Hope Harbor

by Jill Sanders

  “She was locked in a storeroom in the basement.” He looked around.

  “I’ll get a cup of hot tea.” Barb rushed from the room.

  “Blankets,” Genie said and disappeared to the storage room behind the desk. She came back a few seconds later with a handful of towels and blankets. “Here.” She helped him wrap Eve.

  “Eve?” he said, shaking her slightly.

  “D-D-Dylan?” Eve’s eyes opened slightly. Her voice was hoarse, and she croaked his name out instead.

  “I’m here baby,” he said, holding her close.

  “It’s so cold.” She sighed and rested against him. “I’m so tired.”

  “I’m going to take her upstairs, get her in a hot bath.” He picked her up again just as Barb came back with a thermos of steaming liquid.

  “Coffee, she may need the boost.” She handed it to him, but since his hands were full of Eve, she handed it to Eve, who hugged it to her chest as if for warmth. “I’ll call your dad and let him know you found her.”

  “Thanks,” he said over his shoulder as he made his way up the stairs.

  “You looked for me,” Eve whispered, her voice so low he had to strain to hear her over the pounding of his heart.

  “Yes, of course I did.” He smiled down at her.

  “No one cares,” she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. Her makeup indicated that she’d been crying some time before. Most of her mascara had slid down her face, leaving black streaks running down her chin and neck.

  “I care,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I need your keys, baby,” he said softly.

  “Pocket,” she said between her teeth chattering.

  He shifted her in his arms and came back with her phone and her keys. He let them into the room, flipped the deadbolt, and marched her towards the bedroom. Laying her down gently, he debated running a bath for her but decided the best and fastest way to heat her up was to get her in the shower.

  When he came back into her room, he helped her undress, then pulled off his own clothes and carried her into the shower. He sat on the seat, holding onto her as she shivered in his arms.

  When she stilled, he continued to run his hands over her skin until she looked up at him.

  “I’m much better now.” She smiled at him.

  She moved off his lap and sat beside him, resting her head against his shoulder.

  “Can you tell me what happened?” he asked, watching her.

  “I… think someone locked me in.” She frowned down at her hands. “I went looking for…” She jerked her head up. “My cousin’s laptop.” She shook her head. “Dylan, you need to go back down there and get it. It might have… something important on it. It was sitting on the floor next to where I was.”

  He nodded. “Will you be okay?”

  She nodded. “Use my keys to get back in here.”

  He stepped out of the shower, dried and dressed in record time, then took the stairs two at a time, almost falling on his face more than once.

  He stepped into the dark, damp room and used his phone’s light again to search for the laptop. He’d left the door wide open when he’d found her, and it was still fully open when he returned. Unfortunately, the laptop was nowhere to be found.

  Kicking a box with his boot, he cursed under his breath. Did someone lock Eve in there to distract her from finding out what was on the laptop? Why hadn’t they just gone into the storage room and taken it earlier if they knew about it? Or had they only found out about it when Eve had started digging around the room? What had they hoped to gain by locking her up?

  As he made his way back upstairs, Genie met him on the main floor with a large covered tray. “She’s probably hungry if she was locked in there a long time.” She smiled at him. “There’s enough for the two of you.” She handed him the tray.

  “Thanks.” He stopped on the first step. “Have you seen anyone with a laptop?” he asked.

  Genie frowned. “No, why?”

  “No reason.” He shook his head. “If you do… let me know.” She nodded and he turned to climb the stairs.

  When he let himself into her room again, he called out, “It’s just me.”

  He set the tray down on her nightstand just as she came out of the bathroom in large fuzzy pajamas.

  He smiled and walked over to wrap her in his arms. “These look warm.”

  “I know they’re ugly, but…”

  He pulled back, his eyes going to hers. “Right now, they’re the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a long time.” He kissed her and felt her melt against him. “Genie gave me a tray of food for you.” He motioned to the tray.

  “God, please let there be a steak or at least a double cheeseburger in there.” She rushed over to the tray and smiled when she lifted the lid. “I’m giving Genie a raise,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs and motioning him to sit next to her.

  He watched her eat, not hungry himself, since his stomach was still in knots remembering seeing her curled up in a ball on the cold cement floor.

  “The laptop?” she asked after she’d finished half of the burger.

  “Gone.”

  “Shit.” She closed her eyes. “It was dead when I found it, otherwise I would’ve…”

  “Hey.” He took her hand and lifted it to his mouth for a kiss. “We’ll figure this out. How did you know about it? What do you think was on it?”

  “DarCee, whose real name is Deb, is pregnant. She claims she told Steve last week and she thinks…” She took a deep breath. “She thinks he tried to kill her and the baby with the rocket. She says that the first part of the video shows proof that he set the rocket off before she’d had a chance to set it up completely. She hinted that there might be more… other footage on his laptop. Something that might shed some light on why he was killed.”

  He was silent for a while, taking in everything she’d told him.

  “It’s late.” She glanced at her alarm clock. “Palmer?” she asked.

  “Dad has her.” He nodded. “I’d better…” He shook his head and pulled her into his arms. “My god, you scared me.” He kissed the top of her head.

