Chapter 28

Matt called Jen and Cody into his office, and they came as soon as there was a break in the weather, he had news about the grant proposal they had put together. They met Matt in the commander's office at the ranger station.

Matt explained, "The board liked the idea of the ranger substation and felt the location was perfect. We submitted the grant proposal, and it was approved. I have the paperwork for you to look over for the transfer of the property. We just need go to the tax assessor's office to sign the papers and the property will be transferred over. Take your time and make sure it is something you really will want to do."

"Matt, I don't need to think about it. I am ready to sign the papers," Jen said.

"Then we can go right away," Matt said.

Cody was excited, "Matt that is good news." Jen and Cody stood up and hugged in excitement.

Matt and Jen left for the Assessor's office. While Cody stayed behind at the ranger station. During the truck ride Matt spoke to Jen, "I wish there was something we could do for you and Hailey with the sacrifice you are giving to the Rangers. You are giving up a lot. Do you know what your plans will be?"

Jen said, "I don't know yet. I have a few ideas, but have not decided, but I can't keep imposing on your brother's hospitality."

"I don't think he minds you being there. He has not been this happy in a long time," Matt said.

"At some point we will have to leave, maybe it is time to, I don't want to hurt him," Jen said.

"Where would you go?" Matt asked.

"I don't know. Not sure I can keep living the life I have been for the last ten years."

"Jen, what are you saying?"

Her eyes are filling with tears she trying to hold back and not let Matt see. "I care for your brother a lot. I am not sure I have ever felt this way before. The last few months I am seeing a glimpse of what a good life could be with a kind and caring man. I have seen Hailey really missed having a father figure in her life."

Matt pulled the truck over, "Jen, what are you thinking of doing?" Matt was afraid of what Jen is thinking. He could see the tears streaming down. Jen just broke down crying; she did not say a word. "You are thinking of leaving Hailey with Cody aren't you." Jen shook her head yes, "Then what would you do?"

Jen tried to collect herself. "Confront Roy. End this one way or another."

"Jen, do you really think he will just divorce you?" Jen shakes her head no. "Don't you think it would hurt Hailey, Cody, and Alex not knowing what happened to you. Not knowing if you were alive or dead."

"But they would be safe."

"Jen, please don't go."

"Matt, I tried to write a goodbye letter to Hailey and Cody several times and I just couldn't."

Matt could see how much Cody meant to her, "Jen he cares a lot for you, he would be devastated if you left."

"Matt, I have fallen in love with your brother. But I can't give him what he needs or deserves, there is no future for us. He is better off with someone he can have a future with."

Matt did not believe Jen. He knows how much she had been hurt and if they had enough time, they both could be so happy together. "I can't hire or pay you anything. But once the Lodge is livable again. How about you and Hailey move in until you can figure out what you are going to do next."

"Matt, are you sure?" Jen answered.

"Yes, but you need to make me a promise that you won't go without talking to either me or Cody first," Jen agreed.

"Okay, if we can keep this conversation between us for now," Matt agreed.

Josh and Cody had been just hanging out playing some pool. "Cody, what is Jen going to do now that she won't have the Lodge anymore."

"Josh, I don't know. I would be happy if her and Hailey just stayed forever."

"Code you are smitten aren't you," Cody shook his head yes and blushed.

Matt gave Jen a few minutes to compose herself before they returned to the ranger station. Matt and Jen walk back into the ranger station.

"So how did it go?" Cody asked.

"It's official the rangers now have a substation," Matt said. Everyone cheered and Cody came over and hugged Jen and spun her around. She held onto him tight and just closed her eyes.

There was a storm coming, so Jen and Cody did not stay long. They rode the horses down to the ranger station. They radioed the kids that they were heading back, but if they got caught in the storm, they would find shelter. They grabbed some food and extra blankets. The weather turned on them so, they found some shelter in a barn that Cody was aware of. They got the horses settled and built a fire. Cody walked up to the cabin to let the owners of the barn know they were there. There was no answer, so he came back to the barn. Cody knew the family well enough that it would be okay for them to be in the barn, but not to enter the cabin. Cody and Jen had spread out one of the blankets on the floor of the barn and ate their dinner.

