“Thanks for asking. I think I should get away from Pelican Pointe, even if it’s just for a few days. I’ve been thinking about this. I should drop off those pictures Scott took before we leave and let Brent judge the differences in the images for himself. They’re almost like a time capsule.”
“Probably a good idea. And gives merit to Bradford’s involvement.”
“I’m beginning to get excited about the trip.”
“Good. It’ll give you a chance to bring your Glock.”
Her eyes bugged out at the implication. “I hope you’re alluding to target practice. Or am I there as more like your backup?”
“Let’s hope a bunch of tin cans is all we have to worry about.”
Fourteen
Caleb loaded up his pickup, locked up his house and set the alarm. He checked in with Eastlyn on his way to pick up Hannah.
“Make sure you swing by the house at least once in the morning and again at night.”
“Stop worrying. Brent and I have this covered. We’re making sweeps by the flower shop, the nursery, our place, your place, and everything in between. If the guy comes back, chances are we’ll spot him before he has a chance to hurt anyone.”
“How do you intend to be everywhere when you’re flying Cooper up to the cabin Saturday morning?”
“I’m just dropping him off.”
“You aren’t staying?”
“Nope. We’re bringing the equipment up and then I’m taking off. He’s coming back with you guys Sunday or Monday. It’s okay to take the extra day. It’ll give you both more time to install the security measures we talked about. Without those, you’re setting yourself up for another disappointing round.”
“I know this guy will come back if we don’t catch him.”
“One thing we know for sure. He can’t be in two places at once. He’s either running around the woods near the cabin or he’s left there for good and decided to hang around town in the peeping Tom role. You and Hannah be careful, stay alert.”
“Will do. Same goes for you.”
By noon, Caleb and Hannah were heading north, past thick forest land on winding roads that went through scenic foothills.
Behind the wheel, Caleb pointed to the landscape. “I’m always amazed by the beauty along the coast.”
Hannah rolled her window down and breathed in the fresh air. “What is it about the ocean and a beach that make people dream?”
“Romantic setting maybe? What did Brent say when you dropped off the photos?”
“Mostly he was surprised that I shared them with him. I also gave him a great deal of my research. Not all, but enough. I got the sense that he knows a lot more than he’s telling us.”
“Sounds like a typical cop.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
“What did Durke and Jordan say about you taking the time off? Were they upset?”
“Jordan was clearly disappointed that I won’t be there tomorrow, but she wasn’t upset. I think she misses our conversations more than my work. Sometimes I think she gets lonely out there during the day when Nick is at the bank. At least that’s my impression.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I don’t really do all that much. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I did at first. I dusted everything in sight, including the light fixtures. I cleaned toilets and showers and bath tubs. I polished the silver, the furniture, the bannister, even the doors. I even picked up trash around the property. But lately, it’s been different. Jordan steers me into the kitchen, where we usually sit down and have a cup of coffee, maybe a cinnamon roll, and just have a gabfest. The girl talk goes on for a good hour before she decides, only then, should I go upstairs and get to work. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s paying me to come out there so she’ll have someone to talk to.”
“You think she’s that lonely?”
“I do. The thing is she lives a good distance from town. Sometimes I wonder if people forget she’s out there. Think about it. The only time she gets to talk to others is when she drops Hutton off at school, takes little Scottie to preschool, or runs errands around town. Otherwise, she’s stuck out there with no one to talk to.”
“Very perceptive on your part. Drea mentioned the same thing to me last summer when she delivered flowers out there and Jordan talked her ear off.”
“I wonder if her husband is aware of it.”
“Nick stays busy at the bank. I go in there once or twice a week and he’s invariably got three people waiting to talk to him.”
“The price of success, I suppose.”
“It shouldn’t be that way. How about Durke? Was he mad at you?”
“Not really. Durke’s a laidback kind of guy. He said he could cover both Saturday and Sunday shifts if Darla and Geniece show up as scheduled, which isn’t as definitive as it sounds. I think those two definitely take advantage of Durke’s good-natured approach to management.”
“Believe it or not, I got that impression, too.”
“Durke’s a nice guy to work for, really understanding and patient. He even told me to make sure I enjoyed my days off. How sweet is that?”
“I know you. You’ll likely spend the next four days worried about letting Jordan and Durke down. I hope you don’t do that because you absolutely need to take this time to come to grips with the idea that Micah was left in that hole, which is horrible in its own right.”
“In other words, prepare for the worst.”
“Unfortunately, yes. While on the other hand, the second scenario is that it isn’t Micah, which means you should take this time to prepare a whole new game plan knowing your kid brother is out there somewhere. Alive. Making his way in the world the best he can until—”
“Until I find him,” she stressed.
“Until you find him,” Caleb repeated.
“I’m looking forward to this, even helping you out with the work at the cabin. I just need to get my head on straight before I take on Isabella’s co-op.”
He raised a brow, took his eyes off the road long enough to glance at her. “Is that a done deal?”
