Howl at the Loon (An Alpine Grove Romantic Comedy Book 6)

by Susan C. Daffron

  “I’m sorry.” Robin stomped the sand to put out the last tiny smoldering embers. “It is beautiful here and it would be so much fun for a kid.”

  “It was.” Darrell put his hands in his pockets. “I gotta tell you, it kills me to see how run-down this place is now.”

  Alec said, “It’s mostly cosmetic except for the lodge roof, I think. Some money and TLC would go a long way. I don’t think Ernie has been up to it for a while.”

  “I know. I feel bad about that. Since my father died, I haven’t paid attention to what was going on here. My mother nagged me about checking on Ernie. The last time I talked to him much he said he was refinancing this place. And then Mom started having health problems, and then the merger took up all my time. Then dealing with Sue.” He ran his fingers through his hair and turned away from them toward the lodge. “I didn’t get to finish my dinner. Could you make sure that’s out? Having this place burn to the ground is the last thing I need.”

  Robin glanced at Alec, who stepped into the fire ring and stomped around some more. Something was up here, and she didn’t know what it was. But she was willing to bet that Alec knew more than he was letting on.

  He stepped back out of the fire ring and stood next to Robin. “I think it’s okay now.”

  Robin faced him. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on? What was the huge emergency and where were you all afternoon?”

  Alec looked back at the lodge. No one was around, and he took Robin’s hand. “I’m sorry. No one is supposed to know about this, but Darrell and Sue are probably getting divorced. As you might imagine, that has a considerable effect on the company, because they’re the largest shareholders.”

  “What? That’s impossible. The whole story of them starting the catalog in their living room is a retail legend.”

  “The reality was significantly less pleasant. Sue wants to get out of the business entirely. Obviously, that has a lot of implications for Eagle River.” He squeezed her hand. “You absolutely can’t tell anyone. I’m probably guilty of insider trading or something by telling you.”

  “Since I can’t afford to buy even one share of Eagle River stock, I think you’re safe. Do you think their divorce has something to do with whatever weird stuff is going on here?”

  “The thought did cross my mind. But I’m not sure how it would be relevant.”

  “What happens if Ernie is too sick to run this place?”

  “I think he already is. That’s why Darrell wanted to talk to me. This afternoon we drove all over Alpine Grove. We talked to a lawyer in town. Darrell had to sign a power of attorney for Ernie because he was involuntarily committed. Then we got some of the financial and legal documents about this place.”

  “Poor Ernie. Are Darrell and Sue the only relatives he has?”

  “Ernie and Myrtle never had kids, I guess.” Alec shook his head. “I’m not sure Sue has ever been here.”

  Robin gestured toward the beach. “What’s going to happen to the lodge if they get divorced?”

  “I have no idea. Maybe it will be sold. I didn’t get to see the documents, but I assume lakefront property like this would have to be worth a fortune.”

  “That’s so sad. The North Fork has been in Darrell’s family forever. Even the ghost is related to him.”

  “I know.” He squeezed her hand again and let go. “We should get back. Darrell’s certainly not going to believe we’re not having some romantic rendezvous now.”

  She grinned. “It is kind of romantic out here.”

  “Except for the whole scary haunted-werewolf thing.”

  “Well, yeah, except for that.”

  As they slowly walked back to the lodge Alec said, “The other sort of awful thing about all this is that I’m going to probably have to work longer hours as Sue transitions out of the company.”

  Robin stopped and faced him. “How is that even possible?”

  “I don’t know. To be honest, it kind of makes me sick to think about it. I’m already kind of burned out.”

  “Kind of? Kind of?” Robin could tell the tone of her voice was shrill, but she didn’t care. “You have got to be kidding me. I’ll never see you. And apart from that, you’re miserable. How long do you plan to wait until you actually decide to have fun or be happy again? Don’t you ever want to have a life?”

  Alec looked somewhat taken aback by her outburst. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t think about it.”