  “I scared myself.” She sighed and held onto him. “I’d convinced myself that no one cared for me. That no one would come looking for me.” She chuckled. “Remind me to tell you about the run-in I had with my parents over lunch.”

  He pulled back and waited until she looked him in the eyes. “I will, no matter what, always come find you.”

  She smiled. “That statement is not stalkery at all.”

  He smiled and kissed her. “So long as you want me to look, I’ll be here.” He rested his forehead against hers. “Pack your things, come stay with us tonight,” he offered.

  She shook her head and looked at him. “No, I couldn’t do that to Palmer. She’s too young to understand… about things.”

  He felt his heart skip and sank a little. Was she about to say that this was temporary?

  “Besides, I don’t want her to see me like this.”

  He tried to lift the mood. “She has pajamas that look a lot like this, only they have bunny feet on them.”

  She smiled. “I’ll be fine. Go.” She motioned. “If it’s okay, I’m going to eat your burger, though.”

  He laughed and kissed her again. “I’m only a phone call away.”

  She nodded and he stood up. Leaving her cross-legged in the middle of the large bed, holding a tray of burgers and fries, was one of the hardest things he’d had to do in a long time.

  22

  Rainbows and razor blades

  Okay, so she should have convinced Dylan to stay with her. After turning on every light in her room, including the small one in her shower, she turned on the television and watched Powerpuff Girls. What could she say? She was a sucker for the little no-fingered girls who could kick ass. Besides, it got her mind off the fact that someone had locked her in a dark room. The more she thought about it, it didn’t really make sense. Whoever locked her in there had
gambled on whoever found her taking the laptop out with them. It was a sketchy plan to keep her from finding out what was on her cousin’s laptop.

  How had they known she was down there in the first place? Had they been watching her?

  Her phone chimed and she read Dylan’s text message.

  -Made it home okay with Palmer. She asked about you.

  -Good. Tell her to come visit me again soon. I miss her. If she’s still awake, tell her I’m watching Powerpuff Girls.

  -She’s fast asleep. Which episode?

  She laughed and responded.

  -The one where Mojo Jojo needs more eggs from the store but forgets his wallet.

  -Haha, love that one. Two eggs is the minimum requirement…

  She smiled.

  -How many times have you watched it?

  -More than a grown man should admit to.

  She rested back, more relaxed than before.

  He texted again.

  -You doing okay?

  -I should have convinced you to stay, or better yet, gone with you. Every light is on in my rooms.

  -We can come back over.

  -No, I don’t want you to have to wake Palmer.

  -Want me to call?

  -No, just knowing you’re there relaxes me. I think I can sleep now.

  -Eve?

  -Yes?

  -Dream of me. Of what we did last night, this morning. Of me holding you, making love to you again. Soon.

  She smiled and pulled the covers over herself a little more, feeling her body heat from the inside as she replayed last night in her head.

  -I will. Thanks. I needed that. I needed you.

  -You have me.

  -Night

  -Night

  Thankfully, her dreams were filled with Dylan and his magic hands instead of a dark, cold lonely death. When she woke, her entire body ached, but a long hot shower helped her feel human again. That and two cups of strong coffee.

  After dressing, she made her way downstairs. Genie met her at the base of the stairs, another cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin in hand.

  “Morning, boss.” She smiled up at her.

  “Morning,” she said as brightly as she could.

  “You look much better this morning,” Genie said.

  “I feel much better.” She glanced at Genie. “You seem cheerful today. What’s up?”

  Genie shrugged. “I like weddings. I’m looking forward to today.” She sighed as Eve opened her office door. “When I was a girl, I always hoped that one day I would be a wedding planner.”

  Eve’s eyebrows shot up as she set the coffee and muffin down on her desk. “You did?”

  Genie nodded and leaned against the doorway, her eyes going to the ceiling as she dreamed. “I would have my own business, someplace magical, romantic, like here.” Genie smiled at her. “I would plan the most elaborate and beautiful weddings.”

  Eve thought about it. “Why don’t you shadow the wedding coordinator today then? I can ask Jane to fill in at the desk for you. She’s been learning all the ropes anyway.” She glanced down at her watch and calculated how soon Jane could be at the inn. “Give her a call. Maybe you can learn something so that next time we host a wedding, we can offer the service ourselves instead of the party having to hire outside.”

  “Seriously?” Genie stood straight. “For real?”

  Eve laughed. “Yes, it would help the inn out if we could offer the service. If you pick up enough tips, I don’t see why not.” She flipped open her laptop and logged in. “Call Jane and see if she can cover the desk.”

  “Thanks, boss. I should bring you muffins and coffee more often.” Genie giggled and turned to go. “Oh, I’m glad you’re okay. You gave us all a real scare yesterday.”

  “Thanks.” Eve felt a shiver race through her but pushed it and the memories aside.

  Half an hour later, Dylan walked in with a bag of donuts and another cup full of coffee.

  “There is nothing on earth that chocolate sprinkles can’t make better. Or so Palmer always tells me.” He smiled and handed her the bag of donuts and sat down on the edge of the desk, his eyes running over her.