“Yeah. She made me an offer with benefits and vacation days, the whole bit. I couldn’t believe it. I haven’t had time to talk it over with my dad but it’s a good job, one where I can eventually grow grapes on part of the land.”
“Which part?”
“The spread that backs up to the woods.”
“So, you’re staying in town no matter what happens with the DNA?”
“Surprised me, too. We have a busy weekend ahead, don’t we?”
He picked up her hand and placed a kiss on the palm. “It won’t be so bad. We’ll spend our nights sleeping on Egyptian cotton sheets and calling room service. But it will get busy over the next four days. I called an electrician to come out tomorrow to replace the cabin’s outside wiring, update it to twenty-first century standards.”
“And the plumber?”
“Can’t forget the plumber. I also had to order three new mattresses, one for each bedroom, scheduled delivery for Friday afternoon.”
“This little stunt your mother pulled must be costing you a fortune.”
“We all pooled our money, the family did. That’s the usual way we handle things. And please, in the future, never refer to Eleanor as my mother. That woman has the maternal instincts of a tiger shark.”
“You think we’ll run into this guy up here?”
“I hope not.”
“That makes two of us.”
The Cutter Legacy Resort was fancier than Hannah expected. It looked like a chalet that belonged in Aspen where celebrities came to ski. It wasn’t all that large, but it sat at the foothills nestled against the mountainside. It had three-hundred-and-sixty-degree panoramic views of the little valley where tall junipers and sequoias battled for space. A copse of hemlock and pine guarded the circled driveway entrance.
The posh lobby had a massive floor to ceiling stone fireplace on one end and at the other, a wall of windows
overlooking the valley.
“You were picturing something more rustic maybe with a bearskin rug on the floor?” Caleb whispered.
She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “You know exactly what I was thinking and it wasn’t this.”
“Never in a million years would I presume to know what’s in your head. But some developer built this thing about five years ago to pick off some of the tech crowd coming down from San Jose for the weekend. I guess it worked.”
After check-in, a bell boy delivered their luggage to their room, a luxurious suite with a king-sized bed. She fell back on the mattress testing the bounce. “I feel like I just won a three-night stay at the Waldorf. It’s freezing in here. Could you turn up the heat?”
He leaned over, letting his body fall on top of hers. “Let’s see if I can warm you up instead.”
She ran a slim finger down his throat. “I think you know the answer to that already.”
They undressed each other in the soft afternoon glow of waning winter light. They dived under the covers with momentum carrying them down. Her hair spread out on the pillow as he nipped her bottom lip. He slid one hand down her body, stroking each silky curve, focusing on each bend and arch. He worked his way lower, his tongue trailing over her. Like a laser, he locked in on that special point. His teeth nipping until she exploded like a beam wrapped in glorious sensations.
When she could catch her breath, her hand swept along his muscled chest down to his lean waist. She arched her body and used it as leverage to flip their positions until she was on top. She straddled him, wrapping her thighs around his. Their eyes locked as he moved inside her. Wet and slick, they drove. Her body on fire, loose and rushing to that point of surrender. Up, up, and higher still. Beyond the deepening blue to the next wild layer of indigo, their world slid into a kaleidoscope that exploded in a rush of need and swirling heat.
She collapsed on his chest in a limp heap, listening to his heartbeat as she tried to recover enough to move.
He stroked her hair.
“Caleb?”
“What?”
“I didn’t think you could top last night.” She finally found the energy to slid off to the side. “Please tell me we don’t have to move from this spot.”
“I wish. Why don’t you unpack, get settled, and I’ll go start work on the cabin.”
“I’m not letting you go out there alone.”
“Let’s not start the weekend off with this argument again. I’ll be fine. I should be back around five-thirty or so.”
She sat up on one elbow and enjoyed the sight of watching his naked body crawl out of bed. He unzipped his bag and started throwing his things into one of the dresser drawers. “Since it took you all of ten seconds to unpack, I’ll do the same. Because I’m going with you. There’s no point in having a fight about it, either. That’s one of the reasons I made the trip so we would be together. Splitting up isn’t part of the deal.”
“Any other female would likely stay put and enjoy the room, maybe binge watch some TV, take a long soak in that Jacuzzi tub.”
“I should probably do all that since I already know what’s out there waiting for both of us—backed up toilets, smelly garbage, steaming with flies and ants.”
“Yuck, even I think that sounds repulsive. That’s why you should stay put.”
“You forget that I’m used to getting my hands dirty. I run my own cleaning service and I don’t mind digging in the dirt. The clogged toilets, however, are all yours. I know nothing about plumbing anyway.”
“That’s why I called a plumber. He’s scheduled for tomorrow along with the electrician.”
“I’m a fan of both. They take care of the big stuff while we go out there and haul off trash. It leaves us more time to make use of this divine room.”
A spurt of protectiveness about the cabin he loved so much reared its head. “It isn’t a bad place. Spruced up, it’s always been nice and homey.”
“Aww, I didn’t mean anything by suggesting we stay here. It was your idea. I’m sure I’ll be able to see the cabin’s potential once we get past the filth.”