  “Maybe you should.” Robin thumped up the stairs away from him. She wasn’t exactly a model for great life choices, but at least she wasn’t miserable like he was. And seeing someone she loved so unhappy made her want to scream or cry. Or throw something at a wall.

  Robin returned to her seat and, not surprisingly, found that her food was gone. And Clark was now sitting at the table. Perfect. As if she weren’t already in a bad mood. Dessert had better include a whole lot of chocolate or there was going be h-e-double-hockey-sticks to pay. She grabbed a roll out of the basket, scowling as she chewed, mentally daring Clark to say something snotty. He glanced at her and looked away, suddenly deeply interested in the coffee dregs at the bottom of his mug.

  Alec sat down next to her, took the last roll out of the basket, and began chewing. They ate in silence and watched as people slowly filtered out of the dining room. After everyone had left, Robin went back to the kitchen and snagged some leftovers before Chuck and the roadies finished putting it all away.

  She set a plate in front of Alec. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.”

  He looked into her eyes. “It’s okay. You’re right. I’m kind of angry at myself too. If I had a spine, I’d say ‘no Darrell, I’m not going to do that,’ but I didn’t. I never do. Part of me thinks that if I lose this job, I’ll never get another one.”

  Robin smirked. “Give me a break. I’m the unemployable drone, stuck in dead-end jobs until I die or spreadsheet software is replaced by robots. You, on the other hand, can easily find another job. Companies are probably clamoring for you. Heck-fire, you can do whatever you want.”

  “Sure, until they find out that I’m not qualified. People will find out I’m not talented at much of anything and I just lucked into this job.”

  “I can’t imagine why you think that. You work so hard.”

  “There’s so much stuff I don’t know and so many things I do wrong.”

  Robin put her hand on his. “You are so hard on yourself. It’s not like you have to be perfect. No one is. The thing that bothers me is that you don’t like what you’re doing and you’re obviously not enjoying it. If I’d never seen what you’re like when you’re happy, it wouldn’t be so apparent when you’re not.”

  Alec chuckled. “You said I am like a different person here.”

  “You are. And the happy version of you is a lot more fun to be around.”

  He stroked her hair and smiled. “Since I’m happy here, let’s go back to our little home-away-from-home. And thanks. I need to think about what you said.”

  “I do too. Let’s face it. It’s not like I’m enjoying great career satisfaction either.”

  The next morning, Robin got ready to go to breakfast and the training class. While she brushed her hair, Alec was lying on the bed reading the gigantic marketing notebook again. She pointed the brush at him. “You have to be tired of that by now.”

  He grinned. “What clued you in?”

  “The fact that you when you blink, your eyes stay closed too long.”

  “You never miss a detail. At least I’m well-rested.” Putting the binder aside, he got off the bed. “Are you ready to deal with people who seem to dislike us more every single day?”

  Robin raised a fist in a mock-enthusiastic cheerleading gesture. “Oh boy! Can’t wait!”

  He laughed and gave her a kiss. “Let’s go.”

  After breakfast and the class, Darrell dragged Alec off somewhere again. Since she wasn’t terribly interested in marketing, during class Robin had been writing down names and doodling arrows,
trying to figure out who would have an incentive to try to scare people. She came up with nothing except a well decorated list.

  Maybe Alec would finally tell Darrell he wasn’t going to become his work wife once Sue left. Or not. It seemed like Robin couldn’t do anything right. Her life was a mess. This retreat was a mess. After the class, she couldn’t face dealing with people anymore, so she ran into the kitchen, grabbed some food, and went down to the beach. She sat on a bench looking out on the lake. It was so peaceful here. Maybe if she sat here long enough, she’d figure out what to do.

  After the marketing people did the reviews, she’d undoubtedly lose her job. Alec would finally wise up and get a new job. Their whole relationship was completely doomed anyway. He’d already said he didn’t feel the same way about her as she did about him. What was the point?

