forgive them for the past and leave it there—in the past. Losing them the first time was a loss you couldn’t fix. But to lose them again now would be devastating—and your fault. I would give anything to restore relationships with my family if they were still here. . . .”

The words sunk in and Cassidy nodded. Her heart broke looking at Mrs. Johnson’s face so full of regret. She threw herself into the older woman’s arms. “I hope you know that you’re my family now too. And I love you.” Before the woman could respond, Cassidy kissed her cheek and ran back to the manager’s office.

Her grandparents were waiting.

She could see the apprehension on the faces of the two elderly people. No doubt they had been completely surprised by her reaction.

“I want to apologize.” She looked first to her grandmother and then to her grandfather. It was funny that their blood flowed in her veins, but they were strangers.

“There’s no reason to,” her grandmother assured. “We put a terrible shock on you. Please say that you’ll forgive us—both for the shock and for all the lost years.”

Cassidy sank onto the chair she’d only recently vacated. “Of course I do. I can’t tell you how many years I dreamed of a meeting just like this—prayed for it too. I think after a while I gave up hope of it, but God had other plans.”

Her grandmother smiled. “I’m glad to hear you speak of God.”

“My father raised me on the Bible and taught me the value of hope in God. He also told me stories about my mother, but of course he had so few. I would very much like to hear more about her.”

“We would love to tell you.”

John watched the clouds above as they trekked farther up the glacier. The wind had a nasty bite to it. The weather had definitely changed.

Two days ago, they’d all snowshoed in their shirt-sleeves when the sun had been so warm reflecting off the snow and ice. But today, they were bundled up. Of course, they’d also climbed a couple thousand feet in elevation. He didn’t like the change from warm to cold.

But he didn’t like much right now. After Allan shared the news of the telegram with him, John made it his job to keep a constant watch on Frank’s whereabouts. Everything the man did or said was suspect. If Irving knew just how closely he was observed, he didn’t show it. Frank was as jovial as ever when it was just the three of them. But when the native men were anywhere around, his mood changed. And two of the Ahtna had told him that they didn’t trust Frank.

Not a good sign.

But what reason did they have for turning around and quitting? Unless the weather changed drastically, John realized they couldn’t let Frank know that they were suspicious. Irving knew how much Allan wanted to succeed, and he also knew how much they’d paid the native men to help and for all the supplies.

The only way out seemed to be if they hit some weather they couldn’t manage.

So John prayed for a storm.

A big one.