“What? Why would the press care about us?”
“I don’t think it’s you as much as the fact that it’s a small town, and you are big news.”
“But why does Dad have to get involved?”
Marjorie raised an eyebrow. “Well, when your father heard that you went up on that mountain, he nearly came unglued. And now we know why.”
Oh. Yes. Gage. The guy who led people into danger. Got them killed.
“Mom, Gage isn’t the reckless man Dad thinks he is. He was trying to help Dylan stay alive.”
“He should have never let Dylan on that mountain.”
“Dylan was going up on that mountain whether Gage took him or not. Gage was just trying to keep him safe. But there’s more. You need to know something.” She sat up, patted the side of the bed. “C’mere.”
Her mother obeyed. Ella took her hand. “It was part of the sealed case, but Gage isn’t to blame for Dylan’s death. Dylan had TCH—marijuana—in his system when he died.”
She got the response she expected—her mother’s mouth opened, her eyes widened. “Oh my.”
“Yeah. And we can’t know if Dylan was high when he went over the edge, but it would have tainted the lawsuit, for sure. But Gage felt so guilty about what happened, he never pushed his lawyer to find out more, just agreed to the lawsuit terms. And now Dad is going to make him relive it all over again.”
“Oh no he isn’t.” Her mother stood up.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re not only your mother’s daughter, but you’re my daughter too. And we both taught you to do what’s right, regardless of the cost, right?”
Ella stared at her.
“Like, snowboarding down a mountain that just might get you killed?”
Ella nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“You guess so? Do you believe that God honors the truth, Ella? Do you trust him?”
She stared at her mother, saw the woman who’d fought cancer, and in her remission wanted to climb back in the ring, do something that mattered with her life.
Oh, how she wanted to be like Marjorie Blair too.
“Yes, I do.”
“You got any fight left in you?”
Ella felt a smile nudge through. “Mmmhmm.”
“Good.” She turned and headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To get a wheelchair. And then you’re getting out of that bed. Senator, it’s time to filibuster.”
18
SELENE JESSICA TAGGERT owed the world an explanation, and Brette was going to get it.
At least that’s what Brette had been saying to herself for hours as she surfed the internet, trying to track down information on Jess Tagg. Apparently, when she went into hiding, she’d deleted anything that could track her down to western Montana.
Except for a couple mentions in the local paper detailing recent rescue missions—a grizzly attack last summer, and the same youth group rescue Pete Brooks had been on—Jess stayed under the radar.
No exciting parties, no gala events.
Apparently, Jess had shed her old persona for this down-home girl dressed in flannel.
It made Brette wonder, for a long moment, if she truly had the right person. But Ty had confirmed it. Not only in his guilty expression but in his matter-of-fact explanation to Pete.
Pete Brooks had looked more upset by the fact that she’d kept the truth from him than by her crimes.
What was wrong with these people? Clearly they’d never lost everything due to the actions of others. Didn’t know what it felt like to see their world crumble.
Brette set her phone on the bed table. She’d tried to take notes, but she really needed her computer.
No, what she needed was to get out of this hospital bed. But her doctor hadn’t yet released her, had mentioned a couple postoperative tests he wanted to run.
She couldn’t imagine the bill, but certainly the charity Ty had lined up wouldn’t pay for . . .
Oh, wait. How gullible was she that she’d believed him? It didn’t take much to do the math. If Ty was friends with Selene, back when she was wealthy, then no doubt he also had a few million bucks to his name.
And wasn’t that just the icing on the cake? Rich and manipulative. What else did she expect?
Which only meant she’d have to figure out a way to pay him back.
She stared outside at the falling snow. Please, let the PEAK team have found Ella and Gage. Although, with her ordering Ty from her room, probably he wouldn’t be hightailing it back to update her.
She picked up her phone and dialed Ella’s cell, but it went to voicemail. She set her phone on the bed table, next to the pretty flowers Pete had brought her. He’d seemed so humble, even chagrined, when he brought them in. “If you want to ask about the stuff that happened last summer, I’ll tell you. It’s just not that exciting.”