His grandfather weighed Erik’s response, and wondered.
“And by that, you mean as a friend? Or something else?”
“Both. I really enjoy being friends with her, but last night I realized I want more than that. A lot more. There’s a part of me that doesn’t care if it’s a good idea, or not. I just want to be with her.”
“There’s also a part of you that’s trying to think this through rationally,” his grandfather surmised.
“Yes. I never make decisions based on my feelings alone, and I can’t imagine a decision more important than this. I don’t want to date casually like Rob did. I want to be intentional, and invest in a relationship. I don’t know if I can have that with her… or if she would even want that. Amber’s just finishing up her first semester of college. I have my degree, and I’m running a business, thanks to you,” Erik said. His grandfather detected the worry in his tone.
“You’re in different stages of life right now,” his grandfather summed up.
“Yes. And because of that, I’m afraid our priorities won’t be the same. I don’t want to begin a relationship if there’s not a good chance of it lasting. I really don’t, but then there’s that other side of me that just wants to be with her, and doesn’t care what the cost might be.”
“You’ve got it bad,” his grandfather remarked sympathetically.
“I do. I’m already in love with her, and… I’m not thinking straight. I need help sorting this out.”
“Alright… You don’t know if she wants a serious relationship. Does she want one at all?”
“Sometimes I think she does. Other times, I’m not so sure,” Erik answered, remembering how she ducked when he started to kiss her. It was easier to blame that on youth and inexperience, last night. Now, he wasn’t so certain.
“She is younger than you, experience-wise. Compared to your upbringing, I’m guessing she’s been fairly sheltered,” his grandfather considered.
“She has, but that’s not a bad thing,” Erik frowned a little.
“No, it isn’t. But, your experiences in life have been different, and that affects your level of maturity, the way you view life, your wants and expectations, and how you’ll face difficulty in the future.”
“You’re not saying I should forget about having a relationship with Amber, because she doesn’t have the same dysfunction in her background that I have, I hope?” Erik’s eyebrows knit.
“Not at all,” his grandfather replied.
“Okay, good, because I really care about her. And I’m glad she doesn’t have the same things to overcome, that I’ve had. I would think she’d have more reason to be hesitant at having a relationship with me, than the other way around.”
His grandfather chuckled softly.
“You’ve got it bad, alright.”
Erik sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I do. And I’m sorry, I did ask you to help me sort through this.”
“Well… if you didn’t already know how much you want a relationship with this girl, I think you do now.”
“I do,” Erik sighed again. “I know you’re right about the difference in maturity, and not just because I’ve had things in my life to overcome. I’m five years older than she is.”
“Five years isn’t all that much. I’m nearly six years older than your grandmother.”
“What? Are you serious?” Erik asked in surprise.
“I am.”
“And—obviously, that worked out,” Erik said, as he tried to process this unexpected bit of information.
“I’m glad you think so,” his grandfather chuckled. “And you’re right. Five years may seem like a lot now, but not as much as it did when Amber was thirteen, and you were eighteen. The older you both get, the less difference it’ll make.”
“There’s less difference now, than there was just a couple of days ago. I have a lot of respect for the maturity I see developing in her. So… what did Gramma’s parents think? About you being older?”
“I never asked, and they never said. I suspect they saw that I loved your Gramma, and knew how to treat her. I was responsible, I had a job, and could provide for her.”
“I hope Amber’s parents notice the same things about me. I’m nervous about that. They might not think I’m very responsible, falling in love with their daughter, who’s younger than I am.”
“If Amber’s parents had any concerns, they wouldn’t encourage you to take her on as a partner in your investigation. They wouldn’t invite you to spend Thanksgiving with them, either. I think you’re placing more significance on those five years than they warrant.”
“I hope so.”
“Son, I can just about guarantee it,” his grandfather said with certainty. “You said Amber is a believer. Tell me about that.”
