The sun peeked through the clouds and warmth bathed me. I had no time to waste. I jumped, wrapped my arms and legs around the beanstalk and plummeted with Jack behind me.
Once again, the beanstalk caught fire just as I was halfway down. William’s men had already chopped down most of the leaves on their way down, giving us a clear path to drop at great speed.
William’s men mounted their horses and had ours ready. Twenty people had come to Black Mountain, not counting William, Jack, and myself, but only seven of us were leaving. I silently thanked the men who had given their lives to save so many others, and hoped they would see my father in Heaven so he could thank them, too.
I jumped on Angel and took off. The collapsed cave created a cloud of massive dust, and the mountain itself started to crumble and sink into the earth. No evidence of the Black Mountain would remain.
My heart hurt, and perhaps always would, knowing Father’s body had been buried inside the mountain, but it was out of my control. Following an impulse, I reached inside my boot, took out the last bean, and threw it far toward the mountain.
I never wanted to need or see the bean again.
The earth continued to rumble beneath me as I rode off as fast as Angel could carry me. Thunderous, roaring sounds of rocks crashing echoed after me as I burst out of the forest. I passed through the town where Jack and I had saved the family with twins. I hoped they were alive and well.
I saw no more monsters—only people working together to clean up. They would eventually rebuild, because that is what people do. Some fires still smoldered, but most of the flames had died.
I traveled all day and late into the night. The stars were out, illuminating the night like white fire, the brightest I’d ever seen. Father used to say the stars were angels’ eyes watching over us. Surely, he was right. God showed He was happy by gracing us with holy lights.
The six lanterns hanging from the horses ahead of me stood out in the darkness as we made the last turn for home. I smelled Mother’s vegetable soup and freshly baked bread, and felt her love wrap around me.
How do I tell her about Father?
Jack and I rode side by side together, silently. Occasionally, he glanced my way but did not speak. I twitched, startled to see William pull his horse up next to mine.
“I’m sorry about your father,” he said somberly. “He was a great man and a wonderful friend.”
I bit my lip to stop the tears. “Thank you. And thank you for risking your life to help him.”
“You were raised by a brave man so you could become who you are today. He has fulfilled his destiny, so do not mourn him. Instead, rejoice, for he is home. This is not goodbye.”
I nodded with a smile.
William pulled out something from the side pocket of his saddle. “I found this when I went back to the prison to look for him. I knew you would want to have it.”
“Thank you.” I held out a hand and took the hat.
William nudged his horse forward to ride with his men.
I hugged Father’s hat tightly to my chest as if I were holding him. I inhaled the sweat from his hard labor; it also smelled like home and love. To William, it was just Father’s hat, but to me, it was everything.
Unable to stop myself any longer, I sobbed into the hat, pouring out my grief.
This hat holds a special place in my heart. I’ve had this hat since the day you blessed my life. It holds a wonderful memory of you. I shall hold it forever and carry it with me wherever I go, as I carry you in my heart always.
And I will always carry you in my heart, Father.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Home At Last.
Mother ran out the door, along with Jonathas and four other men. They must have heard the horses. The house and barn showed no sign of monsters. Another blessing. The men greeted each other and chatted among themselves.
“Jaclyn.” Mother embraced me and pulled back to stroke my hair, my face, and kiss my cheek. “Are you well? Are you hurt? You look so filthy. Is that blood?” She laughed and happy tears pooled in her eyes. She gazed past me, looking for Father with eager eyes, I assumed.
“William, Jack, and gentlemen.” She nodded to greet them and received nods in return. “It’s good to see you well. There are so few of you.” Mother turned to me with lips trembling. “Where’s Richard?” Her forehead creased, tiny wrinkles I had never seen before forming by her eyes.
I needed no words. I showed her Father’s hat, and the tears streaming down my face told the rest of the story.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, unable to meet her gaze.
I sobbed harder.
Coming home alone without Father, guilt ate through my soul. There were no words of comfort to lessen the pain. I had shattered her world.
“No.” She whimpered softly, folding her arms. “It can’t be true.” Mother grabbed my arms and shook me. “Jaclyn, tell me it is not true. Where’s your father?” When I didn’t answer, she turned to William. “Where’s my Richard? Where’s my Richard? You told me you would bring him home. You promised.”
William dropped his head and held his hat to his heart.
“Mother.” I touched her lightly on the shoulder. “Father is in Heaven.”
“No.” Mother dropped to the ground, gasping for air. “No, no, no. Why did God take him from me? He’s a good man.”
I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly.
I’m so sorry, Mother. I’m so sorry I failed to bring Father home, your husband you love so dearly.
Guilt clawed through my soul and nothing I said or did would ever fix this.
I’d cried so much I had no tears left to shed, but Mother’s tears were fresh. She mourned loud enough for the both of us, her body shuddering. She yelled out and wept until she had nothing left in her, while the men grieved silently, standing around us with their heads bowed. Then, after some time, Mother stood up and wiped her tears.
“Where are my manners?” Mother held open the door as if nothing had happened, but her lips quivered, and her puffy eyes glistened in tears. “Gentlemen, please come in. I’ve made soup and fresh bread. You must be starving.” She opened the door and waited until everyone entered.
