Finding Abby: A Romantic Suspense set in the Colorado Mountains (Whispering Pines Mysteries)

by Rhonda Blackhurst

  “Hey, Cooper. How ya doin’ man?” Sam grinned and slapped Cooper on the back in a manly, warm welcome.

  “Fine.”

  They stood there in the driveway talking, Sam filling Abby in on anything noteworthy that had happened at the resort in the past five years. She noticed Cooper studying Sam carefully as he talked. It wasn’t long before a yellow Volkswagen bug turned off the road and made its way down the driveway toward them. Sam smiled that lazy smile of his and waved. “That’s Victoria.”

  It was easy to see Sam’s affection toward Victoria. Abby looked on as he took long strides to the car, opened the door for her and enveloped her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground as she laughed.

  “Sam!” she squealed. “I thought this day would never come!” Her long blond hair shone in the sunlight, hanging to the middle of her back. She had an athlete’s build and almost matched Sam in height. They would have made a striking couple. Abby would have thought they were had Sam not mentioned that Victoria had a boyfriend. And it wasn’t him. He gave Victoria his jacket as she shivered.

  “I had forgotten how cold it still is here.” She wrapped the jacket tightly around her. She looked at Abby, extended her hand, and smiled, revealing teeth that reminded her of a Crest White Strips commercial. “Hi, I’m Victoria. Thank you so much for keeping us on this summer. We love this place!” she exclaimed, looking at Sam with obvious affection. “And you must be Cooper.” She smiled and held her hand out to shake Cooper’s.

  Abby groaned inwardly as she saw how enamored Cooper was with this tall, blond beauty. He was actually speechless. She fully understood how he could be smitten with her, but it was bittersweet, nonetheless. Her little boy was growing up and the time to have ‘that talk’ with him was inching closer. It was at times like this that she really resented Hunter. This should be his area of parenting.

  No sooner had the thought crossed her mind and she felt guilty. Some moments of parenting may be a struggle, but the joy far surpassed those moments. She actually felt sorry for Hunter for what he was missing. Though not sorry enough that she would let him back into their lives. In fact, she was going to do whatever she had to so that never happened. She would stop at nothing. She just prayed the Court would never force her to share custody with that monster. If that ever happened, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t take Cooper and go underground.

  12

  After nearly an hour of standing outside and getting acquainted, Cooper hanging on every word that came from Victoria’s pink glossed lips, they wandered in the store so Sam and Victoria could meet Jeremiah.

  “Ms. Sin—Abby,” Sam said, “my Uncle Gabriel is coming next week. That’s his camper over there.” He pointed out the window. “He’s looking forward to meeting you.”

  “How does he know about me?”

  “He’s kinda a regular around here, and Maggie was telling him about you. He said it’s about time someone else breathes some new life into this place.” He laughed as he glanced at her then at Victoria.

  “He didn’t say that in front of Maggie, did he?” Victoria asked as her hand flew up to her mouth, her eyes huge.

  “No. He’s smarter than that.”

  Abby grinned as she listened to the two talk about Gabriel. According to Victoria, he was dreamy. According to Sam, it was awkward that Victoria even thought that way about his uncle.

  Jeremiah and Cooper left to walk around the grounds with them. Abby stayed to work on a new story outline that she had been plotting, while at the same time keeping an ear out for the bell above the store door alerting her to any customers.

  After half an hour, she closed her notebook and descended the three steps into the store. She had just kneeled down behind the counter to open a box dropped off by UPS the day prior when she heard the bell ring. She stood up, smiled.

  “Welcome to—” She looked around but didn’t see anyone. “Hello?” She walked out from behind the counter and scanned the small area. Nothing. “Weird,” she mumbled and went back to opening the box.

  She didn’t remember ordering anything but her dad obviously did. Unless Cooper entered into one of those clubs again where he got so many free items for signing up, with the obligation to purchase a set number of items at full cost in the next one or two years. An obligation not understood by someone of his age. When she tried to get him out of one of those obligations he had signed up for in the past, the know-it-all voice on the other end of the phone told her a contract is a contract, and she can’t break it. She’d come right back at that woman, letting her know that Cooper was only eight years old, not old enough to enter into a contract, and unless they wanted to hear from her attorney, they would sever the contract. They did so quickly.