“She is. We’ve had some great talks about prayer, faith, relationship with Jesus, and daily sanctification. Her Bible knowledge isn’t as extensive as mine, but, I’ve also got an eight or nine year head-start on her. The most important thing is that she believes, she’s committed, and actively seeking to learn and grow.”
“That’s what matters,” his grandfather agreed.
“On top of that, I really like Amber. I’ve always liked her, but I never expected to fall in love with her. I’m still kind of processing that.”
“Well… I’m not all that surprised,” his grandfather admitted. “Your Gramma saw this coming.”
“What? When? How?” Erik replied in astonishment.
“She saw the two of you interacting when you visited this week. She saw the potential there.”
“I’m—amazed. And… kind of glad Gramma saw that. It’s validation, I guess.”
“Your Gramma and I like Amber, for what it’s worth,” his grandfather said.
“It’s worth a lot. Thanks, Grampa,” Erik smiled.
“You’re welcome, son. How is your investigation coming along?”
“Great. Amber figured out where our counters were taken, and we’re now in possession.”
“Did she,” his grandfather said in surprise.
“She did. Like I said, she’s really smart,” Erik replied, with a note of pride in his voice. “She also figured out Whitman isn’t involved, but Amos Burns, is. Or was. Amos Burns was found dead, yesterday. He was murdered.”
“Is there any connection, you think?” Erik’s grandfather asked in concern.
“We’re certain there is. We also know the two guys who rigged model F, are Jess Stilton and Randall Jerome. They were stuck in their vehicle on the way to the lodge, and died in the storm. Rob found them, when he was out gathering supplies from the other cabins. There’s one more person involved, the person behind all of it. We don’t know who that is, but we’re certain that’s who killed Burns.”
Erik gave his grandfather time to absorb all that. It was a lot to take in.
“Have you ruled out Robert Sherman?” his grandfather questioned.
“Busy elsewhere, working on a contract.”
“What other suspects do you have?”
“Well… it’s possible that Avenger—that’s what we’re calling the killer, it’s part of an email address—heard about Stilton’s and Jerome’s deaths from someone in Conner’s office, after Amber and I were there yesterday afternoon, and that may have precipitated Burns’ murder. Or, one of the people in Conner’s office is Avenger.”
“I can’t imagine Conner being involved in this,” his grandfather stated.
“Neither can I,” Erik agreed. “I can’t imagine Conner hiring anyone who’d commit murder, either. Amber’s not nearly as convinced, and I do intend to talk to him on Friday about this.”
“Alright. Be careful,” his grandfather warned him.
“We will be.”
“Is there anyone else on your suspect list?”
“No. Everyone who bid on the development has been ruled out, and so has everyone on the list we came up with.”
“Who else would benefit?” his
grandfather mused.
“I don’t know of anyone. So we’ll talk to Conner Friday, and take it from there. We’ve got a lot of photographs to go over too, and that’ll take time. I don’t know that we’ll find anything, but Amber and I might do some of that tomorrow.”
“Photographs?” his grandfather asked.
“Yes. What matters, is that we have them. Not so much how we got them. That, and a lot of the rest of what we know,” Erik replied, and his grandfather laughed.
“You’ve got me wondering, now. What are the chances I’ll ever hear the whole story?”
“Hm. I’ll have to give that some thought, and talk to my partner.”
“That wouldn’t be in crime, would it?” his grandfather asked dryly.
“Amber has assured me it is not, although I’m not a hundred percent sure I follow the logic,” Erik smiled, and his grandfather laughed again.
“It doesn’t sound like you’re too concerned.”
“I’m not—this morning. I can’t say I felt that way the past couple of nights. But everything turned out alright, and we have a lot of information we wouldn’t, if I was doing this on my own. Amber thinks differently than I do in some ways, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We make a great team.”
“It sounds like you do,” his grandfather gave his stamp of approval. Erik smiled, and his heart grew light.