The smell of Mother’s cooking drove my stomach to fold on itself, but food was the last thing on my mind. While everyone sat around to eat, I went to my chamber, placed Father’s hat on my bed, and changed into clean clothes.
The smell of sweat, burnt beans, and old, dried blood on my clothes made me want to vomit. Just as I finished, Mother entered my room. I caught Mother’s teary eyes and then her smile. She sat on the bed, embraced me, and rubbed a small idle circle on my back. When she pulled away, she held my hands.
“I’m so proud of you. I tease you for wearing boy clothes and for not acting like a lady, but I’m your mother and I must help you find the right husband who will love you and take care of you, just like your father did for me.” She whimpered softly and looked down when she mentioned Father.
Her tears dropped between our clasped hands, and I held my breath and bit my lip.
You needn’t be strong with me, Mother. Let me be your shoulder to cry on. Share your grief and suffering with me. Let me carry your burden for once.
After a few long seconds, she looked back at me. “Your father loved you very much. I know you know this, but I have to say it. He’s very proud of you for being so brave. I don’t think any other girl would have chased danger like you did. I don’t know what happened on the mountain today, and I hope you’ll tell me when we are alone. I want to know everything, even the details of your father’s death. I need to know.” Her hands tightened around mine.
“Of course,” I said, my throat aching.
My mother, who just learned her husband passed, held strong. Women have their own bravery, Mother had said before. She’d proved it many times and I knew Father was proud of her too.
“Please come out and eat.” Mother smiled. She caressed my face and went back out to be
the good hostess.
A soft knock on the door roused me from thoughts of Father, and I brushed the tears lingering from my eyes before they could fall.
“Come in.” My dry, cracking voice did not sound like my own.
The door opened.
Jack walked in with a bowl of soup and a cup of water, and then closed the door behind him. He gazed up and down my body with his eyebrows arched and his lips pursed. “You’re wearing a dress?”
“It was the only thing clean to wear.” I shrugged. It was a simple blue dress, but the expression on Jack’s face made me feel naked.
“You look ... lovely.” His face beamed under the lantern light.
Our eyes locked for some time until he cleared his throat.
“I thought you would rather eat in your chamber.” He looked at the items he held.
“Thank you, but I have no desire to eat, but I’ll drink.” I took the cup from his hand and took a sip, and then reached over to place it on the table next to my bed.
“You may not be, but your stomach is troubled. I hear it calling, ‘feed me, feed me.’” He brought the bowl closer. “Open up.”
“Jack.” I laughed softly. Pressing my lips together, I leaned back, and then sat straight when he moved the bowl away. “I can feed myself, and my stomach said no such words.”
“True, but you must eat. What you did back at the mountain, I cannot begin to understand it. You were so brave and strong. I know you don’t want to hear it, but I am truly sorry for your loss. Your heart is sad, and your soul worn, but comfort will come. This storm will pass and the sun will shine again, for I will make it so. I shall keep my word until my last breath. You are my hero, Jaclyn.”
“Thank you, but I am no hero. And I have no words to praise myself. God has not forsaken us as Longinus once thought. In the end, He showed his love and grace by saving us all through you and everyone who went to Black Mountain. God doesn’t show himself but rather works through people. I was his vessel, his weapon. I was the nail to Longinus’s cross. It was my fate, my father’s, yours, and everyone that went to Black Mountain. I am saddened so many had to perish. Their loss fills me with grief.”
Jack placed the bowl down and sat next to me. “I feel the same, Jacky. I’m glad ’tis over.”
“Aye,” I muttered softly, looking at my grimy fingers.
Dried blood caked my hand, my father’s blood, and dirt rimmed my fingernails, so I curled my fingers to hide them.
Jack rested his hand on mine. “Don’t be ashamed of honest dirt. Ladies are to be proper and clean, but you are more than that. You’re stubborn like your horse. And you have a temper.”
I raised my eyebrows.
He continued. “You do as you will. You say unladylike words. And you fight like a man. But I like you just as you are. You’re beautiful, Jaclyn, body and soul. Why do you think you were the one who saved our people? No one who didn’t see it will believe a girl saved us, but the men out there know. You’re special, a rare jewel, one of a kind, don’t you ever forget that.”
I blinked in shock. Jack’s words touched the depths of my soul. Smiling, I shyly dipped my chin.
“Thank you.” The words escaped softly, timidly.
He passed me the bowl. “Please eat. I must go, but I aim to be back in three days to help with the funeral. I know there’s no body, but we can say words. I’ll get Father Michael from the other town to say a mass. I’m not too fond of Father Henry.”
“Thank you.” I smiled again, his kind words filling me.
Jack got up and opened the door.
“Jack?”
He spun. “Yes?”
“You can call me Jacky.”
His face lit up like the moon. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. And ... and—”
“Yes.”
I held up his mother’s cloak. “I should give this back to you. I’ll wash it first. There’s some blood stain on it.”
He regarded the cloak for a moment and gave a faint, honest grin. “It would be my honor if you kept it.”
