The unbelievable nerve of that man.
Arriving at her destination in record time, she brushes away the tears that escaped her now pink-rimmed and swollen eyes. Turning the rear-view mirror to herself, she sighs at the tear-stained face staring back at her.
“That’ll never do!” She chastises herself while pulling out lipstick and a compact to make the necessary repairs.
When she’s finally ready to face her evening with the happy couple, she walks down the stone edged gravel walkway toward the lake. The quaint farmhouse that is yards from the lake is lit up with glowing lights and warmth, inviting her to come in. Pushing the afternoon activities out of her mind, she vows to put on a brave face. Though she feels anything but brave, more that of a coward.
As soon as her feet hit the front porch, the door swings open and a little Boston Terrier is bounding out the door with a high-pitched yowl alerting her owners of the intrusion.
“Dixie! Come back here girl!” Amber shouts after the exuberant pint-sized beast who is now running circles around Ellen’s feet forcing her to stay in one spot.
Giggling, Ellen bends over while cautiously offering her hand for the mini guard dog to approve. After a few sniffs and a lick, the little black and white critter grants her approval.
Amber throws open her arms grabbing a shaken Ellen into a warm hug. Her tension instantly subsides, and she succumbs.
“Come, you must be freezing to death!” She says ushering her toward the door.
As they pass through the welcoming door painted in a cheery pale blue and the smells of home cooking are overwhelming… almost intoxicating to Ellen.
“What on earth are you cooking? It smells divine in here!”
Amber’s face is aglow with pride as she rattles off the evening’s menu, “I have a chicken roasting in the oven with rosemary I dried myself this summer. I’ve also got fingerling potatoes and rainbow carrots from the last harvest grown by yours truly. Scott made a romaine lettuce salad with fresh herbs and homemade croutons. We sure hope you brought an appetite!”
“Even if she didn’t, I certainly have one now!”
“You are always hungry so that comes as little surprise.” Amber giggles, “Ellie, this is my husband Scott… and this is my childhood friend Ellie.”
He produces his hand for Ellen to shake, “It’s a great pleasure to meet you. Amber speaks highly of you.”
“Thank you and you too.” Ellen replies while withdrawing her hand after the shake.
“Can I interest you in a glass of wine?”
Ellen shakes her head. “No thank you, I’m not much of a drinker. But please feel free…”
“Don’t mind if I do! It’s been a hectic day.” Amber gushes while grabbing the bottle of wine off the counter, “I had a customer come in and insist that I spend all of my time catering to her whilst I almost ignored my other customers.” She rolls her eyes while she pours a generous helping, “Honestly, working with the public can have its challenges.”
“Now then, what can I get you to drink?”
“I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea.” Ellen suggests.
“I’ll put the kettle on the stove, you ladies just visit.” Scott says while he busies himself with filling the kettle with water.
Ellen follows Amber to the dining room that would have a sweeping view of the lake if it weren’t for it being dark outside.
“Please sit. We have a few minutes before dinner is ready. I hope you will eat. I cannot believe how skinny you are! In high school, you were all muscle but now…. you are skin and…”
“Bones? I don’t think so.” Ellen laughs then grows serious, “Amber, I felt terrible I missed your wedding. I know it was a huge disappointment to you and me for that matter. It could not have been helped. You said you understood but I wonder if you weren’t sore at me?”
After taking a quick sip of her wine she lets out a giggle, “I was furious at you if I’m to tell the truth. I was so looking forward to seeing you and having you a part of my day. Remember when we were little girls we’d get into that trunk and play dress up?”
Ellen smiles and nods while Amber continues, “I’d play the blushing bride and you my maid of honor. Wait!” She exclaims, “Do you remember when you and what’s his name?” She snaps her fingers, “Oh yes, Benjamin Lynch, you guys promised that you would get married someday. I remember we were all by the lake at that boat house by the windmill when you two pinky swore.”
