Chapter 1 1
Jake Wilder stood in the shade of a towering black oak tree and took a huge gulp from his metal water bottle. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. It was July, and the temperature was rising here in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. There was barely a breeze to cool Jake’s sweaty neck. It had been a long, hot day, and Jake wanted nothing more than to take a dip in the clear water of the mountain stream they’d passed earlier.

No chance of that.

“Hey, Jake!” his younger brother, Taylor, called out from the front porch of their grandmother’s cabin. “Dad wants to know what’s taking so long.”

“Nothing, I’ll be right there!” Jake shouted back.

The brothers were in California with their parents, Abe and Jennifer, helping their grandmother move back into her mountain cabin. She’d been forced to abandon it last year by a group of unethical lumber workers who’d tried to drive her off the land. But, thanks to some help from Jake and Taylor earlier this summer, the company’s misdeeds had been exposed and their illegal activities stopped. And Joanna Wilder—or Big Jo, as she was affectionately known in these parts—was free to return to home.

Unfortunately, nearly ten months without an occupant had left her cabin in bad shape. Before Joanna could settle back in, they’d needed to clean away the dust, patch the holes in the roof, and fix damage to the floor and ceiling from water leaks. At least Joanna had thought to cover her furniture with tarps when she’d left, so the things she hadn’t taken with her had been spared the worst of it.

Jake took another quick slug of water, pulled out his phone, and held it up in search of a signal. Even though his grandmother’s cabin was way off the grid—not a cell tower in sight—Jake still hoped for a connection. He was eager for an update on Cody, the brothers’ beloved Jack Russell terrier. Cody was back home in Wyoming, being cared for by their friend Kim, who’d promised to send regular updates. Unfortunately, the last one Jake had been able to see was yesterday, back in town when they’d been picking up supplies from the local hardware store.

“Jake!” Taylor called out again. “Dad says quit goofing around. He wants to know if you’re done mixing up the clay.”

Jake put away the phone with a sigh. He reminded himself that Cody was in good—no, make that great—hands. Kim loved that little dog just as much as the brothers did. Well, maybe not quite that much. Jake was pretty sure nobody loved Cody like they did. Cody was basically their other brother. Their best friend. And, as he and Taylor had learned last month when Cody had tried to protect them from a bully, their greatest defender. Cody had been through so much with the boys—good, and bad. It was weird not having their little buddy around.

Jake answered his brother. “Yep. Got it right here.” He picked up a bucket filled with a thick concoction of clay, ash, and dirt, and carried it over to his grandmother’s cabin. He set the bucket on the porch and walked inside.

The cabin was small and cozy, built from logs harvested from the nearby forest. There was a small kitchen with a propane stove off to the right, and a living area with a fireplace to the left. A tiny bedroom and bathroom occupied the back. The cabin wasn’t connected to a municipal water supply, so Joanna used a composting toilet and carried fresh water in from a cistern for drinking and cleaning. Solar panels and a backup battery powered the lights and a small radio.

Jake joined his dad and Taylor, who sat on the living room floor hammering a wood plank into place. The furniture had been pushed up against the walls while they worked.

“Hey, perfect timing!” Abe said. “This is our last one.” He stood and stretched his arms. “Looking pretty good around here, eh?”

“Yeah,” Jake agreed. After a winter of disuse, the cabin’s roof had sprung more than one leak. When the snow covering had melted in the spring, water had found its way inside, damaging several floorboards and some of the ceiling. They’d been working hard all day, prying the rotted wood loose and hammering in replacements. The old boards sat in a pile by the door, ready to be discarded. The cabin looked as good as new.

“Grab those rotten boards and bring ’em outside,” Abe said. “Then we’ll get up on the roof and seal the chimney.”

Jake and Taylor grabbed armloads of wood and hauled them onto the porch. Once they’d finished, Jake picked up the bucket of clay. He, Taylor, and Abe went around the cabin and climbed the ladder onto the roof, avoiding the solar panels that lined the south side.

The cabin was only one story high. But from up here, Jake had a great view of his mom and grandmother working in the garden down below. Jennifer was on her knees, digging in the dirt and replanting his grandmother’s tomatoes. Joanna Wilder was putting netting around the garden’s perimeter to keep animals out.

Jennifer stopped digging and peered up at the roof, holding a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. “Hey, you boys be careful up there!” she shouted.

Jake couldn’t help but grin. Moms. “Don’t worry!” he shouted back. “We’re not that high off the ground.”

“Yeah,” Taylor added. “I could probably jump from here!”

Jennifer narrowed her eyes at them. “But DON’T,” she said sternly.

“They won’t be doing anything of the sort,” Abe chimed in with a laugh. “C’mon, boys, let’s finish repairing this roof.”

Jennifer went back to digging, glancing occasionally at the roof to check on the boys.