  She began taking the brown packing paper out of the box, preparing to get Cooper out of a similar mess.

  The bell rang again and she stood up to see the couple who’d checked in from Maine three days ago. Enthusiasm emanated from them, the woman’s cheeks pink as she laughed at something the man said.

  “Abby, you have such a beautiful place here,” she said. “We always hate to leave.”

  “Yes, it is beautiful, isn’t it?” Abby grinned. “Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself to remember it’s real.”

  “Well, we can tell you we’re sure glad you’re here. We’ve been coming up here for five years and running. It needed some new, younger blood.”

  “Thank you. I think.” Abby raised an eyebrow then laughed. “I have to admit it was all a little intimidating at first. Simon and Maggie seemed to have it running so smoothly. I was afraid I would mess it all up.”

  “They needed to go,” the man said. “It was time.”

  “They were looking forward to getting a new start in Florida. I’m happy for them,” Abby said.

  “Florida?” the woman asked.

  “Yes. They decided to retire there.”

  “Why Florida?” The woman asked. “Don’t you think that’s odd, Rick?” She looked at the tall man beside her. “Last spring she said she loved it here so much she was going to die here and that they’d have to carry her out in a body bag.”

  “A lot has changed since then,” Abby said.

  Now Abby felt terrible. No wonder Maggie seemed resentful of her. Because she was. Maggie hadn’t wanted to leave at all. She briefly explained the circumstances that brought her, Jeremiah, and Cooper to Whispering Pines.

  “Well, that’s even odder. The only family I knew either of them had that were still living are in Arizona.”

  “Ginny, come on. It’s not like you guys were good friends,” Rick said. “Maggie never told you her life story.” He wrapped an arm around Ginny and looked at Abby, shaking his head. “My wife likes to think she knows everyone’s life story.”

  “You ought to be a writer.” Abby smiled at Ginny.

  “See, honey?” Ginny smiled and elbowed him. “It’s not a bad thing.”

  After Abby finished the checking out process, she gave them a small card with a customer survey to fill out. She waved at them as they walked past the side window and went back to unpacking the box.

  She knelt down, her behind resting on her heels, and pulled out the last piece of long, twisted, brown packing paper. She gasped and jumped back, using her hand to catch herself from falling backward. She stood up and looked down at the contents of the box in horror. She couldn’t have been any more freaked out if it was a box filled with snakes. And she hated snakes!

  She looked at the dozen roses, not just black, but very dead, black roses. Underneath the roses lay a wedding picture of her and Hunter, the glass in the frame broken, and a hole cut out in the picture where her heart would be. When she looked closer, she saw her eyes were scratched out as well. She held her hand up to her mouth to keep a scream from escaping. Tears welled up in her eyes.

  She heard voices outside getting nearer, and she looked up to see her dad, the rest of them following behind, Victoria talking animatedly using her hands.

 
She quickly brushed the tears away with the back of her hands and forced herself to smile as they reached the door. She pushed the box under the counter with her shin, using her foot to close the flaps on the top.

  “Mom, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she lied, feeling her cheeks flame. “Just doing a little work around the store.”

  “Abs,” her father said, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Nope.” Her voice sounded abnormally high-pitched and tinny. She forced her smile a little wider, her face feeling tight, as though it might crack. “No ghosts here that I know of. Sam and Victoria show you guys anything new?” she asked, hoping they’d take the bait and get their attention off of her.

  “They sure did,” Cooper answered.

  His attention was diverted easier than she anticipated. When she looked at him, she knew why. He was star struck with Victoria, looking at her as if she were none other than Taylor Swift herself.

  “I’m gonna leave you kids and see about getting some work done on your studio, Abs.” Jeremiah nodded at Sam and Victoria and was gone.