  “I think everyone’s trying to drown me with coffee this morning.” She motioned to the two other cups sitting on her desk. Her aunt Ramona had heard about her ordeal and stopped by shortly after Genie had left with coffee and some freshly baked homemade cookies.

  It was strange, Reggie had always appeared strong and robust, where his sister Ramona had been frail and weak. She noticed that her aunt was having an even more challenging time getting around and wondered if she needed to upgrade to a wheelchair.

  Knowing she had other tasks on her list first, she set off to write a list of suspects. She’d gotten the idea last night during one of the many cartoons she’d watched before Dylan had texted her.

  So far, everyone in her family was on the list. Feeling frustrated, she decided a new tactic was in order and started writing the reasons each family member had for killing Steve.

  But she couldn’t really come up with why they would steal his laptop and what could possibly be on it. There had to be more on it than just a video of him blowing up the rocket. In the end she had more questions than answers.

  When Dylan walked in, she realized that he’d been around town for the past few years and might know something more. After all, the small island was almost overrun with gossip and everyone knew the Candlewoods were the most gossiped about family on the island.

  “Maybe you can help me?” she asked, taking one of the donuts he’d brought her. After her first bite, she agreed with Palmer’s philosophy. Chocolate and sprinkles were a magical combination.

  “What’s this?” he asked after she pushed the list towards him. His eyes scanned it and he sighed. “I made my own list.” He pulled out a notepaper with writing on it.

  When he handed the paper to her, she chuckled. “You wrote in crayon?”

  He rolled his eyes. “I couldn’t find a pen or pencil.”

  She smiled as she read his list. He had a few more ideas than she had.

  She hadn’t heard the rumors that her aunt Louisa was having an affair recently. She’d heard old ones, when she’d been a kid, but nothing lately.

  “Where did you hear this?” she asked, pointing to the item.

  He shrugged. “It was all over town a few years ago. People actually thought that Logan and Liv weren’t really Gerald’s.”

  “What?” She balked. There was no way. Her cousins were Candlewoods through and through. Genetics didn’t lie. “They think the affairs have been going on that long?” She shook her head.

  “Of course, it’s just a rumor. There’s no proof. Besides, the talk died down a few years ago before I moved onto the island. Right about the time your cousin blew up that boat.”

  She groaned. “Yeah, I wrote a list of stupid stuff he’d done over the years and people he’d put out because of his recklessness.”

  She pushed that paper towards him. “This is pretty thorough.” She rolled her eyes. “My grandfather had a running list of people he owed due to Steve’s craziness.”

  Dylan looked down at her. “How are you feeling today?” He set the paper down and picked up her hand, rubbing his thumb over her palm.

  “I’m good.” She smiled up at him.

  “Did you dream of me?” he asked softly. Before she could answer, there was a knock on her office door.

  “Come in.” She waited as the bride’s father stepped into her office.

  “Thank you.” She turned to Dylan. “We can finish this later.” She took all three lists and tucked them in the top drawer of her desk.

  “I’ll get back to work. I should be finished with all of the major items today so I can start Monday morning in the rooms on the top floor.” Dylan picked up his tool bag and nodded to the man. “Morning,” he said. Eve thought she heard a slight warning tone in his voice as the men locked eyes.

  “Morning.” Mr. Tippett nodded to him and stepped
into her office.

  “I wanted to thank you,” the older man said, moving further into the room. “The party last night went off without a hitch. I know you and your staff worked diligently to make that happen. My daughter was very impressed and is looking forward to today.”

  Eve relaxed slightly. “I’m so happy your family is enjoying themselves.”

  The man shifted his feet. “I know that my soon-to-be son-in-law’s family can be a little… much.”

  Eve smiled. “Families can,” she agreed.

  “Which is why I’m here to officially apologize. I heard that it was your cousin… that you’re going through a rough time. I’m very sorry for your loss and, after discussing it with my family, we all agreed it wouldn’t be fair to cheat you out of anything since you’re struggling through your own private issues.”

  Eve stilled. She hadn’t expected this. Kindness. The man had been nothing but uptight and rude to her since the group had arrived. Why the turn around? Had the party been that smooth last night? She wouldn’t have known since she’d been locked away.

  “Thank you,” she said, reaching down for the coffee Dylan had brought her, hoping to clear her dry throat.

  “I’ll let you get back to work.” He turned to go.

  “If you need anything, my staff and I are here,” she said as he stepped from the room.

  She sat down and her mind wandered, replaying the past few days in her head. So much had happened in the weeks she’d been home—her grandfather’s death, dealing with taking over the inn. Her cousin’s death. Dylan.

  For the next hour, she found it impossible to focus on work so instead she walked the grounds to make sure everything was perfect for the big event.

  The flowers had been delivered and were being set up on the west lawn, as were the rows of white wooden folding chairs where the ceremony would take place. They normally stored all the outside furniture in the three-story boathouse. Brandon and his crew had dragged the chairs and the small arch that would be used as the centerpiece for the wedding out of the rooms and had cleaned them off.

  She watched Genie following the wedding coordinator around, glued to everything the woman said to her. Eve helped the men set up the chairs and coordinated where the tables and the dance floor would go on the back patio near the pool.