The Ocean’s City
Chapter 65

The wind blew in on my face, feeling like a million little paper cuts, but it was exhilarating. First riding a horse for the first time, now on a sled pulled by eight dogs.

They occasionally barked, and Dalton shouted commands at them. Hutson and Ian were on the other sled. Their voices danced in the snow, and I worried about avalanches. Could there be one, even though we were nowhere near a mountain?

“The town is just up this bend!” Hutson shouted, using his hand to give better directions. Dalton nodded and called for his dogs to speed up.

He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Keep your head down in this town.” then, after a moment, he added, “Please.” I gave him a nod. My eyes already searching for any signs of a town. My heart fluttered at that Dalton had said please, but it worried me about what we were walking into.

Sure enough, just around the bend was a town. Only except it was much larger than I had expected. How would we replace Dannie with so many people running around? It wasn’t like we had any pictures of her or anything. We rode through the town. My eyes frantically searched as fast as they could, left and right, trying to carefully spot every face to ensure it wasn’t Dannie we were accidentally passing.

We finally stopped at a log building with a sign that had the words LODGE carved into it. The boys collected together with serious faces. Hutson and Ian gave me a look that made my heart pound with fearful anticipation. Dalton gave the same long, drawn-out look before waving me closer as they headed up the stairs to the porch. Was it me, or was it strange Dalton wasn’t taking my hand right now?

The door opened silently and gave no hint that guests were coming in. Inside were several tables and a bar. Only a few people were inside, but no one bothered to look up at us. A feminine voice sang, calling to my heart, and my ears grasped every word she was saying. It was undoubtedly Dannie. The guys weren’t moving fast enough, and I attempted to move around them, but they acted like a brick wall.

Dalton walked ahead of us to her. Which was odd. I got a glimpse of the back of her head, and I couldn’t help but smile from her to Hutson in question. Why wasn’t he the one going to her? I tried to move around them, but Ian gently tapped me back to standing behind them. I fidgeted with excitement, but also with nerves. She was here because of me. I got her shot. What if that left her with resentment, and she wasn’t excited to see me?

She was talking to an older gentleman, asking him what he had wanted to drink. Was she a waitress now? I watched as Dalton tapped her shoulder, and, in a timid, un-Dannie-like way, she startled and quickly turned around. Her face fell with complete horror.

“Sir! I-I’m sorry! Did I please—.” Her voice sounded like a ghost as she pleaded with Dalton like he would kill her. The confusion had me taking a few slow steps forward.

“Daniella, I’m not him,” Dalton spoke gently like he understood why she would be scared shitless at the sight of him. She desperately searched his eyes to see if it was true. I couldn’t help myself. I took a few more steps slowly towards her.

Her eyes caught my movement and landed on me. Her expression immediately changed, and before I could read her facial expression, I was flinging myself into her arms and crying.

Angry hands pried me off of her, but it wasn’t Dalton. His expression was unreadable, like he was an outsider looking in. Dannie pushed me away from her and turned to Dalton, grabbing his arms and digging her nails into his fur coat.

Her lips moved, but no words formed. It took me a second to register what she was lipping out. It’s not safe. Go! Completely confused, I searched her demeanor and saw her hands clung to him so tightly because she was shaking.

She lipped the exact words over and over as she forcefully pushed Dalton. I remember back at the ocean city that she would have never dared to do such a thing. She lipped Go! Go! Go! so desperately that she slightly said the word, causing the lights to flicker and the building to shake. But it wasn’t an earthquake. I already knew from earlier’s fear that an avalanche was coming.

Hutson leaped forward when her desperate demands turned to pleas. He wrapped his arms around her and comforted her the best he could. A man with a beard down to his belly sitting at one table sang some song about a bear and a fisherman. He seemed wholly disassociated.

“We split ways. I’ll take Danniella, and you’ll take Silvestia. Ian, you distract, and let’s hope Jones comes through. Meet at the spot.” Dalton quickly started calling out commands. He took my arm and forced it to Hutson, and he ripped Dannie from Hutson’s grasp. Hutson’s hand lingered on her tear-stained cheek before nodding and grabbing my arm.

“We have no time to spare!” Ian snapped, coming closer to us.

I didn’t even see Dannie before Dalton dragged her away from me, and Hutson took me in a different direction.