In The Shadows

Chapter 6

Billie walks up to her dad, throws her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. "Hi daddy." She says.

Alex wraps his arms around his daughter, hugging her back. "Hey, baby girl." He says kissing the top of her head, he then looks at Harry. "You Harry?" He asks.

"Yes sir." Harry replies, shaking Billie's dad's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You to son, and the name is Alex." He says. "I have the tent and sleeping bags piled up over there for you guys, and I've already packed everything you'll need in your backpacks." Alex tells them. "You want to try and eat some of the food I made before the others get here?"

"I do." Harry says. "I'm starving, school lunches suck." He chuckles.

Alex chuckles also. "Yeah, I've been trying to get better cooks in that place for years." He says. "But seems like everyone I hire forgets what seasoning is, it's a fucking disgrace." Alex grumbles making Harry and Billie laugh.

"My mom was a chef." Billie explains to Harry as her dad sets the food on the table.

"Yep, she was the best damn cook on this mountain." Alex says as he sits down. "That woman could make road kill taste like ambrosia." He says laughing at the look on Harry's face.

Billie giggles. "Don't listen to him Harry, we don't cook road kill." She says giving her dad a dirty look. "Dad behave." Billie says just as the door opens and Danaka and her brother walks in.

"Billie." Danaka's brother, Tommy, yells as he runs through the door.

"Tommy." Billie yells back as she sweeps the child in her arms, hugging him.

Harry is surprised when he sees Tommy for the first time, with the way everyone talked about him earlier he was expecting this normal, four year old kid, not an adorable kid with down syndrome, with amazing blue eyes and an infectious smile.

"Hi, who are you?" Tommy asks Harry.

"I'm Harry. Who are you?" Harry asks.

"I'm Tommy, that's my sister Dana and this is my friend Billie." Tommy says. "Are you a new friend?"

"Yes, I'd like to your friend too." Harry says. "Can we be friends?" He asks the adorable child, seeing tears in Billie's eyes.

Tommy jumps out of Billie's lap and climbs into Harry's. "Yep, I like making new friends." He grins. "Alex I'm hungry, feed us." He says as he gets comfortable in Harry's lap.

Harry chuckles, scoots his chair closer to the table, winks at Billie, then looks at Alex. "You heard the kid feed us." He laughs.

"Be glad I decided I like you kid." Alex says as he starts dishing out food to everyone, causing Harry and the others to laugh.

After everyone is done eating, Harry decided to stay and help Alex clean the kitchen while Tommy went and helped Billie pack her bag for the weekend. Once all that's done Billie walks outside to go to the barn the get their mule, Wally, so they could get him loaded up to carry all they're stuff to where they were camping. With that done Billie hugs her dad.
"You have your flare gun?" Alex asks.

"Yes daddy, I slipped it in Harry's bag, it has more room than mine." Billie says.

"Okay, don't lose the city boy." Alex smirks, then looks at Harry. "Keep my girl safe son, she's the only one I have."

"With my life." Harry says shaking Alex's hand. He then takes Billie's hand as they walk toward the woods.

Alex looks over at Vance. "He treat her good at school? No roaming eyes? Looking at other girls?" He asks.

"Not as far as I know, we have several classes together, and from what I've seen so far no other girl exists except Bill." Vance says. "You know how Tamera is, every since her boyfriend broke up with her a few years ago to ask Bill out, and she turned him down. Tamera has been trying get to get any guy she think Billie is interested in." Vance laughs. "Well when she noticed Harry eying her, Tam was all over him, he shot her down so quick she bounced." He says making them all laugh.

"I like him, did you see how he treated Tommy? Most people don't do that." Alex says. "Keep an eye on him, make sure Tamera doesn't do the same to him she did to Daniel, I don't want history repeating itself. Billie is a different person because of that, she might hurt the bitch this time, and get really hurt herself in the process."

"Will do. You hanging with me and Luke tonight?" Vance asks Alex.

"Hell yeah, I miss that boy of mine." Alex says as he throws his arm across Vance's shoulders as they walk back in the house.

Just as Harry, Billie and the others step into the woods, the shadows from the trees all around them makes things seem darker, suddenly he feels a small hand in his hand not holding Billie's, looking down he sees Tommy walking beside him. Smiling Harry looks at Billie. "So we walking until we find a good place to stop or you have a destination in mind?" He asks.

"I have a destination in mind, we camp there all the time." Billie says. "There's a hot springs about a mile in, with a waterfall, it's a beautiful spot." She says.

"Hot springs? So that means we can swim?" Harry asks as he feels Tommy trip. Without thinking, Harry pick the small child up and puts him on his shoulders, holding onto his legs.

Seeing this Billie has to blink back tears, she's so glad Harry accepts Tommy, the last guy she came close to dating treated him like crap and flirted with every girl friend she had. Clearing her throat Billie wraps her arm around Harry's waist, hooking her thumb in his belt loop. "Yeah we can swim. The lagoon is so clear and blue you can see the bottom, it's actually pretty deep though." She says.

"Sounds great." Harry says, wondering what made her so emotional, deciding he'll ask her later, when they're alone.