Beneath Winter Sand

by Vickie McKeehan

  Hannah opened the door to a man dressed in a red jacket and black pants who wheeled a cart laden with food into the room. She signed the receipt, added a tip, and called out to Caleb. “Food’s here. I’m starving.”

  Without waiting, Hannah dug in with gusto.

  Caleb was a little slower to get out of bed. “How’d you sleep?”

  Hannah poured herself a cup of coffee from a silver pot. “Like a rock. How about you?”

  “I kept trying to come up with what’s inside the cabin that Eleanor would want. She never showed the slightest bit of interest in anything there before.”

  Hannah waved her fork at him in between bites. “I don’t want to split hairs here, but technically we don’t know for sure that she has anything to do with the vandalism at all. At this point, you’re just guessing.”

  “Because I know the devious side to Eleanor.”

  “Okay, you have knowledge that I don’t, your own history makes her immediately a suspect. But think about it. If Eleanor hid something in the cabin that she needed to retrieve years later, she’d be able to tell whoever was there exactly where to find it. Am I right? Why didn’t she do that? He obviously tore the place up looking.”

  Caleb scratched his head. Try as he might to dispute that logic, he couldn’t. But he wasn’t about to give up the notion that Eleanor had been involved somehow. “Maybe he found what he was looking for and tore the place up because he’s a first-rate asshole.”

  “No argument there. These eggs are delicious. Try a bite before they get stone cold.”

  Caleb pulled on his jeans and plopped down at the end of the bed so he could reach the cart. He finally picked up a fork and cut into his eggs. “Not bad. Tasty. How did you know to order this?”

  “Eggs Palermo was listed on the menu left on the door last night as one of the choices. I’d never had it before but it sounded interesting.”

  Caleb scarfed down the remaining pancakes and let out a sigh. “We need to get going. I need to call Tahoe Jones to have him meet us at the cabin. Are you ready to be there when the plumber and electrician arrive?”

  “I’m ready for a working toilet and a furnace that blasts out heat.”

  “Then let’s get on the road.”

  “We’ll need to stop for sandwiches.”

  He grinned. “You’re thinking ahead about lunch? You’re my kind of woman.”

  The snow had long ended by the time they reached the cabin where Tahoe Jones was waiting.

  Hannah discovered the elderly man was short—no taller than five foot five. Maybe that’s why he had the habit of carrying a shotgun with him wherever he went. The weapon was almost as tall as he was and weighed about as much. On the skinny side, Tahoe’s wrinkled face had warm brown eyes that twinkled with a sense of humor. Leaning up against his beat up, older model Ford pickup truck, he gave Caleb a toothy grin.

  Tahoe held out a hand in greeting. “Been a long time. Do you still take off running whenever you see a raccoon?”

  Caleb pumped the man’s hand and laughed. “Not since I was five.” He angled his head toward Hannah. “Long story, short version. I came up here once and made the mistake of finding a baby raccoon hiding under the porch. I thought it was a kitten so I tried to pull it out of its little cubby hole so I could hold it and pet it. Big mistake. The thing chomped down on my thumb and wouldn’t let go. They carted me off to the ER where I got three stitches and a series of shots that hurt like hell.”

  “Ouch. I see why you ran.”

  “A little too late,” Tahoe said with a chuckle. “Your dad let me know you’ve had a break-in. Too bad I didn’t catch the bastard in the act.” He held up his gun. “If I had, me and The Boss here would’ve handled it already. Good news is I haven’t seen hide nor hair of anyone hanging around since Landon’s phone call. And I’ve been on guard. If it could happen here it could happen at my place when I leave to go to town.”

  “Thanks for that. Have you seen Sheriff Hines or the park ranger?”

  “Not Hines himself, but several sweeps in the area from his deputies, as has Mick Daily, the park ranger.”

  At the sound of a truck engine, they all turned to watch a white van turn into the lane.

  “Let’s hope that’s the plumber,” Hannah sang out with hope.

