Her Beautiful Mind Page 23

  “No, I spent the night at Whitley.”

  “Wow, that’s some big miles today. You must be like some lean, mean, hiking machine or something.”

  M&M’s words bring a grin to my face. “No, no.” I shake my head, chuckling. “I’m anything but. Just trying to catch up with someone by the time they reach Nantahala, and I only have about six days to do it.”

  “Ah.” He nods his head wisely. “Same with my buddy, Ghost. His fiancée is out here hiking, and he wants to surprise her. I came along to keep him company. You chasing a woman, too?” he asks with a smirk.

  “Actually, yes,” I admit.

  M&M responds with a big, friendly laugh. He seems good-natured, and I feel comfortable around him. Ghost joins us while we continue to talk. Although not as tall or as muscular as his friend, he still carries himself with a certain air. I get a feeling of strength and determination from him. When M&M makes some off-handed remark about spending so much time in the privy, Ghost tells him it’s better than squatting in the desert.

  “You guys ex-military?” I ask.

  “Marines,” Ghost answers me. “Just got out.”

  “Thank you for your service,” I tell them both. “I met another guy today who looked like he might have been in the armed forces. He gave me some good advice about surviving steep, rocky climbs. Said his name was Stronghold.”

  “Yeah, he came through here earlier,” Ghost replies. “Nice guy.”

  When I’m finished with my food, I haul my gear into the shelter and set up next to Ghost and M&M. There are several other people in the shelter, too. They’re friendly and nod when I introduce myself. It’s already dark by the time I clean up and change clothes. My last thoughts are of Ariella. I wonder where she is and what she did today. Sleep comes quickly.

  Chapter 32

  Important Enough to Follow

  Date: Friday, March 21

  Starting Location: Tray Mountain Shelter

  Destination: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

  Total Trip Miles: 71.1

  Although everyone starts around the same time this morning, it doesn’t take long before we’re scattered out along the trail. I’m surprised when I end up spending most of my time with Ghost and M&M. I expected them to be much faster than I am—they’re certainly fitter because of their military background—but at one of our frequent rest stops, M&M explains he’s recovering from a bad fall.

  “Yeah.” He laughs. “We were going down that nasty hill right before you hit Neels Gap. I was busy stuffing my face and not watching where we were going. Next thing I know, I’m bouncing down the trail. Twisted my ankle pretty bad, but at least, I didn’t lose my candy.” With a huge grin, he reaches into a side pocket on his pack, pulling out the biggest bag of candy I’ve ever seen. “Have a handful,” he invites before dumping a generous portion into his mouth.

  “M&Ms?”

  “Best candy in the world,” he replies, grinning. “And a good trail name, too.”

  Ghost joins us during our break. He’s quieter than M&M but seems just as friendly.

  “How far you thinkin’ about going today?” he asks. I can hear a slight Southern drawl when he speaks, and I wonder where he’s from.

  “Plumorchard. It’s about fifteen miles. I’m not carrying a tent, so unless the weather stays this nice, I need to make it to a shelter.”

  Ghost nods while studying the trail guide. “Looks like Kelly Knob is coming up soon. It’s supposed to be really tough. Then we drop into the gap where US 76 crosses the AT. You needin’ to go into Hiawassee to resupply?”

  “No. I have someone meeting me at Winding Stair in three days. He’s bringing me supplies there.”

  Ghost studies me intently for a moment. He’s a bit intimidating, and I wonder if he was an officer. “You are in a hurry. She must be important.” He grins.

  “She is,” I assure him.

  Kelly Knob is as hard a climb as I’ve had so far. Rocky and steep, we huff, and puff, and rest. I remember to take small steps and wind back and forth across the trail rather than try to go straight up. Stronghold was right—it makes the climb much easier. When we make it to the top, we’re rewarded with amazing views. Ghost believes the mountains we see far to the north could be the Smokies. “They’re a hundred trail miles from here,” he states. “We should be there in a week or so.”

  His remark reminds me of Ariella and her time traveler theory. Will I hike those misty, blue mountains with her, or will I be back in New York without her? Our future is still unknown.

