Spirit Mountain by J. K. Drew, Alexandra Swan Page B

who had leaned back in a chair with her mouth open while she slept, and Uncle Ernie had his nose in a magazine. In another chair off in the far corner, Teddy played with his remote control car, running it into the legs of my bed and then backing it up to do it again.
    The room was cold, but I slipped my blanket off my body and slid back to sit up against the headboard. I wondered if I had died and was stuck in some kind of purgatory like Spirit Mountain. That is, until I saw a familiar face.
    Stepping into the room, I held my breath. It was one person I hadn’t seen in a month. I sat up, my heart racing. “Daddy!”
    He had a cup of coffee in his hand and set it down on a tray and rushed toward me. Sitting on the side of my bed, he pulled me into his arms. “God, you had me worried, Princess.” He stroked the back of my head with his large hands as his lips rested on the top of my hair.
    “I’m alive? I mean, you’re really here?”
    He chuckled a soothing sound in my ear. “You’re alive, Princess.”
    “I didn’t mean to scare you, Daddy.” I held him tight. After what I’d just experienced, the security of being in my father’s arms made me want to cry. Even though we’d had our differences, especially since my mother’s untimely death, he was my rock. And honestly, seeing him now made me realize I’d missed him more than anything while he was away in Europe. “I can’t believe you came back for me.”
    He backed me out of his arms and narrowed his eyes. “Are you kidding me? The minute I’d heard you were missing for an entire day, I was on a plane to Castleborough. I’ve already lost your mother, but I’ll be damned if I lose you, too.”
    Aunt Vine, Uncle Ernie and little Teddy observed my emotional reunion with my dad in respectful silence. Each of them now sitting upright and paying attention to the entire scene.
    His words made me cry. Tears streamed down my face at the sincerity of what he’d just said. He ran his finger over my cheek, catching my tears. “I felt that,” I laughed, realizing he might not understand. “I missed you, Daddy. I missed you so much.”
    Wiping my tears, I glanced around at my other family members. “Where’s Logan?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
    Aunt Vine and Uncle Ernie exchanged smiles.
    “We’re so relieved that you’re all right.”
    All I could think about was my brave companion on the mountain. “What about Logan? Is he okay?”
    “Don’t worry, he’s fine. He’s in the next room over.” She tilted her head at me. “Do you know how lucky you two are that you didn’t get stuck up on that mountain all night? Thankfully, I was rummaging through your room looking for clues of your whereabouts when your light signaled us from the mountain.”
    My dad narrowed his eyes at me. “How did you get up there in the first place, Princess?”
    “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. But it sure felt like we just stepped out a window and ended up on top of the mountain,” I said, knowing they would never believe me if I actually told them the truth.
    The doctor walked into my room. “Beth Abbott.” He held my chart. “Let’s let a little light inside the room, shall we?” He drew back the green curtains and the sun shined through bright and clear, filling the room with a welcome warmth.
    I shielded my eyes. “Wow, that’s bright.”
    The doctor’s smile was almost as radiant as the source of light. “It sure is. The sun is shining down on our town for the first time in over two hundred years. It’s amazing to see green grass again.”
    “How long have I been sleeping?”
    “You weren’t sleeping, young lady. You and Logan Hall were both in comas. It’s been two weeks since we brought you down from the top of Mount Cape.”
    “Mount Cape? I thought it was renamed Spirit Mountain.”
    “Just last week, the mayor announced that the mountain would return to its original name.” The doctor smiled proudly.
    “And Logan? Where is he? Is he