She giggles, “Yes, that’s right. I thought it was at school by the jungle gym but now you mention it, yes, I remember that now. Did you know he is here?”
“Where?” Her eyebrows raise, “Here in Thunder Valley?” She takes a quick sip of wine.
“Yes, here in Thunder Valley. He’s taking care of his mother, she has Parkinson’s disease. He came here with his daughter from Italy.”
“Yes, I knew he was in Italy. I didn’t realize that he was back with his daughter. Wow! I knew he was living abroad but working on a project here. That’s about all my knowledge of him. I wonder where his wife is? Maybe she’s coming later?”
Shaking her head, “I don’t know about his wife, or if there is one. All I know is that he’s still as gorgeous as he was back in the day.” Ellen laments.
“Oh, he has a wife.” Amber confirms.
She adds, “Maybe if he hadn’t gone off to college in Europe you would have stayed together.” She says wistfully with her voice trailing off as she is drifting into daydream mode.
“Oh Amber, you are still the hopeless romantic.”
“Yes, she sure is.” Scott says as he places a steaming hot cup of tea in front of Ellen, “She even insisted that we release white doves at the wedding.” He laughs.
“It would have been fantastic had the trainer not got lost!” She grunts, “Can you believe he only returned half of my deposit? He claimed I was partially to blame because of the directions I gave him. I was quick to point out we are not so back woods that his GPS wouldn’t have worked. At least I got the white carriage and horses. That was my grand entrance. Remind me to show you the pictures.” She gushes.
“Oh, I’ve seen them… all over social media.” Ellen suppresses a giggle. “But I’d love for you to show me your album.” She quickly adds.
Scott interrupts, “Ladies, I believe dinner is ready. I’m starved so let’s not make a spectacle of being polite, I’m digging in!”
After dinner, the group adjourns to the living room in front of the crackling fireplace. Ellen watches the couple as they work together to stoke the fire. How Scott looks at his wife is enviable. It’s clear they are deep in love.
‘Relationship goals.’ Ellen thinks to herself. She studies Scott with his broad shoulders and dark complexion. Standing at about six foot three he towers over Amber’s petite five-foot-four frame. His black hair and dark eyes to her fair skin and light hair. They are a striking couple for certain.
“Tell me, what’s a big-time star like you doing back here in little Thunder Valley?” Scott asks with a bemused look developing on his face.
Ellen suppresses her urge to cringe and forces a smile, “I’m hiding out, or haven’t you heard?” She teases.
“I prefer not to listen to gossip.” Scott replies.
“Hmm, you are in the minority.” Ellen laughs.
Looping her arm through his, Amber beams with pride, “He is a keeper, don’t you think?”
Nodding and this time a genuine smile on her face, “Yes, I think the two of you are a good match, and I cannot be happier for you.”
As they proceed through the evening, the conversation is amusing and to her relief, avoids topics like Ellen’s mother and her recent foray into being at the epicenter of Hollywood scandal.
“Oh! We almost forgot the pie! Ellen, why don’t you help me serve and Scott, that fire could use some stoking don’t you think?” Amber instructs.
“I’ll just grab more wood, I can’t wait for that pie!”
Turning to Ellen she laughs, “My
gosh, the way we are carrying on about that pie you’d think we are deprived over here. We haven’t been allowing ourselves indulgences like that since we’ve been back from the honeymoon. With the holidays upon us though, I’m sure we will indulge.” She stops and eyes Ellen, “Just how do you stay so thin? Please do not say it’s from a stupid macro diet or some such a thing.”
Ellen laughs aloud, “No silly, I have a personal trainer who beats me into submission three hours a day, six days a week! It’s brutal, but that’s the only way for me to stay fit.”
“Wow. That’s all?” Amber teases.
“Yes, you too can spend every morning with a drill sergeant forcing you to hold your squats longer and lunge deeper, I don’t recommend it unless you are a glutton for punishment.”
“No, I prefer long walks around the lake and maybe an occasional yoga class.” She giggles.