"Jen, did everything go well today, did you have any issues?" Cody asked.

"It went fine. No issues," Jen answered.

"You seem pretty quiet."

Jen gave a half smile, "Just thinking about options Hailey and I have."

"What are your options you are thinking about?"

"Matt offered for Hailey and me to stay at the Lodge once the repairs are done, until I figure out what we are going to do next."

"That is good news Jen. Are you regretting giving up the Lodge?"

"No… but guess little sad is all. Just thinking back to when I lived there with my grandfather. I miss him and guess the innocence of the time. I did not have to worry about anything. My grandfather was always there to take care of me. I love being a mom, but sometimes it gets hard trying to figure out what is the best decision for my daughter."

"I know that feeling," Cody just smiled at Jen. "Single parenting can be hard. I at least had Lizzie for the first five years and then I could lean on Matt and Robin whenever I needed them. They have helped me many times with Alex. It must have been hard for you all these years by yourself without anyone to lean on. If you stay in the area, you can always lean on Matt, Robin, and me."

"Thank you, Cody. You've been a tremendous help the last couple of months. I probably would have died from hyperthermia if it was not for you. You put a roof over our head and food on the table. I don't know how I could ever repay you for all your kindness," Jen had fallen in love with Cody over the course of the last few months. But she just could not open up to him. She had a fear of intimacy due to her past experiences with her husband.

"What made you come back to the mountains?"

"It has been getting harder and harder to find some work and make ends meet. I've pretty much always scraped by but had not had much luck lately. I knew we could survive here by eating off the land. Or at least I hoped. We would be isolated from the world out here and I could just take a break and regroup. It was getting harder to get Hailey into schools. The last place we went to just did not work out well. We were not there long and had to leave again. I did not know if the lodge was still standing or if anyone was now occupying it. I prayed it was still empty and could be occupied. I was surprised it was in as good of shape as it was in considering. But I did not expect the ceiling to literally fall on me."

"Jen you don't have to do it alone anymore," Cody reached out to Jen and placed his hand on her cheek. Jen leaned into his hand she liked the feel of his touch. Jen placed her hand on top of his and she lowered his hand. She rubbed his hand with her hands. She looked down at his hand, like she was trying to memorize every inch of it. The world could have stopped and these two would not have known. They were enjoying each other's company. Jen looked up at Cody, she was breathing a little bit harder and Cody he started to lean in towards her. Jen closed her eyes has his lips touched hers.

The two were so engrossed in each other, they did not hear the barn door open. The old grizzly man entered the barn and he with his shot gun ready to fire. Cody raised his hands. "Jen don't panic, just look at me and just raise your hands."

"Maddox, it is me, Cody Hawkes. Sorry if we scared you," Cody said.

Maddox lowered his gun, "Cody Hawkes is that you. It's good to see you."

"We got caught up in the storm and needed to find some shelter. I had gone to the cabin to let you know we were here but did not get an answer," Cody explained.

"I was out checking my traps and got caught up in the storm too," Cody got up and shook Maddox's hand. Jen got up and stood close to Cody. He put his arm around her. "Glad you took shelter here; you are always welcome."

"I appreciate that Maddox. I don't know if you remember this lady, but this is Aaron Bass's granddaughter Jen."

"Jen, I should have known, you look just like your mother."

"Nice to meet you" Jen said. "You knew my mom?"

"Oh yeah. She was sweet. I was sad when she went off to college. She was here with my wife all the time. We did not have any kids and your ma did not have her own momma. My wife Ellie was like a ma to her. I was heartbroken when I heard of your parents' death. It was like losing my own child," Maddox took a pause. "Oh Cody, you shouldn't be here with Jen. Aaron would not approve."

"Maddox what do you mean?"

"You know or maybe you don't know. You were on Aaron's list?"

"Maddox what are you saying, Aaron and I always got along well," Jen and Cody looked at each other confused.

"I think something happened…Oh let me see if I can remember. He saw something between the two of you… hmmm maybe at a party or something."

"Matt's wedding?" Cody asked.

"Yeah…. He was none too happy with what he saw. I remember him going off about you being too old for her. Did he catch you two doing something?"

"We danced to a slow song."

