Uncontrollable (The Nature of Grace, Book 2) (20 page)

I tip my head, making it pound. “Wyn, come on. Please don’t. I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve never had hypothermia.”

“Well, if that’s what it does, I hope you get it again.” He gets up and drags the chair over to my bed. “It’s okay. Really. I understand.”

I narrow my eyes. “You do? You mean you’re not mad?”

He winks. “Hey, what can I say? I copped a feel. How can I be mad?” I smack him upside the head, and he flinches. “Ow.”

“Be serious.”

“No, really. I appreciate you being honest. You can’t help how you feel.” He kisses my hand. “But neither can I.”

“What?”

He stands up and leans over me, cups my face, and lightly pecks my lips. Then he pulls back and smiles. “Look. I know there’s something between us, G. Always has been. I know you’ve been through a lot. And you know what? I can wait for you to deal with whatever you need to deal with.”

“Wyn, I can’t promise anything.”

I press my temples as my head races in confusion. Should I tell Wyn I was thinking about Mo that whole time? That I’m not confused. Should I tell him I don’t see a future for us?

Do I see a future for us?

He grabs his jacket. “I’m not asking you to. I just want you to know that I love you, and I’ll wait for however long it takes for you to see how good we are together. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe what happened in that cave between us wasn’t real. There was no one else there, and you let down your guard. It was all real for me. Maybe you’ll see that it was real for you, too. You said you loved me.”

“I do. You’re my best friend. You’re all I have, really.”

He shrugs. “Then that’s enough for me. For now.”

With that, Wyn kisses me on the forehead and leaves the room. He turns off the light on the way out.

“Sleep tight, G. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

I sit alone in the dark with my feelings all swirling around inside. I lay my head back against the pillow and stare at the ceiling. Confused and frustrated, I wonder how I seem to ruin everything I touch. Especially when my intentions are to help people. Why couldn’t I tell Wyn the whole truth?

Then I wonder.

Is it because I’m not sure?

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I do care about Wyn more than I realize.

Maybe I’m tired of choosing a dead love over a possible living one.

Survival Skill #17

Take immediate action to ensure your physical safety and the safety of others. Remove yourself from the event in order to avoid further traumatic exposure
.

B
y the time Birdee and I get a hold of Mom, I’m released to go home.

The storm hit from here all the way to Asheville, doing more damage than anyone expected. Needless to say, Mom wasn’t happy, but Birdee managed to convince her not to come home. I promised both of them I would quit, and Birdee vowed not to let me out of her sight ever again. For as long as we both shall live.

All I’m focusing on now is getting out of the hospital. Even though I’m still not feeling a hundred percent, after a few days in this place, I realize home will get me back to myself more than any place around. Just the thought of eating MoonPies in my own bed is enough to make me smile.

While Birdee is signing my release papers, I stuff the last of my things in the plastic bag they gave me. When Birdee opens the door to head off to the nurse’s station to ask another question about my home care, Agent Sweeney walks in.

“Good morning. May I come in?”

Birdee frowns. “As usual, your timing is impeccable. Do you have like a beeper or something that informs you of the worst moment to show up?”

“Birdee!” I shout, totally embarrassed

He shakes his head. “It’s okay. How are you?”

I sit on the chair to allow my legs to recover from standing so quickly so soon. “Well, Agent Sweeney, since I’ve been here a couple days with no visit, I hope you didn’t come empty-handed.”

He holds up a clump of greenery. I laugh and take the wilted stems. “Wow, you picked weeds for me? You shouldn’t have.”

He waves me off. “If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”

Birdee humphs her displeasure and heads for the door. “Don’t you dare put any of your crazy ideas into that girl’s hard head. I just finished cleaning them all out. You hear me, Sweeney? Or I’ll have a bone to pick with you.”

He takes off his hat. “Yes, ma’am.” He waits until the door shuts and then pulls up a chair. “I take it she’s mad?”