“But your father might—”
“He would be honored too. He knew you wore Mother’s cloak. He would have said something to me if he had disapproved. Besides, my mother loved cloaks. She had bundles.”
I didn’t know what to say. A part of me felt honored he would give me something that belonged to his beloved mother, but a part of me felt I didn’t deserve it.
“Are you sure?”
“More than you know.”
“Then I’ll take good care of it and wear it with pride.”
He placed a hand to his chest and bowed, and that was his answer.
I called his name when he turned to leave.
“Yes,” he chortled.
I shrugged sheepishly. “Bless you. Thank you for your kindness and friendship.” My eyes pooled with tears. “I do not know how I would have made it without you.”
I’d pretended I didn’t need him in the cave, and perhaps I had been harsh with him, but I was afraid he thought I couldn’t hold my own. I didn’t want to come across as someone weak and fragile.
His chest rose and fell with a sigh. “It was my pleasure. But Jaclyn ...” He cleared his throat. “I mean Jacky, I am not your friend.”
My mouth fell open. After all we’d been through together, and after all those words that had poured lovingly from the very lips I wanted to kiss, how could I have been so wrong about him?
Before I recovered enough to give him a piece of my mind, and maybe even a punch in the face, he said, “I am not your friend because I want to be your best friend. I desire no other woman as I desire you, and never have. You and I will wed, Jacky. Your new destiny awaits. I am your new destiny.” With a wink, he closed the door behind him.
My heart leapt and my smile spread. I’d fallen a little bit in love with him right at that moment. After gulping down the rest of the water I desperately needed, I finished the soup as my mind drifted to memories of Father.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Three Days Later
Jack kept his promise. He dug a small hole at the back of the house to bury the hat I had bought at the market. With no body to bury, I thought the hat represented Father well. I’d contemplated burying his old hat, but I decided to keep it and placed it on top of my chest.
We placed a large wooden cross over the disturbed earth. Father would have been pleased, but to me, it seemed too little.
I gave Mother the brush and the handheld mirror I’d traded for a silver piece at the market. After I explained the reason, she hugged me and cried.
I did not expect the crowd of people from all over town. And to see them dressed in black—men, women, and even children—humbled me. Many who had known my father came to pay their last respects. Their generous gifts surprised me the most. Some gave us coins, meals, fabrics, cattle, sheep, chickens, and much more.
My heart overflowed with gratefulness for their love and support. Quite a few men offered to help around the farm, and Mother and I accepted. We were strong women, but we needed help.
After Father Michael finished the ceremony, everyone left except for Jack’s family. I went to my room to change and take a moment to myself. All the condolences and tear-shedding had exhausted me. Some had even thanked me and kissed my cheek; I assumed they knew what happened at the Black Mountain.
I reached behind me to unbutton the back of my dress when the door opened with a squeak.
Jack gave me a crooked smile. “I’m sorry. The door was slightly ajar, and I saw you needed my help, so I let myself in.”
I flattened my lips to keep from smiling. “Strange. I closed the door all the way, I am certain. My nakedness is not for public viewing.”
Jack smiled slowly and took a bold step toward me, his eyes flaming with purpose. “Could it be possible you left it open just a little for me?” He winked.
I let out a small laugh. “Your tongue tells lies. Perhaps your weak mind gives you false hope?”
; “’Tis not false hope. You are to be my wife. Besides, soon-to-be-husbands can help soon-to-be-wives get undressed.”
I pursed my lips, holding a laugh tightly in my belly. “Well, I think it’s too soon for you to see me reveal more skin.”
Jack stepped forward as I stepped back until my back pressed against the wall. To the left lay the bed, and to the right, my chest. He had imprisoned me.
“I think you have your mind in a naughty place.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I merely suggested I help you unbutton a few to get you started, but your thoughts are quite intriguing.”
I huffed. “I had no such thoughts.” My cheeks flushed as his darkened eyes fell on my body. I raised my hand to slap him, but he caught it.
Like lightning, tingles shot though every sinew, bone, and muscle. How could he make me feel like that with a touch? My body sizzled when he caressed my thumb with his, as faint as a ghost touch. I wasn’t sure if it was all in my head.
“When you’re ready, if you’re willing, I shall claim you, Jacky.”
I did not know if I loved Jack, but I desired him. I knew him to be a good man, and my heart swelled when I saw or thought of him. Slowly, I drew my hand back as my eyes remained on his. I did not know what would happen if he continued to caress me.
“And if I will not go with you?”
“You shall.” He placed his hands on the wall, his powerful arms caging me even closer, as the scent of winter after the rain drifted on the breeze.
“What if I say no?” I bit the inner part of my mouth. Having him so close made me dizzy, but it got worse when he dipped his head. Oh heavens. Jack’s warm breath brushed against my neck, hot and searing.
“Then I guess I’d have to convince you.” His eyes dancing lustfully on my lips.
“How?” I breathed. A thread of desire traced through my limbs as fast as Angel’s stride.
“Like this.” He lips conquered mine, so soft and gentle at first.
Trembling, I blinked and held myself immobile. Jack consumed me with his kiss, his desire so strong and demanding. I barely drew breath or moved to protest. I’d never kissed a man before.