"That must have been it. You must have given her some look, kind of like how I saw you when I came in."

Cody blushed a bit. "Jen, do you remember this?"

"I remember us dancing, but I had no idea he was mad. I guess we did leave shortly after that. But he never said anything to me about it. But I never saw you again after that either, until a few months ago."

"Tomorrow morning the two of you are welcome to stop by the house for some breakfast. I have something to show sweet Jen."

"Thanks Maddox, we will see you then."

"Bye until than Cody and sweet Jen. Don't do anything tonight that would upset Aaron," Maddox laughed.

"We won't," Cody answered.

Maddox left and Jen turned into Cody's chest and just giggled. "I guess did not take a kiss to get on the list". Cody just hugged Jen and laughed as well.

"Now I kind of wished I would have kissed you."

"Well took all these years to find out that my grandpa saw something in you. Your dad must not have noticed, or he have taken a switch to you."

"My dad was little occupied that day with my mom and step dad. He was not too happy to see them together. He went back to San Francisco the next day. He did not even say goodbye," Cody sat back down on the blanket. "it's getting late," he laid down. Jen noticed Cody got quiet fast. She suspected that time with his dad was a bit painful for him. Jen said nothing, she just laid down next to him, snuggling up to his side to help stay warm. Cody wrapped one arm around her and Jen and arm laying across his chest.

Morning came early. Cody and Jen slept peacefully next to each other considering they were sleeping in a barn. Both Cody and Jen began to stir. They put the barn back the way they found it and Cody put the horses out to the pen to get some food. Cody showed Jen to the outhouse, he checked it out first make sure it looked okay. "Thank you, Cody," he stood guard outside while she went.

They walked up to Maddox's Cabin together.

"Cody and sweet Jen, come on in. I could not stop thinking about your mamma last night and how special she was. Here is a picture of her with my sweet, sweet Ellie" Maddox handed Jen a picture of her mother with Maddox's wife.

"Jen, you look a lot like your mom. She must be about fifteen or sixteen here?" Cody asked.

"Yeah, that is about right Cody," Maddox said.

"I can see Hailey in her as well."

"Hailey?" Maddox asked.

"Hailey is my eleven-year-old daughter."

"You have a baby girl?"

"I do."

"She reminds me a lot of you when we first met," Cody said. Cody pulled out his phone and showed Maddox a picture of Hailey and Alex. "And that is my son Alex."

"Oh… I can see your mom in Hailey. She is a beautiful baby girl. Boy, Alex has gotten big."

"He is growing up too fast," Cody commented.

Maddox gave them bacon and eggs for breakfast.

"Sweet Jen, I want you to have some things that belonged to my wife," Maddox handed Jen a box. In the box was a photo album with some pictures of Maddox, Ellie, and Jen's mom. Also, some Jewelry and a beautiful shawl that belonged to his wife.

"I can't take this," Jen said.

"Jen I am more than ninety years old. My eyes are failing me. My time left on earth will be short and I always wanted to give this stuff to your mom. Since she is gone, I would like to give it to you. Also, my wife and I always wanted to give your mom a dowery and we did not have a chance when your parents married. When you came along, we kept saving to give it to you. All these years I just kept saving. I like to give it to you now. It's not a fortune, but I am sure it will help you with your daughter."

"Maddox, I can't take this. It's too much."

"Sweet Jen, I want you to have it. I have plenty to live off. It's your mom's inheritance from her second family."

"Thank you, Maddox. You don't know how much this means to me," Jen gave Maddox a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Cody and Jen made their way back to Cody's cabin. The kids were happy to see them.

Jen showed Hailey and Alex the photo album that Maddox had given her. Tears came out of Jen's eyes as she saw the images of her mom. The last page there was a couple pictures of Jen's parents holding her as a baby and Jen as a little girl with her parents. Jen had no pictures of her parents since she left Roy. So, it was the first time Jen could show her daughter what her grandparents looked like.

The stress of finding a new job right away was lifted with the money Jen received from Maddox. It will give Jen time to figure out her next steps and maybe a new start somewhere.

STAY TUNE PART 3, "The Road to Healing and Forgiveness" coming relatively soon. It is a work in progress.