Abe, Jake, and Taylor had replaced the damaged shingles on the roof earlier this morning. The only thing left to do was seal the area around the chimney where a small gap had opened. The gap had been the main source of water damage inside the cabin. Fortunately, the gap hadn’t grown large enough to allow any wildlife to squeeze through. Water was bad enough. Jake shuddered to think what would have happened if a bunch of squirrels had made their way inside. That would have been a cleanup job he wouldn’t want to touch.

“Okay, boys,” Abe said, positioning himself next to the chimney. Jake and Taylor joined him. “We want to apply this compound along the seams. Get it in good and thick. Like this.” Abe used a trowel to scoop clay from the bucket, then spread it along the chimney seam, packed it tight, and smoothed it out. He packed and sealed along the adjacent side of the chimney, then handed the trowel to Jake.

“Here,” he said. “You do the next side. And Taylor can do the last one.”

Jake repeated the same process his father had followed. The clay was clumpier than he’d expected and not easy to spread. It took a few tries to get it right.

“It’s fine,” Abe said. “Doesn’t need to be pretty. Just needs to make a good seal.”

Jake nodded. When he finished, he handed the trowel to Taylor. Taylor leaned down, tongue poked to the side of his lips in concentration, and spread the clay.

Once they’d finished sealing the chimney, the boys checked the rest of the roof for any spots they might have missed. Satisfied that it was now leak-free, they climbed back down the ladder and went inside.

Jennifer was in the kitchen, humming to herself and cleaning dishes.

“Hi, boys!” she said. “The new floorboards look great.”

“Thanks,” Abe said.

“Yep, did good work in here,” Joanna agreed. “It’s good to be home. I’ve missed this view.” She was busy setting up her easel and art supplies in the corner of the living area, next to the window. While Joanna Wilder lived simply and sustainably, she also earned a modest income as an artist. Her unique landscapes never lasted long at the gallery in Sacramento that sold her work. In fact, she had more commissions than she could keep up with.

Joanna placed a half-finished canvas on the easel. It looked like a regular mountain scene—all blue sky and towering green pines—until you got up close and realized the picture had been created from tiny images of animals and birds.

Taylor walked over, leaned close, and inspected the painting. “This is so cool, Grandma! Wow, you added a willow flycatcher, too!” He pointed at the center.

“You’ve got a good eye, kid,” Grandma Wilder said, smiling. “You still keeping that bird journal of yours?”

“Take it everywhere I go,” Taylor answered. “It’s almost full!”

“Glad to hear it,” his grandmother answered. “I put that willow flycatcher in there in honor of you, you know. Your eagle eye helped save this forest!”

Taylor beamed. Last month he’d spotted the rare bird while hiking through the woods here. Because of that unexpected find, the area had been designated a protected wildlife zone. Logging of any kind was now prohibited.

“Hey, Taylor, want to help me bring that table inside?” Jake asked.

“Sure!”

Even though Joanna had left most of her furniture behind when she’d abruptly moved, she had built herself a few new pieces. That included the dining table that now sat in the Wilder pickup truck.

Jake and Taylor went outside and climbed onto the flatbed. Jake grabbed one end of the table while Taylor gripped the opposite side.

“Ready?” Jake said. Taylor nodded. “Okay, on three!”

Jake counted down, and the boys heaved the thick-edged dining table up with a grunt. They hauled it from the truck, up the porch steps, and into the cabin, where they set it down in the kitchen area.

“Whew!” Taylor blew out a noisy breath. “What is that thing made out of anyway? Cement?”

“Solid oak,” his grandmother answered. “Thanks for hauling it in. And don’t worry, I have no plans to up and move again.”

“Unless you’d like to come live with us,” Jennifer said. “You’re always welcome, if you ever grow tired of living out here on your own.”

Joanna scowled, and Jake’s back stiffened. His grandmother’s fierce independence and insistence on living on her own in the wilderness had been a source of contention with Abe Wilder for years. In fact, they’d stopped speaking for nearly eight years because of it. That was more than half of Jake’s entire life, and nearly all of Taylor’s.

“Now, we’ve been through that before,” Joanna said gruffly. “And I thought we—”

“We know,” Abe said, walking over and gently placing a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “You’re more than capable. But if you ever get lonely, we’re here for you. That’s all.”

Joanna reached up and touched Abe’s hand. She sighed. “I know,” she said, softening. “It’s been good having you, Jennifer, and the boys in my life again. I missed you all.”

“And we missed you,” Abe said.

The family continued to clean and unpack, until the cabin looked as good as new. Jake flopped down on the couch, hot and tired. But there wasn’t time to rest. It was nearly five o’clock, which meant the barbecue with their friends from Planet Now would be getting underway soon.

Jake and the rest of the Wilders took a few minutes to get washed up. Jake wiped the dirt and sweat from his face and changed into a fresh T-shirt. He checked his phone again, unsuccessfully, for a signal.

Then the family headed back outside, into the cooling evening air, and began their hike.

It was time for their next adventure!