  Maybe it would be simpler to quit, get it over with, and go back to Spokane. At least she had friends there. But then she’d lose everything she’d worked for in Portland, which seemed like a waste too. And the idea of never seeing Alec again made her stomach do a miserable little back flip. It seemed that she was good at making decisions, except for when it came to her own life.

  She sighed and laid her head on her arms. Everything was all wrong and she didn’t know what to do. She turned her head to look down the beach. What was that? She sat up straight and stared at the spot on the beach where a person had disappeared into the trees. Who was that? It was definitely not someone from the retreat.

  Robin reflected for a moment on what she’d seen. What should she do? The person had been a balding older man with glasses who was wearing black clothing. He had been walking toward her down the beach, but then turned into a forested area. It was definitely not Ernie. This guy was short and stout, whereas Ernie was tall, skinny, and residing elsewhere now. It also was not anyone from Eagle River who was staying at the lodge, or one of Chuck’s roadies. She’d certainly seen all of those people enough to recognize them. A nearsighted rotund guy wearing a black turtleneck didn’t seem like someone out fishing, either. What was he doing?

  Robin got up and began slowly walking toward the copse of trees. It was probably a stupid thing to do, but what if this was the person who was trying to scare them? Why else would he be sneaking around like this?

  She stopped at the edge of the forest and peered into the dark foliage. A narrow cleared area meandered through some shrubs into the trees. With a deep breath, she stepped forward onto the path. Even though the sun wasn’t going to set for hours, it was shady among the evergreens and shadows fell across the way. Trying to step as quietly as possible, she moved forward until she came to a clearing. She stepped behind a huge tree and watched as the man sat down in a folding chair in front of a tent. He seemed to be messing around with something electronic. Robin put her hand in front of her mouth to stifle her gasp of surprise. It was a CD player! Maybe the horrible noises were from a gruesome audio recording. Who would record something like that?

  She stepped backward and a branch snapped loudly, breaking the hush of the clearing. Stilling herself, she waited to see if the man had heard. He looked up, shook his head, and mumbled something.

  There was no way she was going to confront an unknown man who probably was up to no good, but Robin wasn’t sure she could leave without him noticing her exit. It was so quiet here in the forest, but eventually she’d have to move. If she could get back, she could return with other people. Like the police. If nothing else, this man was trespassing. She looked over her shoulder and tiptoed to a nearby tree. The man didn’t look up. Repeating the process, she tiptoed from tree to tree until she was far enough away. Then she ran the rest of the way down the path and back to the beach and up to the bench again.

  Panting, she sat down and looked up the hill at the lodge. Alec was standing on the front steps and he waved to her. She waved back and hoped he would come down to where she was because the idea of moving wasn’t appealing after fleeing the forest. She put her elbows on her knees, closed her eyes, and rested her forehead on her palms, trying to catch her breath and allow her heart rate to return to normal. Maybe she should take up jogging.

  Alec sat down next to her and she straightened and opened her eyes to look at him. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  She turned her head to look up at the lodge. Darrell was standing on the steps looking down at them. Disentangling herself and moving away from Alec, she said. “I found someone in the woods and, well, basically, I ran away. But we should call the police.”

  “What do you mean? Like a transient?”

  “No. A guy in black with an expensive tent and electronics. He had a CD player. I think he’s playing those awful noises. And I’m willing to bet he’s been sneaking around doing other stuff too. Maybe he set the fire. How horrible.”

  Alec leaned back and sighed. “So there really is someone behind all that?”

  “Yes. We need to tell Darrell. It’s his family’s lodge.” She turned and looked at him on the steps. “I hope he didn’t see you.”

  “You’re right, we should.” He gave her a peck on the lips and grinned. “I don’t care if he saw me because I already told him that we’ve been staying in the same cabin.”

  “I thought you didn’t want anyone to know. Telling the CEO might not have been the brightest idea. Now I’m definitely going to get fired.”

  “You’re not going to get fired.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Darrell wants to send you to West Virginia.”