“Thanks, Grampa. I’m not going to rush into anything, especially since I don’t know how she feels about me, or what kind of relationship she wants. I do know how I feel about her, and what I want. So I’m going to pray about it, and move forward slowly.”
“Sounds like a good plan, son,” his grandfather approved. “Your Gramma and I’ll be praying, too.”
ROB slid aside the fireplace screen, and added another log to the fire. Flames clutched at it eagerly, as the snap and crackle of burning sap filled the air, along with the scent of piñon. Firelight flickered cheerfully, compensating for the gray day outside the window.
“The wind stopped,” he commented. “The snow, too.”
“I’m glad you’re not going out, anyway,” she replied. She wrapped her arms around Rob as he settled on the couch beside her, and he smiled.
“I’m glad you feel that way. But it might not hurt to bring in a couple more loads of wood, while I have the chance.”
“I’d rather rely on the sporadic electricity and the emergency generator. We don’t need a fire,” she reminded him. The room suddenly grew brighter, and she glanced at the window in surprise.
“We haven’t had this much sunlight, since before the storm began,” Rob noted. “That’s a good sign.”
“Do you think it’s over?” Samantha asked hopefully.
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” he replied, and referred to the radar app. “Unless this is wrong, we haven’t seen the last of it. But there are a couple more reprieves indicated. I don’t think it’ll be much longer.”
“I hope not,” Samantha said fervently. The food situation was one concern. The intense desire to see Caleb, was another. In spite of the joy of reconciling, her heart ached for her baby. Their baby! She glanced up at Rob, and wondered when she should tell him. He glanced down, and kissed her.
It could wait.
ERIK slipped on his Bluetooth earphone, and selected Rob’s number from his contacts list. He picked up his keys and opened the door of their suite of rooms, and stepped outside. He listened to it ring, as he closed and locked the door behind him. He dropped his phone in his pocket and zipped his coat, then followed the stairs to the parking lot. In spite of the sunlight, the air was frigid.
“You have impeccable timing,” Rob answered drolly. In the background, Erik heard Samantha laugh.
“Uh… thanks? As much as that sounds like a compliment, I’m not sure it is. Am I interrupting? I was going to update you on our investigation, is all. And congratulations, by the way!”
“Thanks,” Rob smiled. “And go ahead. We’ve got all the time in the world, now. What did you find out?”
“Amos Burns is dead. Murdered. We know enough to be sure he was killed by the person behind the attempt to sabotage us…” Erik reported all that he and Amber learned, as he drove to pick her up. Other than a few exclamations, Rob listened in silence until his younger brother was finished.
“How did you figure all this out?” Rob wondered in amazement.
“I’m not at liberty to say,” Erik promptly replied. “But what matters, is—”
“Yeah, yeah, what matters is, that’s all I’m getting out of you,” Rob grumbled good-naturedly.
“Exactly,” Erik smiled. “Your in-laws invited me to spend Thanksgiving with them, and I’m on my way to pick up Amber. I’m almost there, so I’ve got to go.”
“Alright, well… be careful,” Rob said with concern. “I can’t imagine Conner having anything to do with this, but… you don’t know who you can trust. So don’t.”
“We’ll be careful,” Erik replied.
He and Rob ended their call, and he pulled into the parking lot beside Amber’s building. He found a space beside the door, and followed the walk to the entrance. He was anxious to see her, but nervous, too. As he reached for the buzzer, the door flew open, and Amber joined him.
“Hi,” she smiled.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” he smiled back, and they hugged. “Did you sleep well?”
No. She was too busy wondering if maybe, just maybe, he liked her. As more than a friend.
“Yeah, sure,” she replied. “How about you? Did you have pleasant dreams?”
Yes. They were all about her.
“I did,” was all he said.
“Good. So, I was thinking,” she informed him, as they walked to his SUV.
“I’m sure you were,” he smiled. “Were you thinking about anything in particular?”
