Reclaiming by Gabrielle Demonico Page B

eat.
    “This is incredible,” Daniella said. “It’s so flavorful and rich.”
    Jett nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s delicious.”
    Owen grunted in acknowledgment. “Took me a while to get it just right after the wife passed. She had a way with food. It’ll never be as good as hers was but it suits my needs.”
    The trio ate in relative silence for about ten minutes. It seems Owen was a man of few words. That didn ’t surprise Daniella. She assumed it was a by-product of being out here all alone for so long. She felt bad for the grizzled woodsman. The isolation must be overwhelming at times. As lunch wound down, Owen picked up his bowl, took it to the kitchen and then paused for a moment.
    “If you want to go out alone, take a gun or the dogs.” He said. “It’s never a good idea to wander around out here in the backcountry but if you do, be smart about it. I’m going to get a bit of shuteye. We’ll talk about the next couple of days over supper tonight.”
    Daniella and Jett nodded. Owen turned, headed down the hall and into a room on the left where he closed the door behind him.
    “A nap sounds like a good idea to me as well.” Daniella said as she stretched. “Are you tired at all?”
    “No but you go ahead and rest.” Jett replied. “I’m gonna go for a walk, clear my head.”
    “Okay but be careful out there. Remember what Owen said.”
    “I know, I will. I’ll see you in a little while.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Afterward, he got up and walked out of the cabin.
    ***
    After Jett left, Daniella wandered down the hallway and as she did, she passed the bedroom Owen entered moments earlier. As she continued, she made her way to what looked to be a second bedroom at the end of the hall. She went inside and closed the door behind her.
    Like the rest of the house, the decor was sparse. If Owen ’s wife was alive here at some point, it was hard to tell. Few creature comforts existed and that was doubly true when it came to the bedding. As she lay down, Daniella wriggled in place to try to find a comfortable position. The hike earlier exhausted her and so in spite of the rigidity of the mattress it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep.
    When Daniella awoke, she felt late afternoon sun streaked across her cheek. She rubbed her eyes, stretched and climbed out of the bed. She had no idea how long she was asleep but she felt refreshed from the brief respite. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed that Owen ’s door was open and he was nowhere in sight.

“Jett? Owen?” She called out as she walked. There was no response. She continued to the front door, opened it and walked out onto the stoop. Max and Diego were sound asleep.
    “Some guard dogs… ” she muttered. Daniella continued out into the yard and as she did, she scanned the area nearby for any sign of the men.
    “Jett!” She called out. “Owen!”
    She assumed they were off together somewhere and so she meandered around the perimeter of the property. Daniella marveled at the beauty of the wildflowers and surrounding plant life. Just down the path, she noticed a large patch of Elephant Flowers and Yellow Paintbrush grouped together.
    She walked down to get a closer look and as she neared, she saw another burst of color beyond a small hill to her left. An immense thatch of Copper Mallow Flowers, King ’s Crowns and Alpine Wildflowers beckoned her. Before long, Daniella found herself in the midst of a kaleidoscope of color. She removed her cell phone from her jeans pocket and snapped one photo after another.
    “I wish I could get them all in one shot… ” she grumbled to herself as she scoured the nearby terrain for a better vantage point.
    To her right was a rock outcropping that promised just the view she needed. Minutes later, she made her way up it and out onto the rock ’s ledge. She took a series of pictures and paused for a moment to admire the serenity of it all. For a brief instant, she came to