When Snow Falls (Whiskey Creek #2)(94)
Author: Brenda Novak

With a scream, Eve jumped up to hug her. “I can’t believe it!”

“My parents want to meet me…er, see me.”

“When?”

Her mind was racing. “As soon as I can come. They told Eugene to buy me a plane ticket.”

“That’s fine. Go this weekend. I can manage here. I’ll even go visit Presley.”

“This facility doesn’t permit visitors for the first month.” Cheyenne covered her mouth, then dropped her hands. “Those memories I had, they were right all along.”

Eve’s eyebrows came together. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about the blonde woman?”

“Because I wasn’t sure about her. I didn’t want to claim I’d been stolen without some sort of proof.”

Eve smiled. “Now that you have your birth certificate, we can go to Europe.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“If you don’t marry Dylan before we can get it planned!”

Cheyenne laughed. Except for when they were at work, she and Dylan were together almost all the time. “We could always take him with us.”

“Only if he’ll bring one of his gorgeous, troublemaking brothers,” Eve teased.

“I’ve got to call him.” Cheyenne turned to look for her phone but before she could locate it on her desk, Eve received a call and then she started screaming.

Cheyenne gaped at her, waiting for the news.

“Gail got hold of Unsolved Mysteries. She told them that Simon would make a guest appearance on the show if they’ll come out here and chronicle the facts of Mary’s murder.”

“And?”

“They’re coming in two weeks!”

* * *

Cheyenne had chosen to make the trip to Colorado by herself. Dylan had been willing to come with her—he said he’d prefer it, knowing how hard this might be on her—but she’d convinced him that this was something she needed to do alone. If Presley and Aaron could continue to brave rehab, she could face her past.

The flight had been crowded and, thanks to the weather, turbulent, but she’d scarcely noticed. She’d been too preoccupied thinking about the people who’d be meeting her at the airport. Eugene Crouch had said that her parents, her brother and his family—meaning his wife and two boys—would be there.

What would they be like? How could they ever regain the years that’d been lost? What would they think of her?

Her brother had been eighteen months old when she went missing. That meant he didn’t remember her any more than she remembered him. Would he mind suddenly having a big sister? No longer being an only child? Her abduction must have had a significant impact on his life. Their parents might have become extravigilant, maybe even overprotective.

Or maybe not. It was impossible to say how they’d reacted without knowing them. Cheyenne had spoken to her mother once while they were making travel arrangements. Victoria had sounded excited about seeing her, but they’d decided to wait until they could meet to really talk.

The first thing Cheyenne saw when she reached baggage claim was a small group of people carrying signs.

Welcome Home.

We Missed You.

We Are So Happy to Have You Back.

Thank God!

She saw that none of them had her name written on them. They probably didn’t know what to call her. She’d been Cheyenne Christensen for twenty-seven years.

Stopping before she reached them, she studied each hopeful face. Sure enough, her mother was no longer blonde, but Cheyenne recognized those eyes, that smile. The memory of her mother’s face was indelibly etched into her brain. Although she didn’t recall her father as well, his expression showed just as much eagerness, just as much longing. Even her brother and his family seemed excited.

“Is that her? Is that my auntie?” one of the boys cried, and the whole group hurried toward her, carrying those signs, as well as balloons and presents.

They all looked so well-groomed, so normal, so different from Anita….

These were the people she’d lost.

“We found you at last,” her mother said, and they both started to cry.

Epilogue

When Dylan came to find her, Cheyenne was sitting outside on the steps of the newly dubbed Little Mary’s B and B, watching the snowflakes swirl gently to earth. Because Simon O’Neal’s cameo for Unsolved Mysteries was being filmed inside, she knew he’d expected her to remain in the middle of things, along with Eve and Gail and everyone else. Getting the inn on TV had been her idea, after all. But she’d wanted a moment to reflect on the past month and all that had happened—and to enjoy the snow.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked.

She twisted around to smile up at him. “Just thinking.”

“About…”

She patted the step and he sat with her. “My trip to Colorado.”

His shoulder bumped hers. “It’s cold. You can’t think inside?”

“Wouldn’t be the same.”

“So what about your trip to Colorado? You’ve only been back a week. Are you ready to go see your family again?”

“I am.” She’d had a wonderful visit. Since her return, she heard from her mother every day. “But next time I’m taking you with me. The Montroses want to meet you.”

“I’d like that.” He bent to look into her face. “Is that all? Or is something else going on? Because you’re going to be soaked by the time you go back in and you’re missing all the fun.”

She smiled into his handsome face. The more she got to know him, the more she loved him. “I heard from Presley this morning.”

“How is she?”

“She can have visitors in a few days. She’s holding up well.”

He grimaced as he glanced at the sky. “I wish I could say the same for Aaron.”

“You don’t think he’ll make it?”

“It’s not looking good.”

“You’ve done all you can, Dyl.”

He kicked some snow off the step below them. “Let’s hope it’s enough.”

She felt guilty for not telling him about Presley’s pregnancy. She wanted to, but Presley wouldn’t allow it, and the baby was the only thing that kept her hanging on. It was all she talked about, the motivation behind her desire to get her life in order. Cheyenne didn’t dare take that from her.

But the fact that Aaron was Dylan’s brother made her feel bad about keeping the truth from him. “Whatever happens with Aaron and Presley…we can’t let it affect us, okay?” she said.