“I’ve been particularly thinking we should get the names of the other three people in Conner Steven’s office. Their full names, and do some research before we talk to him tomorrow.”
“Okay… I can call Conner and ask,” Erik considered. “I may have his cell number. If not, Rob or Grampa probably do.”
“No, no, no,” Amber waved away that idea. “We’ll figure it out on our own, somehow. I know you said he used to work for your grandfather, but a lot of people probably did. Are you this loyal to all of them?”
“No, it’s not just that,” he answered, as they reached the vehicle and took their places. Amber held her hands in the warm air flowing from the vents, and Erik backed out and onto the road.
“Okay, so what is it, then?” she studied him curiously.
“I’ve known him practically my whole life. Conner didn’t just work for Grampa, he’s like family. The right kind, I should specify. I’d guess he was more like a son to Grampa, than our father was. Conner is completely trustworthy. Grampa was sorry to lose him, but Conner’s dream was to have his own company. Kind of like me and Rob. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of the reasons Conner left when he did, was to open up a place for us.”
“Okay, okay. Fine,” Amber conceded, lifting her hands in the air in surrender. “So he isn’t Avenger. You don’t even know the last names of the people working for him, though. So no imputing his righteousness on them. So we’ll figure out who they are, and either rule them in or out. If we rule them all out, then and only then, we’ll risk inquiring who it is they blabbed to.”
“Do you always work on holidays?” Erik asked. She saw his eyes were teasing, and rolled hers.
“Only when my friend’s business is in jeopardy. And our lives, they might also be. They won’t be, if we figure out who Avenger is.”
“Good point,” he admitted.
“Smart man,” she said imperiously. “We’ll get started right after breakfast.”
“Yes, dear,” Erik smiled.
Chapter 21
ROB took a moment to stir the stew that boiled in the pot on the stove. Steam rose into the air, its tantalizing aroma making his stomach gr
owl.
“That’s starving me to death,” Samantha declared, as she removed bowls from the cabinet.
“It’s not exactly turkey, but… it’ll do for now,” he replied. He ladled the stew into the bowls, and they carried them to the table.
“We’re short on pumpkin pie, too. But, we do have m&m’s,” she said optimistically, and he laughed.
“That, too, will do. For now. It may not be long before we can have the real thing,” he commented. Samantha followed his gaze to the sunlight that poured through the windows.
“Maybe the storm won’t come back at all,” she said hopefully, and not for the first, second, or third time that day.
“Anything’s possible, but it’s most probable that it will,” Rob replied.
“Then I’ll be thankful for the reprieve while it lasts,” she resigned herself.
ERIK watched the screen of Mrs. Field’s iPad, as Amber tapped yet another entry into the search engine. A list of results appeared, and her eyebrows knit as she scrolled through them.
The scent of turkey and sage wafted through the room. In spite of an ample breakfast, Erik’s stomach was tempted to growl.
Amber frowned in concentration as she initiated another search.
“I can call Conner and ask for their names,” Erik reminded her, which earned him a scowl.
“And then what? Assuming you’re right, and he’s not involved, he’ll be tempted to contact his employees himself. And that, won’t tip off Avenger or hurt our investigation, at all.”
“Okay, fine, on the one hand, I see your point. On the other, I wonder why we’re doing this? I won’t risk getting pinched again, by suggesting we won’t find anything. But we should probably put this aside, and go see if your mom needs help.”
Amber’s mother halted abruptly on her way past the door of the living room.
“That’s sweet of you, Erik, but I’ve got it covered,” Mrs. Fields assured him. “You two, just… enjoy hanging out.”
She continued on her way, and Erik wondered. If Amber’s mom was concerned about their difference in age… she wouldn’t encourage them to stay in the living room by themselves. Then again, maybe their difference in age was the reason she had no concern. Maybe it never occurred to her that he might fall in love with her daughter.
Disengaged (Terms of Engagement Book 3) Page 35