  The flat summit of Kelly Knob makes a great resting spot, and the three of us decide to eat an early lunch there. “First lunch” as M&M calls it. I find out he’s a big Tolkien fan. I also learn he’s first aid trained. “The Navy provides medical doctors and personnel for the Marines, but each ground unit has its own first-aid specialist. My job was to stabilize the wounded until they could be evacuated.”

  When I ask if he plans to do something in the medical field now that he’s left military life, he discusses his plans to become a physician’s assistant and return to the small, rural community he grew up in. “There’s an old clinic there,” he explains, “but they can’t keep a doctor on staff because it’s too isolated, and there isn’t enough money to pay for a full-time MD. I can see patients as long as I’m under the supervision of a doctor. There’s one in Asheville who’s willing to work with me.”

  “You sound like you’ve got this all planned.”

  “Well,” he acknowledges, “there’s not a lot to occupy your mind over there, so I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. Just have to get through a bunch of classes.” He grins with a shrug.

  The four miles to Dicks Creek Gap passes quickly, mainly because it’s downhill most of the way. We’re surprised to find the parking lot and the picnic area very crowded. The Boy Scout troop that passed me yesterday is putting on a feed for hikers. Several tables are loaded with chips, cookies, and fresh fruit. Water, canned soda, and fruit juice fill ice chests. Scouts and their leaders man several grills, and the tempting aroma of sizzling hamburgers and hot dogs causes my stomach to growl with hunger.

  “Oorah! My kind of trail magic,” shouts M&M before he jogs to the nearest empty table, shrugs off his pack, and heads to the serving line.

  Ghost and I follow at a slightly slower pace. “You ever see anything like this before?” I ask him, still amazed at the food, the people, and the party going on around us. They even have music playing.

  “No,” he answers. “But I’m not lookin’ a gift horse in the mouth. Come on. I’m starving.”

  One double meat, double cheese with all the fixings hamburger, two hot dogs with mustard, relish, chili, and cheese, two bags of chips, and one apple later, I’m loosening my too-tight pants and groaning in absolute bliss as I watch M&M devour a second plate of cookies that a young, awestruck Boy Scout has handed him.

  “I’m not sure I can get up,” I moan while resting my head on the table.

  “We probably should take a long break here,” Ghost agrees. “We still have plenty of time to get to Plumorchard.”

  Movement at the other end of the parking lot catches my eye. A county sheriff’s car and a Georgia State police car have pulled in. We watch three officers get out and begin to walk through the crowd, speaking to groups of hikers as they make their way toward us.

  “I wonder what’s going on?” M&M mutters.

  “Afternoon, gentlemen,” the deputy greets us as he sits at our table.

  “Officer.” Ghost nods. “Is there a problem?”

  “Just out warning everyone. A woman hiker was threatened by two men when she came through here three days ago. We’re asking everyone to be aware of their surroundings and reminding them to hike with a buddy.”

  Ghost’s body stiffens at the news, and I’m reminded his fiancée is hiking the trail. “Was she hiking w
ith another woman?” he demands. “Was she hurt?”

  “No, no,” the deputy replies. “Single woman, hiking alone. Darnedest thing, though. See that rock face along the creek over there, just above where the boulder juts out.” He points across the road where the trail continues. “She heard them talking and climbed the cliff to get away from them. Even kicked some rocks down on them.” The deputy chuckles a little to himself. “Tough little lady. Made one of the men mad though, and he tried to climb up after her.”

  I’m still examining the cliff face he indicated, worry nagging at me that he could be talking about Ariella. A single woman hiking alone and the date sounds like it could be her.

  “What happened?” I hear M&M ask the officer.

  “The guy fell and hurt his leg. She got away and made it to Plumorchard where she told everyone what happened. The shelter register has a pretty good accounting of the incident if you want to read it when you get there.”

  “And the guy?” Ghost prompts.

  “Oh, we have a lead on him. A doctor in the area contacted us after reading about it in the paper. He treated a man who said he injured his leg in a fall. He’ll be picked up soon. Still, it helps for people to be on the lookout for anyone acting suspicious or—”

  “Officer,” I interrupt. “Do you know what she looked like? Medium height, long dark brown hair, dark eyes, goes by the trail name Ella?”