  “What? Why? Is this because I’m seeing you? I’ve never even been to West Virginia.”

  “No. Eagle River is opening a new distribution center there. He wants you to run it.”

  Robin put her hand to her chest. “Me? Is he insane?”

  “No. He thinks you’re amazing. Actually I do too, which is why I told him I thought you were qualified to do it when he asked me.”

  “Well, sending me across the country certainly makes breaking up easier.” She wiped a tear off her cheek. “Earlier I was thinking it was inevitable, but still. I know this is a great opportunity, but the idea of not seeing you anymore truly breaks my heart.”

  “I don’t want to do that.” He took both of her hands in his. “In fact, being here with you, sharing the cabin, made me realize you are right. It’s not just you. I want to be with you all the time too. I didn’t say it before because I was too stupid, or surprised, or who knows what? You never know with me. But now I’m sure. I love you and if you want to take the job, I’ll go with you to West Virginia.”

  Robin’s eyes widened and she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “You’d do that?”

  “Yes. But only if I can bring Leroy too.”

  “Absolutely. Emma would never forgive me if you didn’t.”

  Alec cupped Robin’s tear-stained cheek and rubbed it gently with his thumb. “So are you ready to meet Alpine Grove law enforcement?”

  “Yes. We should go.” She wiped her eyes hurriedly. “Do I look like a raccoon?”

  “You’re fine. Beautiful, in fact.”

  “Well then, all I can say is thank goodness for waterproof mascara.”

  He took her hand and they walked up to the lodge. Darrel waved in greeting when they reached the bottom of the steps. “So I guess you guys talked?”

  Robin smiled. “Yes. Thank you for the opportunity, but we need to talk to you about something else that’s going on here.”

  Darrell leaned against the porch railing and listened quietly as Robin explained what she had seen. He scratched his chin. “Yes, the person is trespassing. But I’m a little reluctant to call the police. Did the guy look dangerous?”

  Robin shook her head. “No. He looked like an accountant. Or a fire hydrant.”

  Darrell chuckled. “That doesn’t sound like Julia Lambert either.”

  “Not at all.”

  Darrell said, “The finances on this place are such a mess, I’m afra
id I’m going to have to sell it. I can’t stand the idea that it won’t be in my family anymore, but Ernie has no kids and neither do I. Myrtle is going to roll over in her grave, but there’s no way I can do anything with this lodge while I’m living in Portland. I’ve got enough problems dealing with Eagle River right now as it is. Maybe someone knows what’s going on here and is trying to capitalize on that to get us to sell out cheap. I mean, this is Alpine Grove. Given the grapevine here, if the police come out, it could be the biggest news of the last twenty years. I’d rather not let the entire town in on Ernie’s troubles.”

  Alec said, “What if we sort of casually go for a hike in the woods and have a chat with the guy?”

  Robin looked at Alec. “What if he’s got a gun? There was all that blood.”

  Darrell said, “Well, Ernie’s got a hunting rifle. I’m not sure it actually works anymore, but I could whack someone with it.”

  After Darrell went inside, Alec took Robin’s hand. “You could stay here if you want.”

  “No way. I want to find out who that guy is. I love this place and if Darrell is right and someone is trying to burn it down or drive out Ernie, that infuriates me. It’s just wrong.” She walked down the steps. “There’s a shovel and hoe leaning on the wall over here.”

  Alec picked up the shovel and examined it. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything this rusty.”

  Robin picked up the hoe and the end fell off. “I guess it’s lighter this way.”

  Darrell returned with the old gun and held it up. “Okay, I found it.”

  “What is that, a flintlock?” Alec said.

  “I don’t know, but it’s so dusty in Ernie’s apartment I feel like I need to take a bath now.”

  Robin pointed toward the lake. “The clearing is off to the left.”

  Darrell said, “I think I know where that is. We used to hang out there when I was a kid.”

  They walked down to the beach and turned toward the path. Robin put the stick over her shoulder. “We look like the seven dwarfs.”