I can see Birdee spy through the side window in the door. He follows my eyes and waves to her with a big smile. She points two fingers at her eyes and then points them at Sweeney.

I interpret. “She’s watching you.”

He nods. “I got that part. Thanks.” She quickly walks off as he faces me. “Guess she blames me for you being in the woods.”

I crawl back onto the bed in my jeans and tuck the blanket around me, feeling chilly again. “She’s just upset.”

“No, she’s pissed. And she has a right to be. It’s my fault you were out there. I should have never let Porter talk me into anything.” He hits his head with his palm. “Stupid to put any of you kids out there in the first place.”

“You couldn’t have known any of this would happen. We never have winter storms like this, and kids do research for organizations all the time. My cousin goes out in the ocean with The Dolphin Project to take pictures of dolphin fins. Even when it rains. That can’t be less dangerous than this.”

He looks down at his hat. “Still.”

I notice my backpack on the opposite chair. “Can you hand me that? I need to show you something.”

Agent Sweeney gets up and grabs the bag.

“Look in the front pocket.”

He unzips the pouch and pulls out the green bandana. His eyes get big, and he looks at me. “Is this…? Where did you get it?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, and in the woods. Close to where I fell.”

I go on to tell him what I saw. What I heard before we left. The footsteps. The whistling. And then about finding the bandana crushed in the snow.

Agent Sweeney rubs his face with one hand in disbelief. “Why didn’t Wyn tell me?”

“He didn't know.”

He sits in a chair and sighs. “So I guess I was wrong. Al’s back.”

My stomach drops. “You think so? You don’t think it could be a coincidence?”

He shakes his head and gets up to pace. “With dead wolves, bandanas, and whistling? No way. All signs point to Al.”

“Yeah, doesn’t look good. Before I fell, I found another wolf too. Im teh same area.”

“Dead?”

“Nope. Alive. At least for a few minutes. He died when I was trying to help him.” I shake my head. “I couldn’t save him.”

He reaches over and pats my arm. “Grace, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how hard that was. Especially after—”

“Finding Dad? Yeah, well, it seems to be a pattern lately.”

I shake the wolf and Dad from my head. I can’t focus on details, or I’ll get sucked back into my depression.

Sweeney takes out his notebook and starts to jot things down. “Any clues to go on? Coordinates?”

I give him the location of the wolf and the bandana. “Sad thing is he looked just like the other one did. No blood. No sign of humans around anywhere. Appeared totally healthy.”

“So then, Al’s our only lead.”

I pull the covers up to my chin as if I’m a kid trying to hide from the boogieman. “Why would he be back? It can’t be for a sixteen-year-old. Maybe it has something to do with the documents Mo left me? Maybe they’re his?”

“Maybe.”

I ask him the same question I’ve been asking for months. Since the very day I handed those papers over to him. “What’s on those papers anyway? Maybe that will help us.”

“Us?” Sweeney walks over to the window and stares out at the falling snow. “You know I can’t reveal that.”

I hit the bed with my fists in frustration. “That’s BS. After everything I’ve done, I deserve the truth about Al, about those papers–” I pause for a second. “And about Mo.”

He swings around to face me. “You know what happened to Al and Mo. As far as the codes, I’ll tell you what I think, but it can’t leave this room. We still have an investigation going on.”

“Go ahead.”

“We think they’re bank accounts and codes identifying people who are involved in something bigger than what happened with your father.”

I wasn’t expecting that. “You mean, more people could be involved?”

He crosses his arms. “Maybe. But I don’t know for sure. It’s just a hunch.”

“So you think Al being back has something to do with that?”

“Either that or he’s back for you.”

I cross my arms and hug myself. “Well, just lay it out there.”

He shrugs. “Why beat around the bush? You’re smarter than that.”

I swallow and look out the door for Birdee. She’s still standing at the counter. She’s going to flip out if she hears any of this.