  Sure enough the van had a plumbing logo on the side. When a bearded man crawled out of the driver’s side, Hannah pumped a fist in the air and did a little jig. “I hope you don’t mind big, dirty jobs.”

  “Nothing to ’em,” the plumber boasted. “They’re right up my alley.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way,” Caleb began. “Let me show you the worst of the bathrooms.”

  While the plumber did his thing, Hannah and Caleb hauled out the gasoline soaked bedding to the front of the house so the delivery drivers could remove the old mattresses and box springs.

  It was cold outside but within ten minutes neither one of them felt the chill. In fact, Caleb was sweating so much he took off his jacket.

  From there, they took each room one by one, beginning with the kitchen. They literally began by scooping up flour, sugar, and cereal from the floor and shoveling crap off the counters. It all ended up in a large, aluminum bucket, before getting dumped into garbage bags and then hauled out to huge trash cans pulled down to the road. They bagged up sacks of nasty, rotting food from the refrigerator, bundling the sacks together in the one remaining metal garbage can on hand, and locking it down near the road so the county refuse truck could cart it off to the landfill as soon as possible.

  The electrician showed up thirty minutes later with a flair for playing detective. “How on earth did every wire running to the electric box get severed?”

  “Ever heard of a narcissistic sociopath with a very sharp box cutter and a distorted view of the world?” Caleb fired back.

  The man’s jaw dropped. “I hope no one got hurt.”

  “Not yet. That’s why I need the entire electrical box moved inside.”

  Once the cabin had working toilets and a clean interior, the atmosphere inside changed, especially when the furnace kicked in and the heat came on, warming up all parties involved.

  Hannah and Caleb put the kitchen back together, starting with the refrigerator. They swabbed the tile floor to a shine. They washed what dishes, glasses, and cups hadn’t been broken and tossed the pile of shards into the trash heap. They restacked the plates in the cabinet, put away pots and pans.

  They got out the brushes and rollers and celebrated when the first coat of sage green went on the walls before noon.

  From there, they moved into the living room, shoveling out the trash in there. They mopped the hardwood floor twice, working comfortably, side by side until they broke for lunch. They spread out one of the tarps in front of the fireplace and devoured roast beef sandwiches along with a bag of Fritos they’d picked up at a grocery store.

  “Not the freshest rye bread I’ve ever had but it fills the belly,” Hannah said as she munched on her chips.

  Sitting on the floor, Caleb relaxed and stretched out his long legs. He polished off his bottle of cream soda and stared at Hannah. “What is it you like most about working in a vineyard?”

  She leaned back against the leather chair, gazing out the window as if putting thought into her answer. “I’d have to say I love walking between the rows of vines just as they start to bud out, just as the sprout appears on the vine. But it’s a tough call because I love every part of the vine cycle, from nurturing the baby plant along to blooming, to smelling the dirt, to reaching out and feeling the shape of the bud with my fingertips, and knowing that first little shoot will develop into a sweet-tasting grape one day.”

  It warmed Caleb’s heart to realize they had so much in common. “I love working around plants. Growing things is the most contentment I could ever have and get paid for it. Gardening’s in my blood.”

  “When did you know that’s what you wanted to do?”

  “Six maybe, following along behi
nd my dad, emulating what he did in the greenhouse. And then later, I loved watching that hybrid become a different kind of plant no one had ever heard of before. There’s something calming about it.”

  “I’m planning to ask my father to help me get started at the co-op, helping me pick out the grapes best suited for the soil near the lighthouse.” She tilted her head and looked at Caleb. “But it occurs to me you could probably contribute to that subject. The plan is to bring in the best grapes, not just for wine, but jam and jelly, as well. I have this idea to turn the keeper’s cottage into a store, where we sell a portion of what we grow and make to the tourists. The co-op could use the jam and jelly items as a fundraiser, a moneymaker, and then put the cash back into the crop. I like the way Isabella structured what she grows to benefit the people in the town. She told me about all the times they stop in, those who need the harvest to make ends meet. I can’t wait to be a part of something like that.”