“Come on, we’ll spend an hour there doing just that before dark, two tops.”
Once they got dressed and left the hotel, they stopped at a grocery store to pick up supplies—garbage bags, six kinds of spray cleaners, paper towels, bleach, and an extra mop and broom. They needed paint to cover the stains on the walls and found it at a big box store out on the highway.
Perusing the paint aisle, Hannah watched him pick up a gallon of bland interior white. “So, you’re going with the same boring color you had on the walls before this incident forced you to repaint?”
“You have other ideas?”
She spread out the color wheel and began to flip through the choices. “A ton. But due to our time constraints we keep it simple. Since there’s no paneling to deal with, how about a nice French Oak for the living room, Summer Sage for the kitchen, and Glass Slipper or River Blue for the bedrooms?”
“It’s better than white, huh?”
“Infinitely. Plus, if you’re going to take the time to slap on paint, why not liven up the place with a fresh look? Get rid of that dingy, outdated feel. When’s the last time it was redecorated?”
“The main room did have paneling until 2000. That summer Shelby had us rip it out and put it new sheetrock, which we painted white to lighten up the room.”
“Ah. Do you think she’d mind if you swapped out for color?”
“Nah. She’s been complaining about the walls for years, too aesthetic.” He decided right there to take her advice and opt for color.
After hailing the salesperson, they continued to shop while they waited for the clerk to mix the paint. They picked up new rollers and brushes and several tarps to protect the hardwood floors from drips and spills.
Armed with determination, provisions, and a decorating plan, Caleb pulled out of the store parking lot as fat snowflakes began to fall. At the higher elevation, the wind had a bite to it.
“This is amazing. I don’t see snow that often. It’s so exciting.”
“When you’re freezing that pretty little ass of yours off, I’ll remind you how much you like the cold.”
“If it’s simply cold, that’s different. Snow is much more appealing somehow.”
“You must think there’s logic in that statement…somewhere. Have you forgotten, in order to get snow, it’s gotta be around freezing? And I don’t like being cold. That’s why I live where I live.”
“And you’re making fun of my logic? It gets cold near the coast. Try San Francisco.”
“Much further north than Pelican Pointe. The weather back home is downright balmy in the summertime. Stick around and you’ll see I’m right. It makes for a terrific growing season.”
The snow picked up as he made the turn into the lane. They’d reached the cabin with daylight to spare. But the truck fishtailed on the slick pavement, skidding onto the shoulder.
“Whoa, please tell me we won’t get stranded here tonight without power.”
“Don’t worry. I can get us out of here and back to the hotel. We’ll drop off our supplies and make a list of everything that needs doing. We’re here an hour tops.”
Once they were inside, she stuck close to the front door and the living area because the smell didn’t seem as bad there as in the rest of the house.
“It’s freezing in here. It must be fifty degrees.”
“I’ll make a fire. There’s plenty of wood left in the crate. Funny, that’s the only useful thing the guy seemed to have left untouched.”
“That’s probably because he had a working furnace,” she said with her teeth clattering in the frigid room. After that, she stayed glued to the fireplace while he went through the house, making detailed notes in the spiral notebook he’d brought.
When he came back his face said it all.
“You’re really pissed off.”
“Yeah. But I’ll have to get past it. There’s too m
uch to do.” He sat down at the massive wooden desk in the corner while she curled up in one of the leather chairs nearby.
She liked watching him mull over an idea. The way his mouth quirked up at the corners whenever he found the solution to a problem.
“What are you staring at?” he asked, glancing up from his notebook.
“You,” she answered, getting to her feet to run her fingers through his hair. “I just realized how cute you are sitting there all serious and thoughtful. What is all this in your binder?”
“I’ve been keeping a journal of sorts filled with a bunch of facts and figures about the cabin. Ever since I’ve been coming here going back twenty years. That’s how I know when Shelby changed out the original décor and when we last had someone up here to look at the furnace.”
Peering over his shoulder, her eyes bugged out at the length of the list. “Caleb, there’s no way we can get all this done in the three days we have left.”
“I know. But I’ll focus on the big stuff and maybe come back this spring, when the weather’s warmer. I think the roof’s giving out. It might be coming to the end of its lifespan, which has nothing to do with our vandal.”
“You know what occurs to me. Why didn’t this guy just set the place on fire? If Eleanor wanted to make a big statement, burning it to the ground would’ve been a doozy.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Maybe the guy was here to retrieve something and he didn’t find it.”
“Wow, you may have a point. I never considered that.”
They stayed for another hour, well past dark, but only because they did another room to room search jotting down as many hiding places as they could think to look. By the time they left, she’d convinced Caleb there was something in the cabin worth turning it upside down.
Which meant, the guy would eventually come back for a second look.
Fifteen
The next morning it was after seven when room service knocked on the door to deliver their breakfast order—a stack of pancakes and Eggs Palermo—two poached eggs nestled atop a grilled Portobello mushroom, prosciutto, and fresh spinach.
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