“How can we find out if Al’s involved in the wolf deaths?”

Agent Sweeney leans over the bed and keeps his voice low. “Listen, Grace, I’ll let you in because you’re a smart girl, and you’ve been involved from the beginning. And to be honest, I owe your dad for not doing more to help him when he needed me. But I need your word that you won’t tell anyone.”

My eyes get large and I nod quickly, anxious to hear what he’s going to say. “I promise.”

He glances at the door. “Even though Porter didn’t think it was necessary, I went ahead and ordered an autopsy on the dead wolf you guys found a couple days ago. I hoped it would reveal some more information. If it wasn’t natural causes, it might give us more insight. I’m waiting on those results, which might answer your question about Al. Meanwhile, you need to stay out of those woods and stay safe. Maybe I can put someone at your house.”

“No. Birdee will panic.” I sigh, knowing he’s right. “I just need to quit this project before I get in too deep. This is too much for me.”

“I agree.”

A knock at the door brings the conversation to a halt. Katie pokes her head in. “Am I interrupting something?”

I smile and wave her in. She’s carrying a huge bouquet of mixed roses and lilies. She puts the vase on the side table and comes to sit at the end of my bed.

I lean over and smell the flowers. “I feel like someone died.”

She frowns. “Someone almost did.”

I point to the arrangement and smile at Sweeney. “Now
that’s
a bouquet.”

Katie picks up Agent Sweeney’s clump of grass. She looks up at him and makes a face. “Tell me you didn’t. Surely the USFWS pays you better.”

“You’d be surprised.” He shrugs. “Besides, I like to be different. Nothing is better than nature’s own.”

“That is definitely
unique
.” She looks at me and makes a crazy sign next to her ear.

I giggle at her gesture. “You’re just figuring that out now?”

Agent Sweeney picks up a newspaper. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”

“It’s the thought that counts, right?” Katie touches my hand. “Grace. How are you?”

“I’m cool.” Only Katie gets my really, really bad joke. “Nice one.” She kicks off her cowboy boots and tucks her feet underneath her bottom. “You gave us quite a scare out there. But I hear if anyone can be stuck in the woods and make it, it’s you. You are quite the trooper.”

I smile. “I guess. But Wyn and Seth deserve all the credit. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.”

“Yes, well. You all did a great job, and I’m thankful you’re okay.” She studies Agent Sweeney and then addresses me. “I suppose this means you’re off the team?”

My heart sinks when she says it, but I know it’s for the best. “Yes.”

Agent Sweeney stands. “I think we should shut down the whole operation.”

She folds her hands in her lap. “And for once, I agree. Now I just need to get Porter to back down. He gets a little obsessed over these things. If the project stops, he loses funding.”

I speak up before Sweeney does. “I did find another wolf carcass. Just before the whiteout. It looked to be the same as the one before.”

Her eyebrows pull down. “Let me get Porter in here for this. He’ll want to hear this.”

She walks to the door in her bare feet and opens it. Seconds later, Porter follows her inside, holding his suspenders.

His voice booms, “Grace. Must say, it’s good to see you. I’m sorry we split up. I really thought it would be safe enough since we were close.”

Agent Sweeney frowns. “Not close enough though, huh?”

Porter flashes Sweeney a nasty look. “I can’t control the weather. It was… unfortunate.”

Sweeney raises his voice and stands. “Unfortunate? She’s a teen, and she almost died. I told you it was too bad to go out in that weather.”

“What a minute,” Katie says. “I’ll take some blame, too. I told Porter it was okay if the kids felt comfortable and if he went along. Guess I didn’t make it clear I expected him to stay with all of them the whole time.”

She folds her arms and her mouth is tense. “Porter, Grace here says she found another wolf dead out there. Do you know anything about it?”

He plays with his goatee. “Really? We didn’t see anything.” He faces me and takes out his small notepad. “Can you tell me more? How big? Any clues?”