  Sam was next to announce his departure. “I’m heading to my parent’s house to unpack. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  Abby’s jaw dropped. “You mean you haven’t even stopped by to see them yet?”

  “Nope.” He grinned, looking more than a little sheepish. “Came straight here.”

  “Cooper,” Abby said, shaking her head, “that is what not to do after you head off to college. Or ever.”

  “Come back to see you?” he asked with a smirk.

  “No, wise guy, make another stop, no matter what it is, before you come home to see me.”

  Sam hung his head, still grinning, and headed for the door. “See ya, Mrs. S.”

  “It’s Ms. And call me Abby.” She turned her attention to Victoria. “What about you? Tell me you’ve gone to see your parents before you came here.”

  Victoria giggled. “I stopped but there was no one home so I came here.”

  “Did they know you were coming home?”

  “Sometime today, yeah. But to tell you the truth, they probably thought I would come here first anyway.”

  Abby shook her head in defeat. “Off with you. Go see your parents. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Victoria,” Cooper said, following her to the door.

  “Bye, kiddo.”

  Abby stood behind Cooper and saw his shoulders slump slightly. She was certain the culprit was Victoria thinking of him as a kid. Her heart hurt for him, but just a little. She wanted him to herself. At least until he was forty.

  Her pulse had finally slowed to a normal level. Until she looked down and saw a corner of one of the flaps from the box sticking out. Instantly, her heart rate shot up dangerously high again as she used her toe to push the box back as far as it could go. She prayed Cooper wouldn’t notice it.

  “I’m gonna go play my video game.”

  “It’s too nice to be sitting up in your room, honey. Why don’t you go see if Grandpa could use your help.”

  “Mooommm,” he complained.

  “Go.” She walked around the counter and placed her hand gently on his back. “Fresh air will be good for you. And take Gus with you.”

  “I had fresh air when I was walking around with Victoria. So did Gus.”

  “Cooper …” she warned. Abby watched until he was around the corner and out of sight. She ran the box up to her room and tucked it in her closet. More than anything, she wanted to call Piper but needed to wait until she could talk without interruptions by anyone coming into the store. This was going to require her full attention.

  13

  As soon as Jeremiah retired to his room for the night, Abby cracked open Cooper’s bedroom door and poked her head in to be sure he was studying for his exams. She slipped on a navy hoodie over her t-shirt, her flip-flops and took her phone outside where she perched on the top step of the porch. It was eerie out here at dusk, but she knew she could easily be in the house in one long stride if she needed to be. She had pulled the door closed behind her so as not to risk Cooper hearing her if he came downstairs for a snack, a drink, or any other excuse to stop studying. She took extra precaution, though, so it didn’t latch. Should a fast entrance be necessary, she didn’t want to have to fumble with the doorknob, like one fumbles with trying to open a childproof pill bottle. Gus lying by her feet, his head resting on the top of her left foot, helped her feel a little safer. She reached down and stroked his head.

  Piper answered on the fourth ring. Abby could barely hear her above the background voices.

  “Are you having a party or what?” Abby asked.

  “I’m at a Naughty Nighty party.”

  “Since when do you wear that stuff?”

  “I don’t. I’m messing with you. I’m at my friend Ryan’s house. He has some friends over.”

  “Can you talk? I really need to talk.”

  “Hold on.” She heard Piper’s muffled voice telling someone she’d be right back. “Okay, go.”

  “Hunter knows where we are.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I got another text. And an unexpected, disturbing package. Piper, what am I going to do?” She began to panic again as she thought about it, her breath coming in short ragged gasps.

  “You’re going to take a deep breath and tell me what the package was, that’s what. And what did the text message say?”

  Like an obedient child, Abby took a long, slow breath, squeezing her eyes shut as she did. Finally, she opened her eyes and sighed. “Sorry, I’m just super wigged out. That package today has me really on edge. Piper, he’s out for revenge.”

  “What was in it?”

  “Actually, it came yesterday. I just didn’t open it until today.”

  “Abby, what was in it?” Piper asked again, this time, more insistent.

