Once again, I'm woken up by pounding on the door. I roll over and reach for Holly, only to find a cold, empty bed. She must have gotten up with the kids and let me sleep.
I smile because family nap time is definitely one of my favorite family activities. I get up and head to the door. As I pass the kids' room, I see they are still asleep and then find the living room empty.
Where the heck is Holly?
I open the door to find my brother on the other side.
"A snowstorm came out of nowhere on my way up the mountain. I might be stuck here for the night. But I wanted to come update you," he says.
"Come in, let me go find Holly." I head back to the bedroom, thinking maybe she's in the bathroom.
But as I pass her room, something catches my eye. Papers on her bed. I go in and pick them up, seeing my name on the top one.
Dean,
I'm sorry.
I can't let my mother sit in that hospital all alone and allow my stepdad to keep threatening my kids.
While I know the risk I am taking, I also know my kids couldn't be safer than with you.
If my stepdad needs to have me to keep them safe, then I will do it. I leave my kids with you. Everything of mine is yours. When I agreed to marry you, I did it with my whole heart.
I just know we can't keep living like this, so I'm putting an end to it.
When I said I love you, I meant it.
You and the kids are everything to me.
Holly
My heart drops as I read Holly's words. I can feel the panic rising in my chest as I try to process what I'm reading. She's gone. She left me and the kids behind.
"Fuck!" I say and rush back to the living room. "Holly's gone. She left to go see her mom." I hold up the letter.
"Your truck is still in the driveway," he says with a confused look.
"She can't drive a stick. She would have gone on foot." I start rushing around to pull on my clothes and jackets.
"In this weather?" Six asks.
"When we laid down to take a nap, it was bright and sunny. We had no idea a snowstorm was on its way. I have to go after her. The kids will be waking up any minute. I don't know what to tell them, but don't let on that anything is wrong." I say, grabbing a shotgun, compass, and GPS tracker so my brother can find me if needed.
"Be safe. You have one hour before I load the kids up and come after you," he says.
No sooner than I step off the front porch, Hades comes running out of the forest. He starts howling as soon as he sees me.
"Did you find her, boy? You know where she is?" I rush toward him.
He walks back into the woods, only stopping to look back at me to make sure I'm following. He keeps a steady, fast pace, and I'm struggling to keep up over the brush and fallen trees.
As I follow Hades deeper into the forest, the snowfall becomes lighter, but the wind picks up. My breaths come out in quick puffs as I trudge through the deep snow, following the wolf's lead. I shiver, my fingers and toes already starting to feel numb despite the thick layers I'm wearing.
Making my way through the snow behind Hades, all I can think of is Holly. My mind is racing, trying to piece together what could have made her leave. Was it really just her mother's injuries and her stepdad's threats? Or was there something else going on that I wasn't aware of? I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Right now, I need to focus on finding her first and asking questions later.
Hades suddenly stops, sniffing the air. I pause, too, listening for any sounds that might indicate where Holly is. Hades turns to glance at me before barking and running off to the left.
I follow, fear and worry gripping my heart. If we find Holly, I can only hope that everything will turn out okay. I think of the future I had planned with her and all the dreams we had for our family.
He stops once again, this time letting out a low growl. I look ahead in the direction he's facing, and my breath catches in my throat. There, barely visible through the trees, is Holly, slouched against a tree.
I rush to her side, only to find her unconscious. Anxiously, I check her, and thankfully, she has a pulse, but it’s weak. I pull out the thick blanket from my pack and wrap her in it before picking her up and turning to Hades.
"Okay, boy, I need you to lead us back home," I say, trying not to let the panic fill my voice. I can't do anything for her out here.
Hades barks in agreement and leads the way back through the forest, with me cradling Holly in my arms. The wind picks up, making navigating through the heavy snow more difficult. I focus all my energy on keeping Holly safe and warm while following Hades' lead.
Holding Holly tightly to my chest, I pray she'll make it through. I can feel the weight of her body as I trudge through the snow, and I do my best to keep my footing.
"Dean," Holly sighs at one point, but her eyes are still closed.
"Holly, stay with me. We are almost back in the cabin and then we’ll warm you up. Stay with me, Holly. I love you, baby. I can't do this without you." I try to pour all my emotions into my words to let her know what she really means to me.