“That sounds nice. Sometimes I miss it here.”
“Maybe you should retire early while you are on top and move back?” She claps her hands together, “Find a man then settle down in a house on the lake and have a gaggle of kids like me and Scott.”
“Are you…?”
“Oh, heavens no! We have big plans though. We got the house, so we will fill it with kids someday.”
“Not too soon.” Scott interjects from the front room as she passes through the kitchen door. Ellen is following close behind carrying the tray laden with three dessert plates and steaming cups of tea.
Amber releases a nervous giggle as Ellen places the tray on the coffee table. “We want to wait a few years before having kids. Though if we are expecting sooner, it would thrill us.” She looks at Scott who gives her a crooked grin then she continues. “Anyway, there’s been talk about recreating our honeymoon on our next anniversary. Since Scott is a teacher, he has summers off. I thought maybe we could traipse around Europe next summer. But then who knows, we might want to go south and hit up Costa Rica or cruise the Caribbean.” She says dreamily, almost as if she were talking to herself.
“Whoa, hang on there, we have to take an Alaskan cruise somewhere in there. We must break up the surf and sand with some fly-fishing and glaciers.”
“I take it you’re an outdoor enthusiast?” Ellen questions after taking a sip of the hot tea.
Scott finishes chewing a mouthful of pie then responds with a wide grin on his face, “I think I might have been born with a fishing pole in my hand. At least that’s what my mom likes to say.” Taking another hearty bite of pie Ellen notices Amber is making a large dent in her serving too.
She takes a bite and notices it tastes bitter. Taking another bite, she feels her lips form an involuntary pucker. Opting not to finish her helping she sets the pie down on the tray and tries to concentrate on the fishing tales Scott is droning on about.
After over an hour of stifling yawns and feigning to be interested, Ellen stands and stretches. “This has been such a lovely evening, but I must take my leave, I’m tired from the long day.”
Jumping up from their seats, her hosts spring into action with Scott retrieving her coat and Amber heading straight to the kitchen. Calling over her shoulder, “Let me wrap this pie up for you to take home.”
Shaking her head, “Oh no, you keep it. I wouldn’t dream of taking that home when you enjoyed it so much.”
“Are you sure?” She asks with a twinge of hesitation to her voice.
“I’m sure.” Ellen says laughing at the obvious delight on Amber’s face.
As Scott helps her into her coat, she reaches in the pocket to find the car key.
“Thank you both for such a wonderful meal and the great company. I’m glad we got to catch up!”
“I’m glad I finally got to meet the legendary Ellen Jackson! When do you plan to head back to the city?” Scott asks.
Amber swats at his arm.
After giving a polite laugh she replies, “I’ll probably head back just after the first of the year, so I will most likely be here through the holidays.”
A strange look travels across Scott’s face. “Nice. You know it will be our first holiday as a married couple, we can’t wait to make our own traditions.”
“Right. This is an exciting time for you.” She replies, feeling the vibe has turned awkward.
“It sure is.” He says stiffly.
Noticing the odd behavior too, Amber gives Scott a questioning look. Then she opens the painted front door which allows a large gust of cold air to enter, chilling Ellen and the rest of them to the bone.
“Wow! Winter is coming hard and fast!” Amber exclaims.
Pulling her coat close around her after giving goodbye hugs she says, “Let’s have coffee soon.”
Then not waiting for a response she runs out to the car just as another swoosh of cold air encircles her causing chills up and down her body. The smell of spicy yet musty leaves still in her nose, she fights to slam the door shut against the strong drafts of air.
With a loud thud, she finally gets the door closed. Starting the car, she notices a strange rattle coming from the engine. She dismisses it figuring it too is reacting to the fiercely cold night.
Traveling quickly down the foliage covered road her car stirs the leaves into a billow behind her causing the leaves to form an eerie shaped cloud in her wake.