  He frowns at me, examining me closely with an intimidating stare. “You know something about this, son?” he finally asks.

  “No. I mean … Yes,” I stutter as his glare gets more intense. “Liam Crow, the guy at Mountain Crossings?”

  “Yeah, I know him. Go on.”

  “His cousin is out here hiking by herself. She has long, dark hair and goes by Ella. He’ll be worried to death when he hears about this.”

  “I’ll let him know. Thanks. You guys stay safe now, ya hear?” With that reminder, he leaves and moves on to the next table.

  This time, it’s Ghost who’s staring at me intently.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Does Liam Crow know you’re out here chasing his cousin?”

  “Yes. In fact, he’s the one who gave me the new gear and is helping me catch her.”

  “Okay, okay,” he says. “Just needed to know you aren’t some crazed stalker or something.”

  M&M, who has been watching our exchange, starts to laugh at the two of us, but Ghost silences him with a quick glance. Seems neither one of us wants to be on the receiving end of his glare. M&M doesn’t back down as quickly as I did, however. Cocking his eyebrow, he answers Ghost with a long, drawn-out, “Yessss, Sirrrrr.”

  Ghost has the decency to look contrite. “Sorry, M. I guess I’m worried about Al. I know she’s with some other hikers, but I won’t be happy until we catch her. Didn’t mean to go all officer on you.”

  “It’s okay, Bucky. My ankle’s good. Let’s step up our game and go find your girl.”

  Nodding, Ghost stands and hefts his backpack. We join him and cross the road together.

  The trail to the shelter is fairly easy. Or maybe it seems that way compared to the climb up Kelly Knob. Ghost forges on ahead, leaving M&M and me to bring up the rear.

  “So, Markham’s your real name?” I ask. “Mine’s Hudson.”

  “Yeah.” He stops, holding out his right hand. “Markham Mitchell Manning. Nice to meet you, Hudson—”

  “Calder,” I finish before shaking his hand. “And Ghost is Bucky?”

  Markham grins. “Actually, it’s Travis Buchman. Allison, his fiancée, calls him Bucky from time to time. He’s okay with her saying it, not so much with me though.”

  “Where did the name Ghost come from?”

  “Oh, that’s a good one,” he assures me as we start walking again.

  It’s a bit long and involved, too. Something about Travis being a Marine sharpshooter, sneaking into destinations, taking out his target, and then leaving as quietly as a ghost. He keeps me entertained all the way to Plumorchard Shelter.

  ~***~

  Travis has his food bag, trail guide, and the register spread out in front of him when we join him at the shelter. “We’re three days behind Allison,” he explains. “If we skip going into Franklin to resupply, I think we should be able to catch them before Nantahala. How much food do you have, M?”

  Markham and I dump our food bags on the table, and Travis begins sorting through everything. “You said you were getting more supplies at Winding Stair?” he questions me.

  “Yes. Here,” I add, handing him the itinerary Liam prepared for me. “Would this help?”

  Travis nods. He examines Liam’s notes, does some calculations of his own, and sorts through the food one more time. “Okay, I think I have a plan. It’s 63 miles to Nantahala. We can make it there in four days if we push it, and if we don’t go into Franklin to resupply. We should catch Allison and Ro … uh, Yellow, somewhere before then. And your girl—?” he adds, glancing at me.

  “Ella,” I answer his unspoken question.

  “Ella, too.”

  For the next ten minutes, we study Travis’s plans, discussing mileage, trail difficulty, and food supplies. If Tator brings me enough, we should be fine skipping Franklin. Travis thinks his fiancée will probably have extra food, and I’m sure Ariella will, too. The last day hiking to the outdoor center could be a long, hungry one, but it’ll be worth it if we can find the girls.

  Markham pulls out three hot dogs and three oranges he picked up at the hiker feed, and we share those for our dinner. While we eat, I flip through the register and find Ariella’s recounting of the incident at the road crossing. It’s frightening to read, and even more so because it happened to her. It seems so unlike her, but having read her last angry letter, I’m not really surprised.