"I love you, too, Dean," she says as her head rolls to the side.
With every fiber of my being, I have to believe that she heard me and that she is fighting for me, for us, the best way she can.
I feel a sense of relief wash over me as we finally arrive back at the cabin. Hades starts howling as we break the tree line, and Six comes rushing out.
"She's unconscious. We need to get her warm," I say as he holds the door for me.
"Take her to the bedroom, strip her down and you strip, too. Get both of you under the blankets. I'll find some extra blankets and the heated blanket mom keeps here," he orders.
Doing as he says and closing the bedroom door behind me, I lay Holly down on the bed and start to remove her wet clothes, my hands shaking with worry. With each layer of clothing stripped away from her, my heart races. She's cold to the touch.
I undress as quickly as possible, clumsily fumbling with the buttons and zippers. When I'm down to my underwear, I crawl into bed beside her and pull the blankets over us. It's only a matter of moments until Six comes in with more blankets and the heated one.
"Let's put the heated blanket on and then the others over you. You’ll start sweating, but she needs the heat," he says, spreading the blanket out and plugging it in.
"I don't care. I just need her to be okay." I pull her into my arms, offering her as much body heat as possible.
As I hold Holly close to me, I can feel the warmth slowly returning to her body. While I know we're not out of the woods yet, at least she's safe and alive. Six sits in a chair beside the bed, watching us. He looks worried, his hands fidgeting in his lap.
"You did well, Dean. You found her in time," Six says, breaking the silence.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I'm still shaking with fear and adrenaline.
"I don't know what I would do without her," I say, my voice cracking. "I can't imagine a future without her in it."
Six nods, but I know he won't get it until he falls ass over heels for a woman someday.
"The kids?" I ask, not wanting them to see their mom like this.
"They were in their room coloring when you came in. I set them up with a Christmas movie and cookies. Gave Hades a few cookies, too. He's camping out on the front porch.”
I don't know how long we lie there, but eventually, Holly stirs in my arms, her eyelids fluttering open. I lean in close, my heart pounding in my chest. "Holly?" I whisper.
She blinks up at me, her eyes unfocused. "Dean?" she murmurs, her voice hoarse.
I stroke her hair gently, relief flooding through me. "Yeah, baby, it's me," I whisper. "You scared me."
She tries to sit up, but I hold her still. "Don't move too much," I caution. "You've been out for a while. How are you feeling?"
Holly winces as she tries to move, a pained expression crossing her face. "I'm so cold," she says, shivering.
I lean in and kiss her forehead. "We’re working on getting you warm," I promise her, smoothing her hair back from her face.
Six stands up from his chair. "I'll go get you some warm soup and hot tea," he says, glancing at Holly. "You both need to eat and stay hydrated."
As he exits the room, Holly looks up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude. "I don't know what would have happened if you didn't find me," she whispers, her voice weak.
I hold her tighter, bringing her closer to my chest. "I'll always find you," I say, my voice firm. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Our mouths meet in a slow, tender kiss, and for a moment, everything else fades away. The only thing that matters is the two of us, together, safe and warm, in this cabin in the mountains. As we break apart, Holly leans her head against my chest. I feel her body relax against mine, her breathing slowing down. Within moments, she's asleep again, her body warming up from the heated blanket.
I let her rest until Six comes back with some soup, and he sits on the bed beside me.
"Hey man, grab my sweatshirt off the dresser for me. She can wear it when she sits up," I say.
He hands it to me, and then leaves, closing the door behind him.
"Holly, baby. Time to sit up and eat some soup while it's hot." I wake her gently.
She stirs, opening her eyes.
"Here, sit up, put this sweatshirt on, and let's get some soup in you. Looks like some hot chocolate and water, too.”
Holly sits, wrapping the sweatshirt around herself. I help her settle back against the pillows and hand her a spoonful of soup. She eats slowly. Her appetite is still weak, but I'm grateful that she's eating at all. As she finishes the soup, I give her the cup of hot chocolate. She takes a small sip, savoring the warmth.
"Thank you," she murmurs, looking up at me with soft eyes.
I smile down at her, my heart swelling with love. "Anything for you, Holly. You mean everything to me."
We chat quietly, the mood lightening as Holly's strength returns. We have a lot to talk about, like why she left. But for now, I'm just happy she is back and safe.