  The waning light had her gathering up her trash. “Shouldn’t we get going on the living room paint if we want to get out of here soon?”

  “Yeah, but it’s peaceful sitting in this spot watching the trees sway in the wind.”

  “You were right about this place. Spruced up, new paint, heat, a john that flushes, I can see what you love about it. If you want to, we can check out of the hotel tomorrow morning and stay here Saturday and Sunday night.”

  “You wouldn’t mind?”

  “I won’t lie, I’ll miss the room service. But I’ll survive. I see that look in your eyes as the cabin slowly comes back to life again. That look is priceless. It’s obviously important to you, which tells me about who you are as a person. You’d do anything for your family and I really like that about you.”

  He ran a finger down her cheek. “At the risk of having it go to your head, I love just about everything about you. Your determination to find Micah is one of the all-time examples of not giving up. I adore that about you.”

  “If we don’t get up from here and finish the painting, I get the sense we’ll end up in bed soon.”

  “Not unless the mattresses get here.”

  She gave him a wry smile. “If you’re the conventional sort, sure.”

  He cocked a brow. “The floor? I’m up for that.”

  She let out a laugh. “No. Raincheck. Hotel room. Three hours from now. Whaddya say to that?”

  “You’re on.”

  With sex on their minds, they picked up their paint rollers and reluctantly went back to work.

  They were spreading French Oak, a soft creamy brown color, on the living room walls when they heard a delivery truck pull up just before five. Two men unloaded three sets of queen mattresses and box springs and carted them into the much cleaner-smelling bedrooms.

  That night before they left, they stood back admiring the work they’d put in.

  “It’ll break my heart if this asshole repeats his performance,” Hannah admitted. “What if he comes back tonight before you and Cooper install the alarm system and ruins everything we’ve done here?”

  “Good call. I’ll contact the sheriff’s department and make sure someone can keep an eye on the place tonight.”

  “But what happens in between their drive bys? It won’t be enough.”

  “I know, but it’s the best we can do without sleeping here.”

  “I honestly hate to leave and risk it.”

  “Me too.”

  They did eventually lock up and take off. But they were still worried about the cabin on the drive to the lodge.

  Once they got back, they went up to their room to shower off the dirt and sweat.

  As Hannah got out of her filthy jeans and top, she noticed Caleb watching her. “What?”

  “You look beautiful. So much you blow me away.”

  “Okay, now I know you’re lying. My hair’s greasy and smells like gasoline. I have paint on my chin and a scratch on my nose where a box fell on it.”

  “Poor baby.” He kicked off his work boots, yanked his shirt over his head, and unbuttoned his jeans. He held out a hand in invitation. “You look beautiful. And I’ll say it as many times as you want me to because it’s true. Take a shower with me, Hannah.”

  She stepped into his arms, took his face between her hands. “You’re a charmer, Mr. Jennings.”

  He shed his jeans and backed her into the bathroom. “So formal and proper. Let’s see how long that lasts.” He turned on the water. As he maneuvered her under the spray and into the steam, he lowered his mouth to hers.

  Their hands spread soapy foam over curves and angles, hips and breasts. Slick, wet, they went after each other.

  Caught up in her, he slipped his hands under her butt and lifted her off the tile floor. She straddled his legs, lowered herself onto him. Joined, she held on as satiny smooth met up against hard. They rocked and raced with only one goal in mind. Fire and heat surged. They shuddered, exploding in frenzy, surrendering to each other.

  He rested his head on hers, out of breath. “That’s one way to cap off a hardworking day.”

  “I could get used to this.”

  He ran his hands up her back. “God, so could I. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.”

  Later, they opted for room service again and ate Pacific salmon, cozied up in bed.