Coming around the bend with less than a few hundred yards from her final turn the car sputters. Letting off the gas she looks down at the gauges noticing she is on empty. Alarmed her heart beats fast. Quickly she switches the car into manual override and shifts the gears down to allow her to coast down the hill taking the turn sharply as she enters the long lane that leads to her house. The car chugs then the engine shuts off.
The confusing part is that she had a full tank when she arrived at the valley and has hardly driven since then.
Sitting for a moment in disbelief, she listens to the howling wind whipping around the little vehicle. The whistling and whirling wind seeming to serve as a warning to her of the cold fall night waiting for her outside the warmth and safety of her car.
Despite her irritation over running out of gas, she dismisses her misgivings chastising herself for her melodramatic tendencies. Opening the door, she realizes just how cold it is outside. She grabs her cell phone and purse then flips on the hazard lights on the dash then slamming the door shut, she braces herself against the frigid air.
It doesn’t take much time for her long legs to rush toward the dark house. It strikes Ellen as odd that the house has zero lights on. It’s only just half past ten last she checked, and her parents are night owls. As if the goose bumps from the cold night weren’t enough, she has even more chills from a developing fear that is running the distance of her body. Once again reminding her that things have been amiss since she arrived.
Something doesn’t feel right.
As she approaches the house she notices a dark figure in the upstairs window of the guest wing. It’s a part of the house not in use since it’s no longer running as an Inn, no one should be up there. She is the only one using that portion of the house.
She says to herself with a sigh of relief, “The power is probably out due to the wind. That was my mom or dad in the window.” She tries to reassures herself.
Running up the steps she pauses at the door then turning the handle she pushes her body weight against it causing it to swing open faster than she expected. Stumbling to the ground she sits on the entry rug for a moment before scrambling to her feet and shutting the door behind her. Flipping the lock, she allows her eyes to adjust to the house being even darker than outside. At least out there she had the moon to guide her.
“Hello?” She calls out. “Mom? Dad?”
No response. She waits a minute then hollers for them again, but still no answer. The only sounds are the old house protesting the wicked wind whipping against the wooden structure and the floors creaking under her weight.
She walks through the sitting room to the back of the house to the kitchen. This is a good vantage poi
nt to see the entire backside of the property that faces the lake. The abundance of windows allows for the moon to illuminate the rooms enough she can see her way around.
Placing her bag on the island she opens a few drawers until she finds the long neck lighter. Relieved when the flame appears at the end of the shaft, she lights three pillar candles that sit in a grouping in the middle of the counter. Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out her phone.
Noticing she has missed a call and has both voice and text messages, she ignores all of that and hits send to call her dad.
The line rings and rings but he does not answer.
She hangs up and tries her mom, and no response from her either. Releasing a heavy sigh, then she mumbles, “No use, they never have their ringers on, anyway.”
Feeling panicked she tries her dad again but this time she leaves a message, “Dad, it’s me, I got home a few minutes ago. The house is pitch black, so I think the power must be out and you guys aren’t here. My car ran out of gas in the lane so don’t freak when you get home, I’m fine. Call me back.”
After hanging up she leaves the same message on Kathy’s voice mail.
About to open the back door and head out to the garage she notices something; the digital numbers on the microwave and oven are solid lit which means the power should still be on.
She tries the switch on the wall and just as the light flips on, she hears a male voice whisper from the other end of the mudroom, “Turn it off.”
Chills assaulting her spine, it scares her out of her wits. She whirls around and sees a tall figure standing in the dark of the hallway. Unable to think, with her right hand on the doorknob she quickly unlocks the deadbolt with her other hand and is about to flee when he whispers again, “Do it now Ellie!”
With her pulse beating out of her neck, much to her immense relief she realizes that it’s her dad; she obeys and quickly flips off the light switch.
“Just what is going on?” She demands in a whisper.
“Shh!” He hushes her then rushes forward from the cover of the hallway and grabbing her by her arm, he drags her with him to the island then blowing out the candles he says in the same quiet tone, “Come with me.”
Secrets of Thunder Valley- The Locket Page 4