  “A dozen dead black roses and a picture of me and Hunter.” She went on to describe the details of the photograph.

  “How, exactly, can you tell if a black rose is dead?”

  “Piper!”

  “Sorry, sweetie. That was really insensitive. I was just curious. But you’re right. That is not only creepy, it’s disturbing as hell.”

  Piper sounded like she was only partly present. “I know what it means when you sound like this. You’re thinking something and don’t want to tell me. What is it?”

  “What are the chances he would try and take Cooper?”

  “None, if he knows what’s good for him. Dad would hunt him down like the animal he is.”

  “I still don’t know what you ever saw in that guy.”

  “I didn’t call so you could question my ability to choose a husband.”

  “Does Dad know anything about this?”

  “The bare minimum. That’s all we need is to give him a reason to drink.”

  “He doesn’t need to find a reason, Abby. He uses anything that’s in front of him as an excuse. He’s an alcoholic. That’s what alcoholics do. How’s he doing, anyway?”

  “Actually, he’s doing better than I thought he would. He stays busy, and Cooper’s generally always around. When he’s not in school, that is.”

  The line fell silent. Gus popped his head up and looked off into the distance. Abby inhaled sharply, startled at Gus’s quick movement.

  “Abby, what’s going on?”

  Abby could hear the panic in Piper’s voice. “Gus heard something toward the boathouse.”

  “The boathouse?”

  “Yeah. It’s more like a large tool shed or a small garage that doubles as a place to store three small fishing boats and the paddle boats.”

  “Where are you that Gus heard something by the boathouse? Wait. Who is Gus?”

  Abby laughed despite the knot in her stomach.”I’m sitting on the front steps. And Gus is our dog.” At the sound of his name, he looked at her, stepped up onto the landing next to Abby and rolled over on his side, inviting her to rub his stomach.
She touched his warm belly and rubbed, comforting herself as much as Gus. “He’s cheaper than therapy and a whole lot more fun.”

  “Does Cooper know anything about all of this?”

  “Not about the box, no. He’s been asking me why I won’t let him see his dad, though.”

  “So he knows he’s out of prison?”

  “Yes.”

  “Has Hunter tried contacting him?”

  “I don’t know. My gut is telling me he has.”

  Abby shivered as the evening chill crept through her hoodie. Saying it out loud made it too real. Is that what Cooper has been keeping from her?

  “Oh my gosh, Piper,” she whispered, breathless. “I think he totally has been. Cooper’s been acting really weird lately when it comes to his phone.” Suddenly pieces were clicking into place. Abby felt sick to her stomach.

  “Have the police trace the calls.”

  “Hunter was the police. He’s not going to be stupid enough to do something that can be traced.”

  “You need to tell Dad, Abby.”

  “What good would that do?”

  “Not telling him isn’t stopping him from drinking, it’s putting you and Cooper at risk. Dad’s one more set of eyes.”

  “They’d come in handy, I s’pose, since mine are scratched out.”

  “That’s not even funny.”

  Abby sighed and shivered again. “No, I guess it wasn’t, was it?”

  “If you don’t want to do it for you, do it for Cooper. That’s not a suggestion, it’s an order. If you don’t, then I will.”

  “I’ll tell him in the morning. Gotta run and check on Cooper. He’s studying for his final exams.”

  “Finals already?”

  “Yup. Talk to you later. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  “Piper?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks. For always being my voice of reason.”

  “For God’s sake, someone has to be. Besides, as your older sister, that’s my job.”

  “Whatever. Thanks.”

  The next morning Sam and Victoria showed up as promised and not a second late. Having taught kids for several years, she knew that wasn’t typical. She liked them and was impressed with them already. It was safe to say Cooper was beyond impressed with Victoria. More like enamored. Sam was sporting jeans, a long sleeve T with the Ohio State logo on the front, and a ball cap. Victoria’s denim shorts revealed long lean legs, the gooseflesh an indicator that her Southern Cal hoodie wasn’t quite warm enough. She bubbled with vitality and the endless energy of youthfulness.