  Before going to sleep, Hannah got out her laptop to catch up on her emails. To Brent, she asked for an update on the case. To Isabella, she sent a list of ideas for the co-op, repeating how excited she was about her new job. To Durke, she made sure Geniece and Darla had showed up without incident to cover her shift. To Jordan, she wanted to know just how booked up the B&B was for the upcoming week. She made certain Jordan knew she’d be there, on time and without fail. It seemed polite to keep a dialogue going until she could update Jordan about the co-op job.

  “What are you doing?” Caleb asked.

  “Keeping the lines of communication open while I’m gone.”

  “You’ve sent emails to practically everyone you know. You’ll be back before noon on Monday.”

  “Sue me if I’m thorough.”

  He went over to where she sat at the desk, head bent at the keyboard. He began to nip his way along her neck. “Our last night in this luxurious room. We’re supposed to make the most of it, but with you way over here…that’s hard to do.”

  She shut the lid on her laptop. “That’s okay. I can remedy that.”

  Sixteen

  Saturday morning, they checked out of the hotel and returned to the cabin, arriving around eight o’clock. As the sun tipped over the mountaintop, they stopped to enjoy the sight.

  “I didn’t see anyone hanging around getting here. Looks like the cabin made it through the night without another fire,” Hannah said as she grabbed the coffee and croissants off the front seat they’d brought for breakfast.

  Caleb unlocked the front door and breathed in the still lingering smell of freshly painted walls. He looked around, cautious and afraid of what he might find. But the cabin was empty and looked the same as they’d left it the night before.

  They ate breakfast in the spotless kitchen, the fresh paint smell in the air around them.

  “You made the right call with the sage green color,” Caleb noted.

  “Thanks. I hope Shelby shares that opinion. What’s the plan today?”

  “We’ve shoveled out most of the trash, made the kitchen look like a new room, cleaned out the living room, now we tackle the bedrooms.”

  She raised her cardboard mug of coffee. “Here’s to that. If we plan to sleep here tonight, I want the sleeping quarters comfy and clean. That means loads of laundry to get the bedding sanitized. I looked in the linen closet and there are plenty of towels, lots of sheets and comforters. I’m washing all of it just in case that…pervert…touched any of them. The amazing thing is the utility room is the one place he left untouched.”

  “The washing machine works. I tested it out yesterday,” Caleb said in assurance. “Didn’t try the dryer.”

/>   “That’s okay I’ll turn it on before I load up a lot clothes. The last thing I want is to have to cart baskets of wet towels to a laundromat on the other side of the mountain. I’m anxious to have fresh towels and a clean place to sleep tonight. When’s Cooper due?”

  “While we were loading up the truck I got a text from him early this morning saying his ETA is ten o’clock. Since we don’t have cell service here, that’s the last update.”

  He stuffed the last of the croissant in his mouth. “I’ll start carrying out whatever needs to go from the bedrooms.”

  Hannah emptied the linen closet, making several trips to the laundry room. She tested the dryer. After finding it in working order, she put on the first load of towels. While that washed, she took another spray bottle of cleaner and got to work on the sink and tub in the master bathroom. She mopped the floors again before throwing the towels in to dry. She loaded up the washer with sheets and went back to finish the hall bathroom.

  She heard the wop wop wop of chopper blades circling the house and met Caleb at the front door in time to see Eastlyn and Cooper touching down on the one open area that was big enough for the helicopter to land.

  Cooper began unloading boxes of equipment and setting them on the ground. He tossed out a duffel bag and stepped back away from the blades. As soon as he got far enough away from the rotors, Eastlyn waved and lifted off.

  Caleb ran up to help him lug the gear up to the house. Both men acted as pack-mules to get all the stuff he’d brought to the front doorstep.

  Cooper set down one of the boxes on the porch. “Hey, Hannah. How’s it going?”

  “We’ve made great progress on getting the cabin clean. But we’re anxious to get the alarm system working.”

  Cooper dug out a piece of paper from his pocket, shoved it toward Caleb. “I found this taped to my front door before I left this morning. You were right from the start, thinking this was Eleanor’s doing.”