Lizzie stopped walking, her mouth open and her eyes wide.
“He’s your uncle?” she asked incredulously. “So, he’s my great-uncle?”
Her mother nodded, a sad look on her face.
“He left the pack long before I did,” she told Lizzie. “So, when I left, I looked for him. He’s the one who brought me here and introduced me to everyone here.”
Lizzie was silent as she took the information in.
They broke through the trees into the clearing where their cabin stood, and Lizzie asked, “Does Dad know about Old Jake?”
Her mother nodded and said, “He helped me search for him and came with me when I met him. Old Jake was impressed by how fearless your father was.”
Lizzie grinned and said, “He loves you, so that gave him the courage to face down that mountain man.”
Her mother grinned back an
