The man smiled again. “You are lucky. I never had a sister. Only brothers. My wife and I wanted a daughter to spoil, but God gave me four boys. Dylan, the young boy who just left and went to get my wife—he’s my nephew. You are lucky. Little sisters are special, and they need lots of care.”
“I can take care of her.”
“I know you can. I can see how well you’ve done. You got the fire going, and you used pine needles for her bed. That was really smart, Jackson. It kept the cold off her. Jackson, can I ask you a question?”
I blinked but didn’t move.
“May I sit down by your fire? Dylan had me all over this mountain this morning chasing a rabbit. I’d really like to warm up my hands, if that’s okay with you?”
I wasn’t stupid. I knew he was warm. He was dressed for hunting—boots, jacket and layers of clothes. I studied his face carefully, searching for any hint of deception. The man’s hands were empty, and he kept them visible, palms open to the firelight, as if to show he meant us no harm. Still, my body stayed tense, ready to spring if he made a sudden move. The woods were full of danger, and kindness was a rare currency. My heart thudded loudly in my chest as I finally gave a tight nod, gesturing toward the fire, hoping I wasn’t making a mistake by letting him closer.
The man lowered himself slowly onto a nearby log, careful not to disturb the fire or the delicate nest of pine needles. He held his hands out, palms hovering above the flames, and let out a long, contented sigh as the warmth seeped into his fingers. For a moment, we sat quietly, listening to the crackle of burning wood and the distant calls of birds echoing through the forest. The silence felt heavy, but not uncomfortable, as if we were all measuring each other, waiting for trust to take root.
“I grew up on this mountain. Spent my whole life here, and when my time comes, my family will bury me here. I’ve met every family that lives on this mountain, and I don’t have to tell you that not all of them are welcoming. Vernon do that to you?” Leroy asked, pointing to my black eye.
“He won’t hurt anyone again.”
“No. I don’t think he will.” Leroy smirked. “And his boys?”
I slowly shook my head.
Leroy sighed as he hunched closer to the fire. “God’s will. That’s what my momma would say. Rot always finds rot, and it’s only God’s will that stops the rot. I wish I could tell you that the rot is gone for good, but I’m not going to lie to you. There is rot everywhere, Jackson. Best you know that now. How long were you with them?”
“Long enough.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. Question is now, what do you want to do?”
“I ain’t going back. Neither is Mandy.”
“Vernon your kin?”
“No.”
“Mom or Dad?”
“Ain’t got no one.”
Leroy glanced over, his gaze heavy with understanding. For a moment, the crackling fire was the only thing filling the silence between us. “Well, Jackson, sometimes starting over means leaving behind everything you knew—even the rot. You and Mandy, you got each other, and sometimes that’s enough.” He shifted, the light flickering across his worn face. “Just don’t let the past chase you so far that you forget where you’re heading.”
I stared into the flames, letting his words settle, knowing full well that the past had a way of clinging on, even when you tried to outrun it. Mandy coughed, and I flinched. Turning toward her, she whimpered, and I held her hand as she cried through the pain.
“Bet my clubhouse she’s got pneumonia.”
Looking at Leroy, I asked, “What’s that?”
“A bad sickness for a little girl like her. Left untreated, it can do a lot of damage or worse, if you catch what I’m trying to say.”
I gulped, looking back down at Mandy. She was so small, tiny. She wasn’t made for the forest like I was. She neededwarmth, good food, and a house. Things I couldn’t give her right now. Tucking her blanket around her, I asked, “What about medicine?”
Leroy unzipped his coat, then shrugged it off before handing it to me. “The right medicine will fix her right up, but that means taking her to a hospital, and somethin’ is tellin’ me you ain’t keen on going there.”
“No.” I vehemently shook my head as I covered Mandy with his jacket. “They will call CPS and separate us. Put us with a new family. Not putting Mandy through that again.”
“Don’t blame ya.” Leroy smirked. “I only trust my woman. She’s a fine doctor. Fixed me and my boys up many times. If you’re amiable when my woman gets here, she might help.”
“Will she hurt her?”
Leroy smirked. “More likely she will wallop me for doing nothing. My Roxy is real funny when it comes to sick kids. Very protective and she rules the roost. You’ll see soon enough. Why don’t you come sit down and get warm? Your sister is asleep again. I figure with both of us here, ain’t nothin’ gonna hurt her. Not with the both of us keeping watch.”