  Other hikers have added to the page, calling her brave and lucky. Wonderland calls her a badass, take-no-shit hiking girl. When I read her remarks to Travis, he laughs, telling me she must be someone special for Allison to like her. While we’re cleaning up and preparing to turn in, I casually flip through the rest of the notebook and find more of her writing in the back. Wanting some privacy when I read it, I decide to wait until later.

  It takes almost an hour for everyone in the shelter to settle in and prepare for the night. Finally, when I think everyone is asleep, I grab my headlight and slip out of the shelter, register in hand.

  There’s a bright, almost-full moon overhead. It bathes the meadow surrounding the shelter in its silvery glow. Slipping around to the back, I find a rock to sit on and lean against the outside wall of the shelter. Then, I open the notebook.

  If Ariella’s letter about her childhood broke my heart, if her angry message left me raw and bleeding, this note crushes my soul. She shares three things that happened to her, three events that opened a new direction, a new pattern for her life. In her words, I read pride for standing up to the bullies, not only the two who sought to hurt her at the road crossing, but all the ones in the past, especially Gia in New York. They will never make her feel inadequate again.

  She hopes I would be proud of her for speaking to the group at the shelter, and I am. I can see her so clearly, bravely facing her fellow hikers and relating the scary events. I’m sure there were plenty of questions afterward, and I imagine her answering them all in her clear, logical manner.

  Then she confesses she loves me and says she’s sorry she didn’t tell me when I spent the night with her. I’m not sure I noticed she didn’t say the words back to me. I’d been so wrapped up in my vision of how our life would be I never questioned or doubted she didn’t love me. How could she not?

  I could spend the rest of my life on my knees begging for her forgiveness, and it wouldn’t be enough. Yet I don’t have to—because she forgives me. It’s written there for the whole world to see. She forgives me and wishes me happiness. Her love i
s strong enough to let me go, if that’s what I want. She has a journey to make, with or without me—she’s going forward. And then, she tells me goodbye.

  Heartbroken and soul crushed, I clutch the notebook to my chest. I’m not ready to say goodbye. I’m not ready to make my journey without her. Bent over with arms wrapped around myself, I give in to my misery, my loneliness, and my guilt. I’d do anything, give up everything, to be a time traveler and change the past.

  There’s a rustle in the dry leaves at the edge of the cleared area around the shelter. Startled out of my despair, I look into the woods to see two small eyes glowing in the moonlight as they peer back at me. With a blink, they’re gone, only to reappear a short distance away. Some small night animal, I tell myself. It happens two more times, then three. Stare, blink, disappear, reappear somewhere else. I find myself mesmerized by their movement. Gradually, my heart slows. The peace I felt yesterday morning seeps slowly into me.

  Sighing, I lean my head back against the shelter wall and stare at the sky above me. I’ve rarely seen so many stars. The last time was probably when I stayed with Ariella at her granny’s cabin when we came down for Liam’s wedding. One night, we took an old quilt outside and, after spreading it out over the damp grass, had lain down and watched the stars overhead.

  It was the peak of the Lyrids meteor shower, and the sky was filled with shooting stars. In between the streaks of light, she pointed to the constellations above us and kept me entertained with Cherokee stories about the stars.

  I wanted to kiss her that night. I should have kissed her. I should have done so many things. Thinking of kissing her reminds me of our first kiss.

  We’d been toasting our business success with the champagne I brought. It went to her head quickly. She was giggly, silly, and clumsy with her chopsticks. I took them from her, laughing at her awkward attempts, and began feeding her myself. Distracted by her chocolate eyes, I missed her mouth, leaving a little sauce on her lip. I leaned over and kissed it away. When I pulled back, she was staring at me, eyes wide with surprise, lips quivering slightly. Then, I moved closer and kissed her again. It was a real kiss this time. Her lips were soft and full beneath mine, and somehow, we ended up standing with our arms wrapped around each other. This time when I pulled away, she was smiling shyly at me. “Hudson,” she whispered, her voice all low and breathy. “Why did you wait so long?”